On November 4th, 2015 the inauguration of the 2015/2016 academic year of the PAS Ochota BioCentre PhD Programme was celebrated in the lecture hall of the Nałęcz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering PAS. More than 400 PhD students study their degrees at six PAS institutes forming the PAS Ochota BioCentre Consortium: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Nencki Institute.

The guests were greeted by prof. Adam Szewczyk, Director of the Nencki Institute. Prof. Stefan Malepszy and prof. Paweł Rowiński, vice-Presidents of PAS, prof. Marcin Pałys, Rector of WU, prof. Nadzieja Drela, Dyrektor of the Institute of Zoologu, Faculty of Biology WU, Zbigniew Brzózka, dean of the chemical faculty  WTU, and directors of institutes forming the Consortium were in attendance. Prof. Szewczyk presented the agenda of the inauguration and asked PAS President prof. P. Rowiński to speak. He wished all the PhD students success.

Then Directors of Consortium Institutes presented the most interesting result obtained in the last year in their institutions and, together with prof. S. Malepszy, awarded the best PhD theses defended in the last academic year with diplomas and statuettes.

Among the honored were the following students from the Nencki Institute:

dr Jacek Rogala - promotor: prof. Daniel Wójcik

dr Piotr Majka - promotor: prof. Daniel Wójcik

dr Katarzyna Michalec - promotor: Katarzyna Nałęcz

dr Maciej Gawlak - promotor: dr hab. Grzegorz Wilczyński, prof. nadzw.

dr Agnieszka Walczak - promotor: dr hab. Grzegorz Wilczyński, prof. nadzw.

dr Katarzyna Maleńczyk - promotor: prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń

dr Weronika Dębowska - promotor: prof. Małgorzata Kossut

dr Agnieszka Topolska-Woś - promotor: prof. dr hab. Anna Filipek

dr Agnieszka Graczyk - promotor: dr hab. Wiesława Leśniak, prof. nadzw.

dr Michał Stawarski - Promotor: prof. dr hab. Leszek Kaczmarek

After the laudation presented by prof. Malgorzata Kossut from the Nencki Institute the assembled guests heard the lectures by prof. Jerzego Vetulaniego (Institute of Pharmacology PAS) entitled: “Neurobiology of dying and near death experience”.