Supported by the Ancrage Grant, I completed a six-month research fellowship at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, working in the Epilepsy Surgery Laboratory under Dr. Weil and Dr. Hadjinicolaou. My contributions included a meta-analysis on surgical outcomes of infantile spasms, active participation in clinical and surgical procedures, and focused learning in paediatric neurosurgery and epilepsy surgery. This experience significantly advanced my academic trajectory and reinforced my commitment to research in paediatric neurosurgery.
Dr. Rachel Cottier (Scholarship recipient 2023)
During my fellowship abroad, I combined clinical training in Epilepsy with clinical research in the same field. Experiencing a different clinical and scientific environment allowed me to view patient care, research, and healthcare management from a new perspective, strengthening my critical approach to clinical practice. This period was formative in my development as a young clinician-researcher and allowed me to build a valuable international professional network.
The Ancrage Grant was essential in supporting my growth as a person and as a young clinician-researcher by giving me the freedom to pursue an independent project and to learn outside a traditional local institutional framework.
Dr. Paola Vassallo (Scholarship recipient 2023)
At the time, I was a paediatric neurologist completing my training at the University of Geneva in Switzerland under the supervision of Professor Korff. Thanks to a grant from the Ancrage Foundation, I had the opportunity to train abroad in France with one of the leading experts in paediatric movement disorders, Professor Agathe Roubertie, in Montpellier. During this fellowship, I participated in highly specialized consultations, provided expert opinions for cases from across France, and contributed to the French National Virtual Multidisciplinary Team Meetings on paediatric movement disorders. I also delivered lectures on abnormal movements in children as part of a French university diploma program, co-authored a book dedicated to paediatric movement disorders, and initiated several research projects, including the creation of a registry, the development of a therapeutic project, and collaborations on other large-scale European studies.
The Ancrage Foundation gave my clinical career an incredible boost, allowed me to meet truly remarkable families, and enabled me to immerse myself in clinical research. I have built a network of specialists with whom I will continue to collaborate throughout my career. I will never be able to thank the Ancrage Foundation enough.
Dr. Eline Chauvet-Piat (Scholarship recipient 2024)
eline.chauvetpiat@chu-montpellier.fr
During my fellowship at the Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, I generated a single-cell spatial transcriptomic atlas of vascular plasticity across four gastrointestinal cancer types—pancreatic, biliary tract, liver, and colorectal—producing one of the first high-resolution endothelial maps in these tumours (poster 3021P presented at ESMO Annual Congress in Berlin, October 2025). This work uncovered both established and novel endothelial subtypes likely to influence drug delivery and treatment resistance, forming the basis for upcoming mechanistic studies and the integration of metabolic niche analysis. Alongside this research, I am completing advanced clinical training in gastrointestinal oncology at one of the largest and most renowned cancer centres in Europe.
The Ancrage Grant supported my fellowship between three renowned institutions (The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden Hospital and CHUV), enabling a key international collaboration and allowing me to conduct this multi-omics research as a postdoctoral fellow. This experience will ultimately strengthen my long-term trajectory in translational GI oncology upon my return
Dr. Christophe Cisarovsky (Scholarship recipient 2024)
We are looking forward to sharing feedbacks for:
- Dr. Amir El Rahal – Scholarship recipient 2023 and 2025
- Dr. Gina Colarusso – Scholarship recipient 2025
- Dr. Beatrice Pizzarotti – Scholarship recipient 2025
Testimonial content is currently being finalized.
**(Work in Progress) **