Ústav molekulární genetiky AV ČR, v. v. i.
Excellent Science. Transferable Skills. Endless Possibilities. A PhD is much more than producing scientific results. It is a journey of discovery, continuous learning and professional growth that prepares you not only to become an excellent scientist, but also to thrive in a wide range of research careers. The 19th IMG PhD Conference celebrates the outstanding research carried out by our PhD candidates while providing opportunities to develop the competencies, confidence and professional network that will support your future career.
Through scientific presentations, inspiring career stories, professional development and networking, the programme is designed to help IMG PhD candidates develop the competencies, confidence and connections that will support their future careers. Whether you are presenting your research or joining as a participant, we look forward to a day of excellent science, new perspectives and a strong PhD community at IMG.
The morning session celebrates scientific discovery through an opening keynote by Dominik Hrebik (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany) and presentations by IMG PhD candidates. Whether you are taking your first steps in research or already have exciting results to share, presenting your work is an opportunity to receive valuable feedback, exchange ideas with colleagues and senior researchers, and strengthen your scientific communication skills. To help you prepare, all PhD candidates who register for a conference talk will be invited to an exclusive half-day workshop on presentation skills for scientists, designed to enhance the clarity, impact and confidence of their presentations.
The afternoon focuses on continuous learning and the many opportunities a PhD can unlock beyond the laboratory. Through keynote lectures by Dominik Hrebik (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany), Ralfs Buks (National Institute of Research and Innovation, Latvia) and Tina Catela Ivković (Lund University, Sweden), participants will discover how the competencies developed during a PhD translate into successful careers in academia, industry and research infrastructure management. A panel discussion will provide an opportunity to ask questions, hear honest career stories and gain practical advice from researchers who have followed different professional paths.
The final part of the conference is dedicated to professional growth. An interactive workshop will introduce ResearchComp, the European Competence Framework for Researchers, helping participants recognise, develop and communicate the valuable competencies they are building throughout their PhD. The day will conclude with the Poster Scavenger Challenge—an engaging networking activity that brings together the scientific and career-development themes of the conference by celebrating both the outstanding research and the transferable competencies of the IMG PhD community.
Whether you aspire to lead your own research group, innovate in industry, manage a cutting-edge research infrastructure or are still exploring where your PhD might take you, this conference is designed to inspire, connect and prepare you for the next stage of your scientific journey. Whether you register for a conference talk, present a poster or join as a participant, the 19th IMG PhD Conference is your opportunity to showcase your research, learn from internationally recognised scientists, connect with colleagues across IMG and become part of a vibrant PhD community. We encourage every PhD candidate to take an active role and help make this year’s conference a celebration of the excellent science, transferable competencies and remarkable talent at IMG.
Dominik Hrebik is a structural biologist specialising in cryo-electron microscopy and structural virology. After completing his PhD under the supervision of Pavel Plevka at CEITEC Masaryk University, he joined the laboratory of Prof. John Briggs at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, one of Europe’s leading centres for structural and molecular biology. His research combines advanced cryo-electron microscopy with computational image analysis to reveal the molecular mechanisms of viruses, including HIV. Throughout his career, Dominik has built expertise in cutting-edge technologies, international collaboration and scientific communication, leading to high-impact discoveries, including a recent publication in Nature.
At the conference, Dominik will reflect on his journey from PhD candidate towards an independent academic career, sharing how scientific excellence, transferable competencies and the opportunities created along the way have shaped his path.
Learn more about Dominik’s work on Bluesky.
Ralfs Buks is a Principal Investigator at the National Institute of Research and Innovation (Latvia), working at the interface of biomedical research, innovation and entrepreneurship. His research
combines organ-on-chip technologies, extracellular vesicles and translational biotechnology, with a strong focus on developing advanced in vitro technologies that bridge fundamental research and real-world applications. Having studied and conducted research in the UK, France and Latvia, Ralfs has built an international career spanning physiology, immunology and biotechnology. Alongside his
academic career, he has gained industry experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical R&D, contributing to the development of diagnostic assays, therapeutic technologies and product innovation. He now leads multiple international research projects while exploring the commercial translation of research through deep-tech entrepreneurship.
Learn more about Ralfs‘ work by connecting with him on LinkedIn.
Tina Catela Ivković is Head of Unit at the Center for Translational Genomics (CTG), Lund University, and Clinical Genomics Lund, a SciLifeLab national research infrastructure unit. As one of Sweden’s
leading genomics platforms, CTG gives researchers and clinicians access to advanced technologies, including next-generation sequencing, single-cell genomics, and spatial transcriptomics, and
contributes to major national initiatives in clinical genomics and precision medicine. Originally from Croatia, Tina completed her PhD at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. She subsequently worked
as a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University and at CEITEC Masaryk University in Brno, in the research group of Ondřej Slabý, before returning to Lund and transitioning from research into an
infrastructure specialist role, and later into infrastructure management. Her career demonstrates how scientific expertise, international mobility and transferable skills developed through research can lead to an influential leadership role enabling discoveries across an entire scientific community.
At the conference, Tina will share her transition from bench scientist to research-infrastructure leader and the competencies that helped her build this career.
Learn more about Tina’s work by connecting with her on LinkedIn.
Ester Jarour is the PhD Coordinator at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Throughout her career, she has helped early-career researchers develop the skills needed to thrive both within and beyond academia by designing career development programmes and facilitating professional development workshops. As Coordinator of the Alliance4Life consortium, she led the development of a researcher e-learning platform based on ResearchComp, the European Competence Framework for Researchers.
In her highly interactive workshop, participants will explore their own competencies through a series of individual and collaborative activities while discovering how ResearchComp can support their future career development. To take part in the interactive online exercises, participants are kindly asked to bring a smartphone or another internet-enabled device.
Learn more about Ester’s work by connecting with her on LinkedIn.
Excellent Science: Celebrating Discovery
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration |
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome address Petr Dráber, IMG Director |
| 09:05 – 09:15 | Supporting the next generation of IMG scientists Ester Jarour, PhD Coordinator, IMG |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Picking lentils out of ashes: Cryo-EM structures of viral membrane proteins from crowded environments Dominik Hrebik, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT TALKS (5-minute presentations) Designed primarily for first- and second-year PhD students to present their research question, project rationale and experimental approach. 10:00–10:05 Zuzana Granec: Beyond the structured core: exploring Dicer’s intrinsically disordered regions 10:05–10:10 Markéta Brodinová: Regulation of PPM1D stability through C-terminal modifications and cell-cycle–dependent APC/C activity 10:10–10:15 Jonas Vlasak: MICAL1 interaction with phospholipids 10:15–10:20 Pratyasha Biswas: Tracing the roots of neural crest in amphioxus 10:20–10:25 Lukáš Jech: Innate immune restriction of syncytin fusogenic activity 10:25–10:30 Magdalena Havlová: Hematopoietic stem cells undergo metabolic rewiring during the early stage of infection 10:30–10:35 Andrea Zamboni Radić: Molecular regulation of lactation: investigating DNA replication, transcription, and damage repair 10:35–10:40 Michal Černák: Hormone-dependent regulation of peri-terminal end bud fibroblasts in pubertal mammary gland development 10:40–10:45 Kateřina Freisingerová: Advancing breast morphogenesis modelling through novel human mammary organoids |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Conference partner talk: East Port |
| Coffee break | |
| 11:30 – 13:00 | RESEARCH PROGRESS TALKS (10-minute presentations) Designed primarily for third- and fourth-year PhD students to present preliminary results and receive scientific feedback. 11:30–11:40 Allan Akandwanaho: Actomyosin-driven embryonic cytokinesis 11:40–11:50 Subhadip Chakraborty: Emergence of actomyosin cortex terminates a burst of clathrin-mediated endocytosis during oocyte maturation 11:50–12:00 Mario A. Martínez Monleón: Diversification of actomyosin-driven zygote polarization in nematodes 12:00–12:10 Piyush Bisht: The role of cytoskeletal architecture in metastatic cell polarization 12:10–12:20 Rohin Sengupta: Getting to the heart of the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate LPM 12:20–12:30 Kriti Attri: Deciphering contractile fibroblasts in the developing mammary gland 12:30–12:40 Anna Morales Mendez: Single-cell profiling of nasal mucosa lymphocytes in respiratory infections 12:40–12:50 Eva Šályová: Uncovering the magic of memory CD8+ T cells 12:50–13:00 Filip Karásek: The 5′ methylation barcode: a molecular checkpoint linking snRNP biogenesis to innate immune sensing |
| Lunch |
Transferable Skills: Developing the Competencies That Matter
| 14:00 – 14:20 | CAREER TALK – Academia From PhD student to principal investigator: building an independent research career Dominik Hrebik, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany |
| 14:20 – 14:40 | CAREER TALK – Industry From pipettes to pitch decks: building a career between academia and industry Ralfs Buks, Principal Investigator at the National Institute of Research and Innovation, Latvia |
| 14:40 – 15:00 | CAREER TALK – Core Facility Management From researcher to research infrastructure leader: building a career in core facility management Tina Catela Ivković, Head of Unit, Center for Translational Genomics, Lund University, Sweden |
| 15:00 – 16:00 | PANEL DISCUSSION: Where can your PhD take you? Which competencies matter most in academia, industry and research infrastructure? Which transferable competencies should every PhD candidate start developing today? How can you identify the career path that best matches your interests and strengths? What do employers value beyond scientific excellence? What challenges, setbacks and turning points have shaped our speakers‘ careers? Looking back, what would they do differently at the beginning of their PhD? What advice would they give to PhD candidates preparing for the next step in their careers? |
| Coffee break | |
| 16:30 – 17:30 | WORKSHOP: ResearchComp Recognising and developing your research competencies Ester Jarour, PhD Coordinator, IMG |
| 17:30 – 18:00 | Awards and closing remarks Join us as we celebrate the outstanding scientific presentations delivered throughout the day. A panel of judges will present the Best Research Spotlight Presentation and Best Research Progress Presentation awards, recognising excellence in scientific content, communication and presentation. In addition, all conference participants will have the opportunity to vote for the Audience Choice Award using their mobile phones during the conference, giving everyone a chance to recognise the presentation that inspired them the most. |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | Networking dinner |
Endless Possibilities: Discover, Connect, Explore
| 19:00 – 20:00 | Poster discovery journey Michaela Šímová: Mapping yolk sac hematopoiesis reveals a common hemato-endothelial progenitor Zuzana Granec: Probing the role of IDR3 in the vertebrate Dicer–Argonaute 2 interaction Valeriy Kutsyna: Characterization of the slug piRNA machinery Carolina Silva: Molecular analysis of RNA splicing in inherited retinal dystrophies Hana Hajšmanová: The BBSome coordinates intraflagellar transport and the tubulin code to maintain ciliary integrity Federica Gambini: Disrupting the olfactory interface reshapes neuroinvasion dynamics and attenuates neuropathology in SARS-CoV-2 infected mice Miles Raishbrook: LRATD2 deficiency impairs lysosomal function and triggers retinal degeneration Karin Rubintová: The role of flagellum distal tip proteins in axonemal microtubule assembly and length regulation in Trypanosoma brucei Jonas Vlasak: MICAL1 interaction with phospholipids |
| 20:00 – 22:00 | Networking and socializing |
More information is available on the page PhD Conference.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Kristína Jamrichová
Sindija Šmite
PhD Committee Members
Ester Jarour
PhD Coordinator
