A welcome beyond borders

When Diego Carrasco first saw Lisbon from the air fifteen years ago, the city looked like a watercolour: terracotta rooftops glowing above the Tagus River. “I remember seeing the roofs from the plane,” he says. “It was so romantic. I thought this city is so old, and at the same time, so new.”
It was 2010, and Carrasco, a young Colombian doctor, had been selected to come to Portugal through a government programme that invited Latin American doctors to work in Europe. “I felt welcome from the very beginning, as it was the government itself that had opened the door.”

A colourful welcome
Diego’s introduction to the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) began with research in Systems Oncology, later progressing into clinical oncology and internal medicine. “What impressed me most wasn’t the technology or the building - it was the atmosphere,” he says. “When I arrived, the first thing I saw was all the flags in the main entrance. For me, as a foreigner, that said everything. This was a truly international place.”
That sense of belonging quickly took root. “In the lab, we spoke English more than Portuguese,” he laughs. “There were people from all over the world, and the Champalimaud Foundation made a point of bringing us together. The Friday happy hours were something new for me. Some food, some wine, and a lot of conversation. That’s when I really felt part of the community.”

Finding his voice
Language challenges are common when moving to a new country and for Diego, Portuguese came gradually, though not without effort. “In Latin America, we grow up hearing Brazilian Portuguese, which is open, melodic. European Portuguese is more closed, more guttural. It took me a while to adapt,” he says. “After a few months, I started to understand. Now, fifteen years later, I speak fluently. But my patients still ask, ‘Doctor, you speak very good Portuguese… but where are you from?’” He smiles. “You never really lose the accent. And maybe that’s a good thing.”

Between two worlds
“In Latin America, from the moment you wake up, you have to survive,” Diego reflects. “It shapes you - your adaptability, your way of finding solutions. So when you arrive in a very safe country like Portugal, it’s different. The problems here are not the same. What many people see as a problem is often an opportunity to change something.”
He adds, “People who leave their home countries and move abroad often see life differently. I always say that, for the Portuguese, the ‘chip’ starts working when you cross the border. You rediscover your strength; maybe that’s why this has always been a nation of explorers.”

Building bridges
That same spirit of exploration, he believes, lives on at the Champalimaud Foundation in its openness, freedom, and cultural diversity. “You meet people from everywhere, all bringing different ideas and experiences. That diversity makes science better.”
Building on that spirit of connection, Diego recently founded a company, Médicos En Portugal (Doctors in Portugal), to support Latin American doctors who wish to work in Portugal,” he explains. “We help them through the entire process – bureaucracy, professional recognition, language, everything. When I went through the process, it took up to four years. Now we can do it in just one.”
For him, it’s not just logistics, it’s hope. “Portugal needs more doctors, and Latin America has many who dream of new opportunities. Helping both sides is something I’m proud of.”

Music = Happiness
Beyond helping Latin American doctors to come to Portugal, Diego would also like to share something of Colombia: “Happiness,” he says, smiling. “And music. Music is how we stay joyful.” He pauses, then adds “I truly love fado — I think it’s an incredible artistic expression that speaks deeply to the Portuguese soul and to ‘saudade’. But as a Colombian, I also bring with me a touch of Caribbean rhythm and joy from my homeland. For me, music is a meeting point — between the melancholy of fado and the tropical energy of Colombia — and perhaps that’s where the most beautiful harmony is found.”

Home at last
Fifteen years after that first flight over Lisbon, Diego’s story is one of belonging, and not just to a place, but to a shared purpose. “When you come to a new country, it’s not easy,” he says. “You need people who welcome you, who trust you. At the Champalimaud Foundation, I found that.”
As the Champalimaud Foundation celebrates twenty years of science and discovery, Diego’s journey is a reminder of what makes it truly special: a community built on openness, curiosity, and the courage to explore beyond borders. “This is a country with good food, good people, and a good heart,” he says. “And at the Champalimaud Foundation, you feel that from the very first day.”

Diego Carrasco, Doctor of Internal Medicine at the Champalimaud Foundation’s Clinical Centre and the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre

Text by John Lee, Content Developer at the Champalimaud Foundation’s Communication, Events and Outreach Team

Full 20 Years, 20 Stories Collection here.