Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
What does doing a PhD at IMG look like? Once a year, the IMG PhD community comes together to answer that question in perhaps the best possible way – by sharing their science.
The 19th IMG PhD Conference, held on 17 September 2026, celebrated research carried out by doctoral candidates across the Institute. The annual conference gives students an opportunity to present their work, discover research beyond their own laboratories, exchange ideas and meet invited researchers from outside IMG. This year, the programme also explored the skills developed during a PhD and the different careers they can lead to.
The student presentations offered a glimpse into the remarkable diversity of research taking place at IMG. Some students zoomed in on the inner workings of cells, exploring proteins, RNA and cellular structures. Others investigated how cells divide, move and change during development. Several presentations focused on the immune system and responses to infection, while others explored processes connected to cancer and other diseases.
The audience travelled across very different areas of biology – from the development of the nervous system and the evolutionary origins of vertebrate tissues to blood formation, breast development and human organoid models. The research also involved a diverse range of experimental systems, from individual molecules and cells to organoids and whole organisms.
Together, the talks highlighted one of the strengths of doing a PhD at IMG: very different scientific questions and approaches coexist under one roof, giving young researchers opportunities to learn far beyond the boundaries of their own projects.
The scientific programme was enriched by Dominik Hrebik from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, who opened the conference with a keynote on cryo-electron microscopy and the study of viral membrane proteins. Student contributions ranged from short Research Spotlight presentations to longer Research Progress Talks, giving doctoral candidates at different stages of their PhD an opportunity to share their research.
This year’s conference also encouraged students to look beyond the next experiment and consider where the experience gained during a PhD might take them. Three invited speakers brought perspectives from academia, biotechnology startup and research infrastructure management. Dominik Hrebik encouraged young researchers to make themselves visible on social media, connect with other scientists and be proactive when looking for opportunities. Rather than waiting for the perfect postdoc position to be advertised, he suggested identifying labs that genuinely excite them and getting in touch. He also offered a more personal piece of advice: be helpful and kind to others – support and opportunities can sometimes come from unexpected places.
Ralfs Buks reflected on work-life balance and how it can change at different stages of a career. There may be periods when people consciously choose to invest more time and energy to learn, progress or gain a competitive advantage. Drawing on his experience in a biotech start-up, he also stressed that challenging periods often teach us the most and help us develop competencies we might not acquire otherwise.
Tina Catela Ivković offered an encouraging perspective from her experience recruiting staff: do not be discouraged from applying simply because you do not meet every requirement. Many skills can be learned relatively quickly; enthusiasm and willingness to learn can matter just as much as arriving with every skill already in place.
As part of the career-focused programme, the PhD candidates were also invited to reflect on the competencies they were developing through their doctoral training. Asked what they had learned during their PhD beyond scientific knowledge and technical skills, they highlighted communication, teamwork, self-management, cognitive abilities, project and research management – but also patience, perseverance and endurance. The career panel that followed brought these reflections to life, showing how such competencies can shape very different professional paths. Together, the two sessions reinforced a simple message: a PhD develops much more than scientific expertise – and these skills can open doors to many different careers.
The conference concluded with awards recognising outstanding student contributions. Magdalena Havlova received the award for best Research Spotlight Talk for her presentation on how hematopoietic stem cells respond during the early stages of infection. Anna Morales Mendez from the Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity received the award for best Research Progress Talk for her work on immune cells in the nasal mucosa during respiratory infections. The award for best poster went to Sofiia Bykova from the Laboratory of Cilia Genetics and Pathology.
The programme then moved beyond the lecture hall, with students discussing their research during the poster session, followed by an informal evening of networking and socialising. Together, the talks, posters and discussions made the 19th IMG PhD Conference a celebration of the diversity, curiosity and talent of IMG’s doctoral community.
A special thank you goes to our PhD representatives, Sindija Šmite and Kristína Jamrichová, for their enthusiasm, ideas and dedication in shaping this year’s conference. We are also grateful to our conference sponsors for their generous support, which helped make the 19th IMG PhD Conference possible.
