During the 10th International PhD Students Conference, held at the Nencki Institute on 6–8 October 2026, the Bio4Med International Doctoral School in Biological Sciences and Translational Medicine was inaugurated. The school was established jointly by the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw.

Bio4Med is the culmination of a collaboration between two institutes, both of which hold Poland’s highest scientific category, A+. The new doctoral school brings together experimental biology and medicine, with a particular focus on translational research. This research aims to improve our understanding of how many diseases develop and progress, identify potential therapeutic targets, and open up new avenues for diagnosis and treatment.

“We joined forces to create a doctoral school that builds on the expertise and achievements of both institutes and gives young scientists the opportunity to conduct research that can make a meaningful difference to human health,” said Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, Director of the Nencki Institute, during the inauguration ceremony.

The conference gave the incoming Bio4Med doctoral students an opportunity to engage in discussions with researchers from leading European research institutions, including Dr Wojciech Galej (EMBL Grenoble), Dr Roger Gomis (Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona), and Dr Nick Goldman (EMBL-EBI). Other early-career researchers from the Nencki Institute also had the opportunity to present their work.

Over the course of a PhD, young scientists develop their expertise, become increasingly independent, and take greater responsibility for their own research. Along the way, they encounter challenges: experiments that fail to produce the expected results, moments of doubt, and the need to find new solutions. These experiences are an essential part of scientific work, helping researchers learn to ask bolder questions, make independent decisions, and shape the direction of their own projects.

“Throughout your PhD, you can count on the support of the entire Nencki Institute community. I believe that the environment we are building together will help you grow as researchers and find genuine satisfaction in your scientific journey,” Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń told the fifteen incoming doctoral students.

She added: “You have already achieved your first success. Out of 120 applicants, you are the fifteen who make up Bio4Med’s very first cohort and write the first chapter of this school’s history. Congratulations, and I wish you every success in the years ahead.”

This year’s anniversary edition of the International PhD Students Conference was organised in collaboration with EMBL, with funding from EMERALD.

We would like to thank everyone involved in organising the event, as well as our distinguished guests: Aleksandra Szwed (Office of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Warsaw), Małgorzata Białczak (Office of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Warsaw), Sylwia Szepelawa (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology), Prof. Maciej Borowiec (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology), Prof. Wojciech Satuła (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw), Prof. Magdalena Pawełkowicz (Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences), Prof. Jacek Jemielity (Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw), Dr Urszula Białek-Wyrzykowska (International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw), and Prof. Magdalena Dutsch-Wicherek (National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation).