Clara Elena López Vásquez, BSc, MSc.

When Clara discovered her passion for cell biology and tumour diseases during her Bachelor’s degree, it was clear she wanted to do a PhD to deepen her knowledge and work to improve people's quality of life. Clara chose to do her PhD at Gillies McIndoe Research Institute because of the relevant fields of study, world-class laboratories and great professionals. She felt this was a great opportunity to continue developing as a scientist while gaining valuable international experience in a beautiful country.

Clara joined Gillies McIndoe in 2023 as a PhD student. Her research focuses on using patient-derived organoids (lab-grown mini-organs) to better understand the molecular and metabolic pathways involved in the development and treatment of meningioma and identify potential drug repurposing options that improve patient outcomes. 

She has worked in different fields of biology, from plant physiology, zoology, cell biology and cancer. She recently participated in a research project to treat lung cancer with a combined therapy of irradiation with inhibitors and PROTACs (molecules that break down proteins to provide insight of their cellular functions).

Clara hopes her research will help people who suffer from diseases, specifically tumours. She will also continue her training and contribute to scientific knowledge in her daily work in our laboratories.

Clara completed her Bachelor's degree in Biology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, where she carried out internships in the Departments of Plant Physiology and Zoology. She studied for a Master's degree in Advanced Therapies and Biotechnological Innovation at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, Spain, while working as a laboratory technician. Clara then completed her Master's thesis and internship in the Department of Experimental Therapies of the National Cancer Research Centre in Spain (CNIO) in lung cancer. 

Clara enjoys astronomy, nature and sports like swimming and paddle tennis, outside of work.

 Grants and Scholarships:

• Middle District Lions Club Grant, 2023

Community Science Communication:

• Presentation at NANOS Conference, 2024

• Presentation at Biomedical Seminar from Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia, University of Otago, 2024

• Presentation to the Middle District Lions Club, Palmerston North, 2024

• Tour Guide, Open Day lab tours, Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, 2023 – Present

• Contributor, Social Media Science Communication, Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, 2023 – Present

• Guest, Radio Qué Onda a Latin-American in New Zealand, episodio 342, PhD journey and research on meningioma—the most common central nervous system tumour, 2025