Director's foreword
As individual research groups, we build upon foundational discoveries, cutting-edge technologies, and a profound drive to advance knowledge and positively impact cancer patients' lives. Our ambition is empowered by the complementarity of the competencies brought together within PRIMA.
It is with great joy that I write this foreword to the first annual report of the Center of Excellence, the Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA). This report covers one and a half years of activity since our launch in June 2023. Being part of a Center of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway is truly a privilege. Collectively, we explore fundamental principles of lymphocyte behavior and the complex interplay between cellular components in the tumor microenvironment, utilize innovative target and receptor discovery platforms, and employ a broad toolbox for synthetically engineering proteins and immune cells for more potent recognition of cancer cells. In this report, you will find highlights from these efforts as we celebrate new discoveries and additional external grants supporting our research in cancer immunotherapy.
Being part of a Center of Excellence is also a significant responsibility and carries high expectations - not only to achieve groundbreaking discoveries but also to strengthen the research field at national and international levels and generate positive ripple effects. This includes training the next generation of scientists. In this regard, it has been amazing to witness the efforts of the Young Scientist Working Group and their commitment to creating a sense of belonging and a family atmosphere despite the challenges posed by not being physically co-located. Their bottom-up initiatives, such as forming task forces focused on target discovery, spatial biology, and CRISPR editing, have successfully fostered collaborative synergy grants and paved the way for exciting new collaborations among our teams. In this digital report, you can read more about these inspiring research proposals created by new constellations of young scientists dedicated to solving significant challenges.
Karl-Johan Malmberg
"Science is a method, a method to gain new knowledge through careful experimentation. A well-controlled experiment informs us whether our hypothesis is correct or incorrect and guides us in designing subsequent experiments. Slowly, sometimes frustratingly slowly, and piece by piece, we enhance our understanding of the intricate biological world within us. I cherish every moment I get to take part of scientific advances as a member of the PRIMA family and the broader cancer immunotherapy community". Karl-Johan Malmberg