The Foundation for Polish Science announced the results of START 2020 competition. Three laureates from the Medical University of Warsaw has received the prize, including PhD candidates Joanna Chmielewska and Anna Sosnowska from Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine.

Congratulations!

Joanna Chmielewska performs research in the field of molecular neuroscience in the Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Synaptic Plasticity at University of Warsaw under the supervision of Magdalena Dziembowska, PhD. Joanna works on the doctoral project that aims at deciphering the molecular basis of fragile X syndrome – the genetic disease from the autism spectrum characterized by intellectual disability. The results of this study will broaden the knowledge about the functioning of the synapse in physiological conditions, fragile X syndrome and other neurodevelopmental diseases, what may contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies in the future.

Anna Sosnowska conducts research in the field of immuno-oncology in the laboratory of the Department of Immunology at the Medical University of Warsaw under the supervision of prof. Jakub Gołąb and prof. Dominika Nowis. In her doctoral project, Anna explains the role of enzymes that degrade arginine in the development of an effective anti-cancer immune response. In this project, she seeks to answer the following key questions: how does local expression of arginases affect the immune cells thereby affecting tumor progression and is pharmacological inhibition of arginase activity the proper immunotherapeutic direction in cancer patients?