Natalia Skrzypczak PhD., a researcher at the Poznań Science and Technology Park, was named one of the winners of the START 2026 program. Last Saturday, she received the award granted by the Foundation for Polish Science to the most talented young researchers under the age of 30.
Photo: Konrad Obidzinski _FNP Archives
The Foundation for Polish Science’s START program is the oldest fellowship program for young researchers in Poland. Its goal is to support individuals who have already achieved significant scientific accomplishments and to enable them to continue their development and engage more fully in research. In this year’s 34th edition, 100 recipients were selected from among 807 applicants. The selection process was multi-stage and based on an evaluation of the candidates’ scientific achievements to date.
Among the honorees was Natalia Skrzypczak, PhD., who leads the project “Targeted degradation of the MLL complex in leukemia: a PROTAC-based therapeutic strategy” at PPNT.
Together with her team, she is conducting research on solutions that could contribute to the development of new treatments for leukemia—one of the most aggressive cancers, particularly in forms affecting infants.
Together with her team, she is conducting research into solutions that could contribute to the development of new treatments for leukemia – one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, particularly in its forms affecting infants.
Standard therapies often prove insufficient, which is why Natalia’s team is working on approaches targeting the menin – MLL complex and its degradation. This research may lead to the development of more effective and sustainable therapeutic solutions. The PROTAC approach is one of the most promising avenues in the field of targeted protein degradation in oncology.
New therapies offer hope where existing methods have failed. If the ongoing research is successful, patients around the world may gain access to more effective treatments and enjoy longer lives.
We congratulate Dr. Natalia Skrzypczak on this important honor and wish her continued success.
