Meet the Mexican who’s helping to detect cancer in the Netherlands

Photo: courtesy of Agustín Enciso

“What motivates me every day is knowing that I can do something to help my community.”

So says Agustín Enciso, a Mexican researcher who’s been working on the non-invasive detection and treatment of cancer since 2013.

The Tecnológico de Monterrey graduate, who is currently a researcher at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, has discovered biomarkers that facilitate the early stage detection of the disease.

Part of his work is focused on metastasis, which involves looking for the factors that cause cancer to spread in the body and how to stop it by using drugs.

Agustín started studying at PrepaTec Zacatecas in 2006. Due to his high level of academic performance, he was able to access different scholarships and research opportunities during his undergraduate studies.

In 2009, he began studying for a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Tec’s Monterrey campus. During his degree, the Tec allowed him to carry out research stays both in Mexico and abroad. 

“I think of myself as someone who’s very curious, who wants to learn all the time. I always want to know why things happen,” Agustín shared with CONECTA.

“I had the opportunity to participate in different extracurricular activities offered by the Tec, which helped me a lot to grow both personally and professionally,” said Agustín.

Some of his stays were at the Monterrey Unit of Cinvestav, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

His journey to Europe

“Using engineering to solve medical problems was what piqued my interest, so the biomedical engineering degree allowed me to combine both of these interests,” said the Zacatecan.

In 2014, after finishing his degree at Tec de Monterrey, Agustín decided to continue his professional education by studying for a master’s degree at KU Leuven in Belgium.

During his master’s degree, he focused on identifying different biomarkers of cancer in the blood, monitoring therapies through non-invasive methods, and improving diagnosis.

In 2016, he then began studying for a doctorate at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, specializing in cancer and researching new methods for diagnosing and monitoring this disease.

He currently works at the university, undertaking postdoctoral research on cancer behaviors.

“In reality, a post-doc isn’t like going to school: we go to the lab instead. We do experiments, we interpret the data, we draw our conclusions, and we publish them,” he added.

“The advice I would give is to find a way you can contribute to our world by doing something you like, no matter how small, and to always try to make changes that will have an impact on peoples’ lives,” concluded Agustín Enciso in an interview for CONECTA.

“Guty distinguished himself as an excellent student who was very responsible and focused on reaching each of his goals. He has always shown integrity in everything he does,” added Isabel Escobedo, who was his teacher at PrepaTec.

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