Speakers 2026

My name is Katarzyna Tomaszczuk, and I am a specialist with over 20 years of experience in clinical research, scientific studies, and project management within the fields of biotechnology, genetics, and tissue engineering. As both an academic lecturer and a Life Science industry practitioner, I combine scientific expertise with operational proficiency in regulatory standards. My professional career includes working in international teams across Poland, Switzerland, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

My vision is to build a bridge between academic theory and real-world practice in the clinical research sector. As a lecturer, I emphasize a hands-on, workshop-based approach, teaching students not only what to write but, more importantly, how to structure documentation in accordance with ICH-GCP guidelines. A key value for me is substantive precision combined with ethics and clarity in medical communication (the Plain Language principle). My goal is to equip course participants with the tools that enable them to quickly and effectively step into the role of a professional Medical Writer.

I serve as a lecturer and supervisor of master’s theses at the Medical University of Gdańsk, and I also work as a Clinical Project Manager and Medical Writer. My extensive academic and teaching experience includes long-standing collaboration with the University of Basel in Switzerland, where I carry out key projects in medicine and tissue engineering. Previously, I led research projects and served as a medical advisor at INVICTA Clinics and Westmead Hospital in Australia.

is a researcher in tumour biology and translational oncology, holding a PhD in Pathology and Molecular Genetics. Her work has focused on ovarian cancer biology, therapy resistance and biomarker discovery, with a strong translational orientation integrating experimental models, molecular analyses and patient-derived samples. After consolidating her expertise through research on breast and ovarian cancer, she developed her scientific career at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (University of Porto), where she established an independent research line and led multidisciplinary teams. In close collaboration with the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, she initiated clinically driven research projects and created an innovative biobank of ascitic fluid samples from ovarian cancer patients, now supporting longitudinal studies on tumour progression, immune microenvironment and therapeutic resistance. In 2025, she was appointed Director of the Toxicologic Pathology Laboratory at Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO-Porto), where she leads a multidisciplinary team and coordinates research on toxic injury, cytotoxicity, drug resistance and biomarker identification. Alongside her research activity, she maintains a strong commitment to higher education, particularly in biopathology and histology, contributing to multidisciplinary programmes and innovative digital teaching approaches.

is an Assistant Professor at the Poznań University of Life Sciences (Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding), where at present her studies focus on early embryonic development and the role of mitochondria in oocyte maturation, fertilisation, and embryo quality. Specialising in embryology, molecular biology and reproductive technologies, she conducts research on multiple mammalian models, including cattle, pigs, mice and rabbits. After completing her PhD, she worked at The Gurdon and TheBabraham Institutes (Cambridge University, UK), studying implantation and embryo–maternal interactions. Dr Madeja has broad expertise in various aspects of mammalian reproductive technologies, early embryonc development (including signaling based cell fate decisions)  and embryonic stem cells. She has led several national research projects in Poland (including National Science Centre) and received awards for scientific excellence from the Foundation for Polish Science and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Her work aims to advance both animal breeding and human reproductive medicine.

is an Assistant Professor and group leader in the Department of Experimental Embryology at the Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IGBZ PAN) in Jastrzębiec, Poland. He obtained a PhD from the University of Teramo, Italy, in 2014 and then joined IGBZ PAN, where he established his research line combining embryological techniques with neuroscience. His team’s research focuses on investigating the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders in animal models, including mice and sheep.