Understanding the Immune system to fight cancer
Evolutionary Immunogenomics
Understanding the Immune system to fight cancer
Evolutionary Immunogenomics
About Evolutionary Immunogenomics Lab
Our History
Founded in 2023 by Dr. Luis Zapata Ortiz, the Evolutionary Immunogenomics Laboratory (EVILAB) explores the dynamic relationship between cancer and the immune system through the lens of evolution.
Our research brings together expertise in genomics, immunology, computational biology, and evolutionary theory to investigate how tumours emerge, adapt, and evade immune surveillance. Using multi-omic approaches and advanced computational methods, we study the evolutionary forces that shape cancer development, tumour heterogeneity, and immune escape.
By combining fundamental biological questions with translational applications, we aim to generate new insights that can improve cancer prevention, early detection, and therapeutic strategies.
Our Team
EVILAB is a multidisciplinary team of scientists united by a common interest in understanding how evolutionary forces shape the relationship between cancer and the immune system.
Our members bring expertise spanning genomics, immunology, computational biology, bioinformatics, evolutionary theory, and translational cancer research. By combining diverse perspectives and skill sets, we develop innovative approaches to study tumour evolution, immune escape, and cancer progression.
We believe that scientific discovery is driven by collaboration, curiosity, and open exchange of ideas. Together, we work to uncover the mechanisms underlying cancer evolution and translate these insights into advances that may ultimately benefit patients.
News
3rd Edition: EMBO Practical Course – Mathematical Modeling and Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Evolution
3rd Edition: EMBO Practical Course – Mathematical Modeling and Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Evolution
We are excited to announce that the third edition of our international summer course on cancer evolution will take place in Valparaíso, Chile, from 3–8 January 2027, this time as an EMBO Practical Course!
Building on the success of previous editions, the course will bring together students, early-career researchers and international experts to explore how mathematical modelling, artificial intelligence and genomic data science can advance our understanding of cancer evolution.
Through a combination of lectures and hands-on practical sessions, participants will explore the evolutionary processes driving tumour development, heterogeneity and treatment resistance. Topics will include stochastic modelling, evolutionary dynamics, statistical inference, cancer genomics and machine learning applications.
The course aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking and scientific exchange, providing participants with practical tools to address challenging questions in cancer biology.
Venue: Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaíso (ISCV), Chile
Dates: 3–8 January 2027
Application deadline: 20 November 2026
Applications and further information: https://meetings.embo.org/event/27-cancerai
MMCE2026: Strengthening an International Training Community in Cancer Evolution
The 2nd edition of the Summer Course on Mathematical Modelling and Data Science in Cancer Evolution (MMCE2026) was a real success. Hosted at the Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaíso (ISCV), the week was full of intense discussions, learning, collaboration, and a great scientific atmosphere.
Participants enjoyed outstanding student presentations, hands-on practical sessions, and inspiring talks from invited speakers. Beyond the classroom, we also shared informal moments together, creating space for discussion, connection, and collaboration in a more relaxed setting, which greatly enriched the overall experience.
We would like to warmly thank our sponsors and supporters who made this edition possible:
The Institute of Cancer Research (EVILAB)
CMM – Centro de Modelamiento Matemático
Society for Mathematical Biology (SMB)
We are deeply grateful to all invited speakers and collaborators for sharing their expertise, and especially to the students, whose commitment, curiosity, and enthusiasm throughout the week truly defined the success of the course.
This edition once again highlighted the value of bringing together mathematics, data science, and cancer evolution in an open and collaborative environment.
The next edition will take place January 3rd–8th, 2027. We are already looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of students and international contributors.
Early Immune Selection in Premalignant Breast Tissue – Presented at Cell Symposia 2025
Sitges, Spain. November 2025
Claudio Salas from the Evolutionary Immunogenomics Lab presented a poster titled “Early Immune Selection Drives Divergent Immune Evasion in Premalignant Breast Tissue” at the Cell Symposium: The Cancer–Immunity Cycle, held in Sitges, Spain.
The study explores how immune selection shapes early breast tissue evolution before malignant transformation, using a multi-omic analysis of healthy, BRCA-mutated, and tumor samples from the EVOBREAST cohort. Integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and immunogenomic data, the work reveals early immune-mediated negative selection, spatial heterogeneity in T-cell infiltration, and gradual transcriptional transitions from healthy to tumor-like states in BRCA-mutated tissues.
“Our results suggest that immune selection begins acting long before tumor formation, shaping the evolutionary trajectories that later define immune-resistant cancers,” said Claudio Salas.
This presentation highlights the ongoing work of the Centre for Cancer Evolution to understand how immune-epithelial co-evolution contributes to cancer risk and resistance, paving the way for preventive and early-intervention strategies.
2nd. Edition Summer Course: Mathematical Modelling and Cancer Evolution in Valparaiso
Master the art of mathematical modelling and data science in tumor evolution with this advanced course. Learn how to represent complex biological systems with mathematical models and analyze their long-term behavior. We’ll explore real-life examples of cell growth and interactions that shape our understanding of cancer.
Delve into the fundamental principles of cancer evolution and population genetics, and discover how mathematical models and evolutionary theory can be applied to real-world cancer patient data. In our hands-on sessions, you’ll develop numerical schemes for ordinary differential equations and uncover the secrets of stochastic branching processes in tumor-immune coevolution.
Through a unique blend of theoretical foundations and practical exercises, this course fosters active participation, collaboration, and critical thinking.
The course is aimed at final year undergraduate students, and master’s and doctoral students.
Organized by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) of the University of Chile
Venue: Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaiso
Register Here: https://eventos.cmm.uchile.cl/mmce2026/registration/
Date: Jan 5th - 10th 2025