Sonia Santos Lasaosa: “The best hypotheses are those that you can explain in a minute”

In this interview, the IIS Aragón researcher talks about her work leading the 'Movement Disorders and Headaches' Group (GIIS070) and what her projects are.

Sonia Santos Lasaosa, Coordinator of the Headache Unit of the Neurology Service of the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital, she was awarded the SEN Headache Award in 2022 by the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN).

"I understand research as a way of studying and advancing knowledge of certain diseases, of answering questions and, at the same time, of raising new ones."

Sonia Santos arrived at the IIS Aragón as IP of different phase III clinical trials in the field of migraine and cluster headache. 2015 They created the Movement Disorders and Headache Group (GIIS070), of which Sonia is the principal investigator, made up of "neurologists with special dedication to the field of headaches, Huntington's disease, epilepsy and nursing with specific training."

What lines of research are being worked on in your group?

We focus mainly on the precision medicine in migraine and also in the role of the hypothalamus in cluster headache, Huntington's disease and epilepsy.

What is the main challenge your research group is currently facing?

The main challenges we face today are: time availability and .

Any ongoing projects that you would like to highlight?

We are working on precision medicine in migraine, which includes two substudies, which are currently in the recruitment phase. The first is the PREDICGRP, a study of clinical, neuroimaging and epigenetic response markers in migraine patients starting treatment with anti-CGRP drugs. And the second is PREDICRISIS, a study of migraine attack prediction with a noninvasive device—a smart bracelet.

What profiles make up your research team?

We have a predominant profile within our research team: neurologists with special dedication to the field of headaches, Huntington's disease and epilepsy and nursing with specific training.

Why should companies bet on research, and specifically, on your group?

Human resources are necessary, but not sufficient to develop lines of research that can be competitive.

Advice for someone starting out in healthcare research?

One piece of advice I would give to someone starting out in this field is that The best hypotheses to investigate are those that you can explain in a minute. clearly. If you manage to attract and form a team, it is essential to listen and know how to delegate. The results will come in this way. Only you have to be patient.