Maria Jesús Rojas Lechuga

What is your name?

Maria Jesús Rojas Lechuga  

Can you tell me about your background?

I'm a medical doctor from Chile, and I trained as an ENT specialist at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona where I now work. My main areas of interest are rhinology and sleep medicine. Alongside my clinical practice, I have always been involved in research and teaching, and I really enjoy working in collaborative environments and learning from others. This has led me to take part in several research projects and contribute to the training of residents and students.

Are you currently studying?

When in medicine you really never stop studying! But officially, I'm currently doing a PhD at the University of Barcelona. My research focus is on sinonasal mucosal melanoma, which is a rare type of melanoma and very aggressive. We try to better understand the clinical, genetic and immunological characteristics of these tumours in order to help guide future treatments and improve outcomes

What's your background in health data science?

I don't come from a technical background, but I have always been very interested in how data can support better clinical decisions. I completed a master's degree in research methodology in health sciences at the Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, which gave me a solid foundation in statistics, study design and critical appraisal. After completing my residency, I was awarded the research fellowship in my hospital. This opportunity allowed me to strengthen my research skills and grow as a surgeon. This summer school is actually my first real exposure to real-world data. I was particularly interested in how it might be used to support surgical decision making.  For example, by helping us better understand which patients benefit most from certain procedures or how outcomes vary in real life settings. I saw this as an opportunity to explore a new field that could really complement my clinical and research work.

How did you feel when you were offered the bursary onto the summer school?

I was really grateful, and honestly a bit surprised! I knew it was a competitive process so receiving the bursary felt like a real honour. It made it possible for me to attend the course which I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. And I feel very thankful, not just for the opportunity itself, but also for the trust and support it represents. And I was also a bit nervous, as I knew I was stepping into a space that was quite new to me, but more than anything, I feel excited and curious to learn as much as I could from the experience.

How have you enjoyed the week?

It was a wonderful experience, intense but incredibly enriching. I have learned so much in such a short time. I really like the structure of the program, the balance between the theoretical and practical sessions helps consolidate learning and create engaging discussions. I particularly enjoyed the hands-on part. I was in the epidemiology track, and we had the chance to explore the tools and apply learning in a very surprising and fun, accessible way. I really valued how approachable and supportive the faculty have been, and how much we have learned from other participants, who come from very different clinical backgrounds. It's been inspiring to see how different professional profiles can come together to explore real-world data in such a collaborative way. The social activities were also a highlight. On the first day punting was a lovely way to break the ice and get to know each other.

What's been the highlight?

One of the main takeaways for me has been realising how powerful real-world data can be when it's properly structured and shared. Coming from a clinical background, I was amazed by the potential for collaboration across countries and institutions through a common data model. It helped me understand the complexity behind what initially seemed like a straightforward analysis, but it's much more complex than that, and now I can see how much thought and rigour you need to produce reliable, transparent and meaningful evidence. Something that really stood out for me was the collaborative spirit of the group, the way that the epidemiology group, the epidemiologists, and the data scientists work closely together, and the openness to sharing knowledge and standardising methods to create a space where the quality of evidence can improve. Hopefully this leads to better decision-making, and that can have an impact on how we care for our patients.

How will the opportunity help with your future career?

This has given me a clear sense of how real-world data can be applied in practice and where the gaps still are in especially in the clinical fields.

It’s made me think about how to improve the way surgical data is recorded and structured so that we can eventually contribute to research collaborations. What matters most to me, and what will support in my clinical journey, is understanding the link between the research and the clinical practice in order to make more informed patient-centred decisions. I see this as a starting point, and I’m motivated to explore how these tools can be applied in surgical research. I’m truly grateful to have been part of this experience — it’s been inspiring on many levels, and I’m excited for what comes next.