Lara Barazzuol obtained her PhD in 2012 at the University of Surrey followed by a postdoc at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex in the UK. During this period, Lara developed a keen interest in the DNA damage response of the developing and adult brain. In 2016, Lara moved to the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), in the Netherlands, to establish her own group within the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems. Lara Barazzuol’s research focuses on assessing the effect of cancer treatment, primarily radiotherapy, on the brain. Her group is also interested in investigating how defects in DNA repair impact on human health, with a particular focus on neurodegenerative diseases. Highlights from her career include several young investigator awards, including the 2015 British Institute of Radiology Nic McNally Award, the 2017 Adrian Begg Award and the 2017 Bas Mulder Award. She is currently project leader and/or partner in KWF (Dutch Cancer Society), CRUK and SU2C funded grants.