NewS

The ECR Committee is pleased to welcome new members from all over the world. They will play key organizing roles in ECR activities such as mentoring sessions, networking events, online panel discussions, competitions, and more. Read their short biographies  to get to know more about them.

Ankit Biswas is an Integrated MSc-PhD candidate at UNESCO-Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, India. His research focuses on the conjunction between placental molecular markers in maternal plasma for early detection and maintenance of preterm birth. Further, elucidating the marker's mechanistic function in adverse pregnancy outcomes using advanced proteomic platforms. He is largely interested in exploring the field of reproductive biology employing new generation proteomic tools to bridge the knowledge gap between clinical outcome and molecular mechanism.

Moreover, as a member of proteomic society, India he has been a part of outreach programs for proteomics training in India. Ankit greatly looks forward to becoming a part of the HUPO-ECR community to actively contribute to the initiatives that support early-career researchers and foster dynamic interdisciplinary collaboration.

 Beata Szeitz (Bea) is a postdoctoral fellow in the Fenyo Lab at NYU Langone Health. She earned her PhD from Semmelweis University in Hungary, focusing on lung cancer proteomics. Her research addresses biologically and clinically driven questions in cancer using bioinformatic approaches. In her postdoctoral work, she studies the role of LINE-1 retrotransposon in small cell lung cancer. Bea is glad to become a member of the HUPO-ECR and looks forward to contributing to its activities.

 Mayara Silva (Maya) is a senior PhD candidate in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph, Canada. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and her Master’s degree in fungal biology/medical mycology at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. Throughout her academic journey, Mayara has been actively engaged in science communication initiatives, reflecting her commitment to connecting science with broader audiences.

Her research focuses on the application of mass spectrometry–based proteomics to investigate host–pathogen protein–protein interactions, with the aim of advancing our understanding of infectious disease development. By integrating clinical training with foundational biological research, she is particularly interested in translational science and in developing proteomics-based approaches to elucidate the interplay between immune responses and pathogen virulence factors.

Mayara is enthusiastic about joining the HUPO ECR Committee and looks forward to actively contributing to initiatives that support and empower early-career researchers within the global proteomics community.

Ragini Bhalla is a PhD candidate at Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and is affiliated with the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research examines how pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) establishes an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment that impairs CD8⁺ T-cell function. She leverages mass spectrometry-based proteomics, phosphoproteomics, and secretome profiling to study tumour-immune crosstalk and identify key dysfunctional pathways underlying impaired immune responses.

Her broader interests lie at the intersection of cancer biology and immunology, with a particular emphasis on applying high-resolution proteomics to uncover mechanisms of immune dysfunction and inform the rational design of next-generation immunotherapies.

Ragini looks forward to joining the HUPO-ECR community and actively contributing to initiatives that support early-career researchers and encourage interdisciplinary exchange.

Viviane Reber is a PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. She works on developing and applying methods like limited proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) and in vivo proximity labeling to understand the role of dynamic protein structures and how small molecules interact with protein targets. Her early work included a Master's thesis focused on Parkinson’s disease, specifically investigating how alpha-synuclein interacts with mitochondrial regulators of ATP homeostasis. Now she works on the characterization of chemical probes using multimodal proteomics with a focus on kinase inhibitors as part of the public-private partnership EUbOPEN.

Viviane joined the HUPO-ECR in October 2025 and is excited to continue to support and empower young researchers.

The HUPO Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee is pleased to  announce a call for the HUPO ECR Manuscript Competition, sponsored by Taylor and Francis, at HUPO 2026, which will take place September 27 - October 1, in Singapore. The Manuscript Competition is a unique opportunity for early career researchers to gain visibility in the proteomics community, as it serves as a platform to highlight the invaluable contributions that postdoctoral fellows, young clinicians, and junior faculty members make to the proteomics field.

We encourage early career proteomics researchers to participate in this competition with an already published or accepted manuscript during the 2025 and 2026 calendar years. Three finalists will be selected to present their publications in a dedicated plenary session at HUPO 2026, where an expert committee will evaluate oral presentations to determine the “Proteomics Highlight of the Year” by an ECR.

Eligibility criteria: This competition is intended for:

● Postdoctoral fellows (Ph.D. degree awarded post January 2020),

● Junior faculty members (appointment post January 2022 and PhD awarded post January 2014), and

● Young clinicians (M.D. degree awarded post January 2019).

● Applicants must be HUPO members.

● Career interruptions and leave, such as parental leave, will be considered to extend the eligibility period.

● Finalists from previous years are not eligible to participate.

Publication criteria:

● The applicant must have contributed significantly to the publication as the first or last (or shared first/last) author.

● The publication must be an original research article.

● Review articles will not be considered for this competition.

● The publication must have been accepted or printed for publication at the time of submission for the competition but must not have been published before January 1, 2025.

● Manuscripts that were posted on bioRxiv and other pre-print servers prior to publication will be considered (i.e., prior to January 1, 2025).

● The publication must be written in English.

How to Apply: A complete application must include the documents listed below. Send completed applications by email to ecr@hupo.org.

1. Single publication file as a pdf (including the supplementary information if it applies)

2. A short statement (300 words maximum) in which the applicant describes the novelty and impact of the publication on the field of proteomics.

3. Evidence of HUPO membership (e.g., screenshot of HUPO membership or member ID)

Prize: Awards will be presented during the Closing Ceremony & Awards Session at HUPO 2026. Cash prizes (USD 1,000 to winner and USD 500 each to two runners-up) will be provided post-Congress.

The HUPOST December 2025 issue is here!

In a crowd hungry for knowledge, an intense poster competition has taken place. The contest has never been this close. Please welcome the winners of the ECR Poster  Competition 2025! Our two champions and six runners-up should be proud of their outstanding presentations.

This year’s participants left the HUPO World Congress with honourable certificates and winners received prizes sponsored by Pelago Bioscience. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to seeing new rising stars at HUPO 2026 in Singapore! 

Students:

Winner

 

Daniel Davoudpour, Masters Student

University Of Toronto, Canada

Affinity-purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) and kinase inhibitor screens identify phosphorylation-mediated regulation of αT-catenin at the cardiomyocyte intercalated disc.

Runner-up

 

Marion Pang, PhD student

California Institute of Technology, United States

Marker-guided Spatial Proteomics by LMD-ScP Captures Single-Cell Identity and Heterogeneity of the Nervous System

Runner-up

 

Kathrin Korff, PhD student

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany

Sample handling shapes the signal: workflow bias in plasma proteomics.

Runner-up

Martin Gesell, PhD student

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Specialized T Cell Receptor Nanoscale Communities Define Subset Diversity of Primary Human T Cell Subsets.

Post-Docs:

Winner

 

Marc Oeller, Postdoctoral Fellow

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany

Resolving the Heterogeneity of Protein Inclusions in Parkinson’s Disease by Deep Visual Proteomics

Runner-up

 

Ana Montero, Postdoctoral Fellow

Instituto De Salud Carlos Iii, Spain

In depth-analysis of Alzheimer’s disease brain tissue reveals novel Aβ interactors

Runner-up

 

Loren Méar,Postdoctoral Fellow

Uppsala University, Sweden

Spatial proteomics uncovers structural and molecular complexity of the human ovary in 2D and 3D.

Runner-up

 

Ulises H. Guzman, Postdoctoral Fellow

NNF Centre For Protein Research, ICMM, UCPH, Denmark

A Scalable FFPE tissue Workflow for High-Throughput and Sensitive Spatial Proteomics

HUPO ECR Poster Competition prizes sponsored by Pelago Bioscience. 

The 3MT Competition at HUPO was a truly inspiring showcase of creativity, clarity,  and scientific communication. Twelve PhD students embraced the challenge of presenting their complex research in just three minutes, using only one static slide and speaking as if to a lay audience. Their ability to distil intricate proteomics topics into accessible, engaging presentations was remarkable, demonstrating impressive precision, confidence, and dedication. The session captivated everyone in the room and highlighted the strength of the next generation of researchers. A standout moment came from Ruxandra Bighiu, who captivated the audience with the fascinating world of hearing proteins.”

Winner

 

Ruxandra Bighiu, University Of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

The Hidden Machinery of Hearing: A Deep Dive into Hearing Proteins 

Runner-up

 

Caroline Weiss, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, München, Germany

Mapping the Protein Landscape of the Human Body

Runner-up

 

Carla-Marie Jurkovic, Université De Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada

Uncovering the hidden mechanics of DNA repair to fight cancer

           

All prizes are sponsored by Mass Dynamics and will be awarded post-congress: $500 for the Winner and $300 each for two Runners-up, plus an annual subscription to Mass Dynamics software for the Winner and both Runners-up. 

The Early Career Researcher Manuscript Competition was a fierce competition! 

Our three finalists, Dr. Xiang Zheng (Aarhus University), Dr. Arun Vadivel (SickKids Hospital), and Dr. Julia Bubis (Vienna BioCenter) each gave fantastic talks at the dedicated oral session sponsored by Taylor & Francis. Deciding a winner was no easy feat for our panel of expert judges. In the end, Dr. Xiang Zheng was awarded the first-place winning title of Proteomics Highlight of the Year and a cash prize of $1000. Congratulations to Dr. Zheng and the two runners-up, Dr. Vadivel and Dr. Bubis (cash prize of $500 each)!. Dr. René Zahedi (Taylor & Francis, University of Manitoba) and Roshan Tosh Aggarwal (HUPO ECR Committee member, University of Guelph) chaired the competition.

Winner

Dr. Xiang Zheng, Assistant Professor

Aarhus University, Denmark

Deciphering Functional Tumor-Immune Crosstalk Through Highlight Multiplexed Imaging and Deep Visual Proteomics

Runner-up

Dr. Arun Vadivel, Research Fellow

SickKids Hospital, Canada

The Proteomic Landscape of Diffuse Midline Glioma Highlights the Therapeutic Potential of Non-Histone Protein Methyltransferases

Runner-up

Dr. Julia Bubis, Post-doctoral Researcher

Vienna BioCenter, Vienna

Challenging the Astral Mass Analyzer to Quantify up to 5,300 Proteins Per Single Cell at Unseen Accuracy to Uncover Cellular Heterogeneity

We would like to extend a huge thank you to our competition sponsor, Taylor and Francis, for helping to make this competition possible! 

We are delighted to announce the recipients of the HUPO Awards 2025, celebrating outstanding contributions to the global proteomics community.

View the full list of HUPO Awards 2025 recipients.  

The winners will be formally recognized during the HUPO 2025 Congress — we encourage all attendees to join us in celebrating their achievements and cheering them on!

The HUPOST October 2025 issue is here!

The HUPOST September 2025 issue is here!

The moment you've been waiting for is almost here! We're thrilled to announce the incredible finalists for this year's 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. After a fierce selection process, these exceptional researchers are ready to take the stage and share their groundbreaking work.

In a high-stakes, high-energy event, each finalist will have just three minutes to present their research, using only a single static slide. Get ready to be amazed as they distill complex ideas into captivating, easy-to-understand presentations.

Don't miss the final on Monday, November 10th, from 4:30 to 5:35 PM. Come see who will be crowned this year's champion by our expert judging panel and a live audience!