Dr. Guillermo de Velasco, MD, PhD

Clinical Career and International Training in Oncology

- Consultant Medical Oncologist | Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid (2016 – Present). I carry out my clinical and research work in the Genitourinary Tumours and Melanoma Units.

- Research Fellow in Genitourinary Oncology | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, USA (2015 – 2016). Advanced research on predictive biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in renal cancer and characterisation of the tumour immune microenvironment.

- Honorary Clinical Fellow & Staff Grade | University of Cambridge / National Health Service (NHS), United Kingdom (2013 – 2014). Metabolomics studies applied to renal cell carcinoma at Addenbrooke's Hospital and collaboration in translational clinical research.

- Medical Oncology Resident | Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid (2007 – 2011).

EDUCATION AND TEACHING

Higher Academic Education

- Doctor of Medicine (PhD) | Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2016). Awarded summa cum laude, with a thesis focused on molecular characterisation and microRNA in oncology.

- Master's in Molecular Biology | Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) (2013).

- Degree in Medicine and Surgery | Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2006).

Supervision of Doctoral Theses and Research Projects (Bachelor's/Master's Theses)

I have successfully supervised more than ten complex research projects combining oncology, molecular biology and biostatistics:

- Molecular taxonomy of renal cell carcinoma and response to targeted therapies (Doctoral Thesis, UCM, 2024).

- Prognostic value of liquid biopsy based on circulating plasma exosomes in cancer patients (Doctoral Thesis, UCM, summa cum laude).

- Supervision of multiple Master's and Bachelor's theses focused on the efficacy of immunotherapy and targeted therapies in urothelial, renal and prostate cancer.

RESEARCH AND TRIALS

Clinical Trials and Funded Research (Horizon Europe / ISCIII)

As a researcher at the Hospital 12 de Octubre Research Institute (imas12), I lead international consortia and competitive projects funded by public and private sources.

PRCC-TREAT (Grant 101137129)

European Commission – Horizon Europe

Principal Investigator. Molecular stratification of metastatic papillary renal cancer.

CARE-1 (Grant 101104801)

European Commission – Horizon Europe

Principal Investigator and Work Package Leader. Optimisation of first-line treatment in mRCC.

COMFORT (Grant 101079894)

European Commission – Horizon Europe

Principal Investigator. Artificial intelligence and radiomics-based computational models for urological tumours.

FIS Projects (PI21/01922 / PI17/01728)

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)

Principal Investigator. Dynamic determinants of resistance to immunotherapy and molecular taxonomy in renal cancer.

GEM PLUG-IN (NCT06906822)

Astellas Pharma Global Development

Principal Investigator / Clinical Trial Sponsor.

SOGUG-VEXILLUM (NCT05219435)

Bristol-Myers Squibb / SOGUG

Project Coordinator and Principal Investigator.

SOGUG-AUREA (NCT04602078)

Roche Farma / SOGUG

Coordinator and Principal Investigator. Atezolizumab combined with split-dose chemotherapy.

ONCOSUR-CABOPRE (EudraCT 2018-001201-93)

Ipsen Pharma / ONCOSUR

Principal Investigator. Evaluation of neoadjuvant treatment with cabozantinib.

PUBLICATIONS AND COMMITTEES

Institutional Leadership and Evaluation

- Contributor to the latest ESMO Renal Cell Carcinoma Guidelines.

- Member of the ESMO Examination & Accreditation Working Group (2017 – 2024), actively involved in developing and accrediting the annual examination for medical oncologists in Europe.

- Active member of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), ESMO and ASCO.

Selected Indexed Publications (First-Quartile Journals)

My scientific articles have been published in the highest-impact journals in the field:

- The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) | Belzutifan versus Everolimus for Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma (2024).

- Nature | Neutralizing GDF-15 can overcome anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 resistance in solid tumours (2024).

- The Lancet Oncology | Health-related quality of life with belzutifan versus everolimus for advanced renal cell carcinoma (LITESPARK-005) (2025).

- Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) | Split-Dose Cisplatin Plus Atezolizumab for Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma (SOGUG-AUREA) (2025).

- European Urology | First-line Systemic Therapy Following Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma (2024).