Dr. Elena Élez graduated in Medicine from the University of Lleida in 2002 and completed her specialization in Medical Oncology at Bellvitge University Hospital in 2007. In 2010, she obtained a Master’s degree in Molecular Oncology at the CNIO, and in 2015, she earned her PhD in Medicine with Cum Laude distinction from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Currently, she leads the Colorectal Cancer Group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) since 2023 and has been a senior consultant at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona since 2007.

Her research focuses on developing new therapies and biomarkers for colorectal cancer. She has made significant contributions to the molecular subtyping of colorectal cancer and the study of the BRAFV600E mutation, establishing VHIO as a reference in this area. Her work includes an advanced liquid biopsy program aimed at studying the predictive and prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA (cfDNA) in plasma to identify clinically relevant biomarkers.

Currently, she leads studies on colorectal cancer in young patients and investigates the impact of the microbiome on treatment response. Over the past five years, her group has doubled the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials. Presently, they are involved in 20 Phase I trials and 18 Phase II and III trials, where Dr. Élez serves as the principal investigator in most.

Additionally, she leads international projects and secures funding from national and international organizations.