Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Chaperon (ERA Chair Position for Excellent Research in Oncology)
Reporting period: 2022-08-01 to 2024-07-31
The Biomedical Center of the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen (FMP), Charles University (CUNI) in the Czech Republic provides high-grade regional research infrastructure in the fundamental field of cancer biology and oncology. Despite its advanced research and innovation performance, the Center has not reached its full potential. The EU-funded Chaperon project managed to bring top-class researchers to the Center by recruiting a renowned researcher Prof. Kari Hemminki to the position of the ERA Chair holder as well as the head of the newly established Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, which has been subsequently joined by a diverse and highly effective team of respected senior researchers, promising young scientists and Ph.D. students. Besides this significant boost in research excellence, the activities of the ERA Chair holder in the Chaperon project made a significant contribution to FMP by moderating the transformation of human resource policies and managerial processes. By successfully achieving its three specific objectives, i.e. to i) facilitate structural changes at FMP and CUNI, ii) create suitable conditions and research environment, and iii) recruit an international-level expert in patient-oriented cancer genomics leading to research excellence, the Chaperon project substantially mitigated some of the prior institutional limitations, improved the research performance of FMP and CUNI, and, last but not least, contributed to the development of the immensely socially relevant field of biomedical research, especially in oncology and cancer biology.
In its conclusion, the Chaperon project reached all of its target objectives by fulfilling all key performance indicators, meeting all implementation milestones, and producing all required deliverables within the established timeline and budget. Stakeholder feedback was positive, numerous collaborations are set for the future and the established laboratory with its research team continue their research activities after the project. Chaperon also facilitated organization of numerous training and information events and development of comprehensive training materials, ensuring efficient dissemination and sustainability of the knowledge and results gained within the project. Overall, the project demonstrated a significant impact on the organization's performance and set a foundation for continued growth and improvement.
In its conclusion, the Chaperon project reached all of its target objectives by fulfilling all key performance indicators, meeting all implementation milestones, and producing all required deliverables within the established timeline and budget. Stakeholder feedback was positive, numerous collaborations are set for the future and the established laboratory with its research team continue their research activities after the project. Chaperon also facilitated organization of numerous training and information events and development of comprehensive training materials, ensuring efficient dissemination and sustainability of the knowledge and results gained within the project. Overall, the project demonstrated a significant impact on the organization's performance and set a foundation for continued growth and improvement.
At the beginning of the project, Prof. Kari Hemminki, Ph.D. was selected as the ERA Chair holder and hired. The Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics was established at the Biomedical Center (BC) of the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen (FMP), Charles University (CUNI), under the leadership of prof. Hemminki. The team of the Laboratory has been assembled, comprising both domestic and internationally recruited researchers. The laboratory acquired several research grants and produced a large number of original research results published in scientific journals, many of them in the top-tier Q1 periodicals. The ERA Chair holder familiarized himself with the conditions and procedures at CUNI and, together with the CUNI management, identified key structural areas in the institutional management structure, including Ph.D. studies, research evaluation, and career growth opportunities. In these areas, the ERA Chair holder provided valuable feedback and substantial recommendations, which have been implemented according to a plan developed by the ERA Chair holder and FMP management. The ERA Research Club, established as a part of the project, supplemented these efforts by offering numerous educational, collaborative, networking, and counselling events and opportunities to the CUNI staff, especially young researchers and Ph.D. students.
The Chaperon project action plan was set to achieve multiple goals increasing the quality and excellence of the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen and Charles University, and, in consequence, also of the Czech research environment. These goals, comprising positive impacts in the domains of compliance with ERA priorities, attracting excellent scientists, elevated excellence in cancer research, and international competitiveness, have been fulfilled to the full extent possible within the immediate timespan of the project. Importantly though, the positive impacts of the project will carry on for at least several years after its successful conclusion. Some of the most valuable achievements of the Chaperon project include a significantly boosted research environment at the institution as well as positive steps in structural changes at the University. Last but not least, the project also produced a substantial amount of solid research results in cancer genomics and cancer epidemiology, which, needless to say, bears tremendous socio-economic and societal value.