Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Chaperon (ERA Chair Position for Excellent Research in Oncology)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-11-01 do 2022-07-31
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. Bringing top-class researchers to the Center, be it established experts or promising young scientists and Ph.D. students, is a major way of enhancing its excellence. The EU-funded Chaperon action supports this effort through the recruitment of a world-class cancer researcher Prof. Kari Hemminki to the position of the ERA Chair holder. Taking charge of the newly established Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Prof. Hemminki helps the whole institution take the lead in research, but also moderates the transformation of human resource policies and managerial processes. Through 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 contributes to the development of the immensely socially relevant field of biomedical research, especially in oncology and cancer biology.
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 is working at full capacity, producing original research results and collaborating with colleagues both within and outside of CUNI. The ERA Chair holder familiarized himself with the conditions and procedures at CUNI and works with the CUNI management in key structural areas, providing his feedback and advice in reforming the Ph.D. studies, research evaluation, and career growth opportunities. The ERA Research Club established as a part of the project supplement these efforts by offering numerous educational, collaborative, networking, and counseling events and opportunities to the CUNI staff, especially young researchers and Ph.D. students.
The Chaperon project action plan is 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 comprise positive impacts in the domains of compliance with ERA priorities, attracting excellent scientists, elevated excellence in cancer research, and international competitiveness. In the first half of the project, substantial progress has been made toward these changes, including a substantial amount of solid research results in cancer genomics and cancer epidemiology, a significantly boosted research environment at the institution, as well as positive steps in structural changes at the University.