YOUPPIE
Awards

The Young Pancreatologist Platform in Europe (YOUPPIE) award is an honorific appointment for young clinical or basic scientists in the field of pancreatology. The YOUPPIE award represents a recognition for important achievements in scientific research as well as for an expansion of scientific knowledge and for achievements in the application of scientific research work. It provides a basis for young pancreatologists for further progress in their research work and career. The YOUPPIE awardees are the official EPC candidates for the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Rising Star Awards.

Miriam Martini
Claudio Luchini

Miriam Martini and Claudio Luchini are the YOUPPIE awardees of 2023.

Miriam Martini is Associate Professor at the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences at the University of Turin. She studied medical biotechnology and received her PhD in cell science and technology in 2009. She unravelled a novel molecular mechanism regulating glutamine metabolism and mTOR signalling in pancreatic cancer. She discovered a lysosomal lipid switch that regulates pancreatic cancer growth and promotes cancer cell addiction to glutamine. Her findings provide a rationale for targeting glutamine metabolism in combination with mTOR inhibitors in pancreatic tumours with hyperactive mTOR signalling.

Claudio Luchini is Associate Professor of pathology at the Department of Diagnostics and Public Health at the University of Verona. He studied medicine and received his PhD in inflammation, immunity and cancer in 2018. He co-authored more than 120 manuscripts on pancreatic tumours, including cancer precursors and variants. He described new antibodies for diagnostics such as CD117 as a specific marker of oncocytic neoplasms and CD200 for solid pseudopapillary neoplasms, comprehensively evaluated microsatellite instability in pancreatic cancer, and discoverd new tumour entities such as pancreatic hepatoid pseudopapillary neoplasms.

The YOUPPIE Award lectures will take place in the awards session on Friday, June 30 at 2:30 p.m.

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