I didn't realize when I finished my PhD that the date of
finishing and graduating it's very important for my next
steps. You want to apply for grants,
fellowships, and it all start sticking when you graduate as a
PhD. Most of the grants do have a
seven-year application deadline from graduating that I was not
aware of. Welcome to EHA Unplugged, the
official podcast channel of the European Hematology Association
EHA. I am your host Isabella Livera.
Today's guest is Mary Albert Giorda, A principal investigator
based in Prague in the Czech Republic at the Institute of
Molecular Genetics and at the Second Faculty of Medicine at
Charles University in Moto Hospital.
Her work focuses on hematopoietic and leuchemic stem
cells, on how the dysregulation drives acute myeloid leukemia
AML. But this conversation isn't just
about the science, it's about the journey behind it.
In this episode, Mary reflects on her path to becoming API,
sharing with us what she wishes she had known at the start of
her research career. Welcome to this episode, DO.
You consider yourself a hematologist?
I did a study biology and very soon in my career I got an
interest in mythology and I have always been studying in this
field, but I'm not an MD, so not a real hematology.
Where did you start? When did you become interested
in hematology? So I studied in fact
biotechnology at the University of Barcelona.
That was very theoretical at that time and I was missing
experience in the lab. And I got a chance to go abroad
to the Netherlands for an Erasmus exchange and it was
supposed to be 4 months, and that in fact was extended to one
year because I absolutely fell in love with a bench.
But at that time I also realized that biotechnology was not
really my field. I had a big interest in the
medical research and I found a position at the Erasmus MC at
the Department of Hematology, where I actually applied for a
PhD and that was already in hematology.
What was your PhD? So I was studying the effect of
the cannabinoid receptors in blood cells, in leukocytes, how
they affect myeloid differentiation.
We all know cannabinoid receptors for being expressed in
brain and we know the effects that they might cause if you
stimulate them. But there is another family
member, another cannabinoid receptor that is expressing
blood and that one was totally under explore.
So under the mentorship of Rudelwell, we explore the role
of this cannabinoid receptor in a metabolic differentiation and
in low chemogenesis. Did you continue this subject
after your PD or what did you do after?
So during the PhD, we mostly focus on membrane receptors to
protein couple receptors and how they activate signaling
pathways. But very soon we got interested
in understanding deeper the molecular mechanisms that get
activated when we stimulate these receptors and we moved to
understanding transcription factors.
And that brought us to CVP alpha, which is a key
transcription factor in myeloid differentiation.
So because of that, I search for a postdoc in the field of
transcriptional regulation in my alloy differentiation.
So in fact, it was like a spin off.
How did you develop as a scientist as a postdoc?
So if I have to tell you the truth, I was not very sure
whether I wanted to do a PhD or even a postdoc, but things just
happened. The opportunities came and when
I was finishing my PHDI got to meet then tenant that was my
mentor in in Boston, and he offered me joining his lab.
I was unsure that the postdoc was a good fit for me, but I
decided to give it a try. I thought it would be
interesting to move from the Netherlands to the States.
That's how it went. I started on the topic of CBP
alpha, transcriptional regulation and mildly
differentiation. And then as the time pass, the
project evolved and I end up moving to another transcription
factor from the same family that was CBP comma.
And also we explored how CBP comma can control myeloid
differentiation and again plays a role in the development of
acute myeloid leukemia. And the project kind of expand
evolve brought new research lines and I took the one that I
thought was more suitable and that was how the project
evolved. What did you want to do after
that? Did you want to?
Become API. No, no, that was also not in my
plans in in fact, I always thought I would end up working
in a company. That was what I thought I could
do. And when I was thinking out the
transition from Bozo to my next step in my career, I did search
for that opportunity. And in fact, I quit the lab
thinking that I was moving to a company, but it didn't work out.
In fact, I went to Pratt. That's where I I was moving at
that time for, for family reasons and I had an agreement
with a company, but it didn't work out.
So I end up with no job in a country where I did not speak
the language. So that was very challenging,
didn't want to stay at home. So I said, OK, the only thing I
can do here is in fact go back to the lab.
That is what I know. So I had some, some contacts in,
in Czech Republic and I talked to the director of the Institute
of Molecular Genetics at the time.
But Slavoreshi, I explained the situation, I'm jobless and he
said, well, we can offer you a job, but there is not an open
position for group leader, but you can build up up to you.
So I went there. I, I asked for funding.
In a short period of time, I was able to, to recruit some
funding, set up some projects. And soon after I I got the
opportunity to establish myself independently at IMG.
That is where I must still right now.
It sounds easy, but it's not because you had to apply for
funding for a project on your own line.
How did you find your own line of research in Boston?
I spent seven years and that gave me time to focus on my main
projects. But we also had some side
projects that well were coming up as we were doing our work.
Some of them established the basis for future research that
in principle I was leaving behind.
However, when the plan change and I had to set up my own lab,
I contact my former Pi, explained the situation and I
said 10. I'm interested in following up
those things that I left halfway or we're just starting.
Would you be supportive? Would you be willing to have a
collaboration with me? We could do this together and I
was very lucky because the antenna was open to support me
to giving me animal reagents and things that would really help me
to establish my own projects. But again, it was as a follow up
of what I was doing later on when the Lapa start running
after 2-3 years, we finish the initial projects and we expanded
a bit more. The worst stem cell biology,
inflammation, acute inflammation, but also chronic
inflammation. And that's what the lab has been
working on during the last years.
So we still do myeloid differentiation.
We still focus on leukemia, mostly AML, but we have been
also getting more interesting, more more interest in the immune
regulation of a stem cell biology.
What do you think are the main findings are you associated with
during the last years we have been working a lot on on chronic
and acute inflammation and how those conditions affect stem
cells, their fitness, their functionality, their fate.
And I think that I'm still, I guess part of those studies with
18 and the transcription factor CPR facility become a, but I
think that during the last years we have evolved towards
something that was more ours, more from our lab.
We have developed our own models, in vivo models to study
these conditions of inflammation.
And I think that those are the studies I'm the most proud of.
I would guess if you have to choose one project, well, I
think more than a project itself, what I really have been
enjoying during these years as an independent scientist is the
fact I had on my students and a mentorship.
I could provide them. Science is important.
I love the projects we have under research we do.
I like to understand every insight of the stem cells and
how they react to to external cue.
But overall that I think that the most important thing is the
world I have been doing with my PhD students, the the
interactions, the collaborations, training,
mentorship, helping them to grow up as a scientist.
I think that's the nice thing about my job.
Are there any of your findings that are finding an application?
So the work we have been doing on AML during the last years has
been in a very close collaboration with a company,
French company Advanced Value Design.
And those are really on the course of clinical trial phase
one with a specific compound a company develop and we provide
all the the muting data to validate fundings and then
allowing us to move to human clinical trials for a relapse
and protector AML. So that's what I would think is
the most translational thing we have ever done.
But it did not really steam from my own lab.
It was in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company.
The other side of the lab is working on really fundamental
projects, really basic research. I think my work will not really
directly lead to a clinical trial product or drug
development because that's not what we are focusing on.
But I think that we are providing the knowledge to
establish the basis for understanding how we can
therapeutically target, for instance, chronic inflammation
and to prevent the effects that this condition which is actually
very prevalent in our society. I mean think about it, auto
inflammatory disorders, cancers, diabetes, many conditions do
have this hallmark of chronic inflammation.
So we know now based on on our studies and many others that
this chronic inflammation affects the stem cells not only
in, let's say in and when the muscles or in other systems, but
also in the metaboietic system. So by preventing the effects
that this chronic inflammation might have on the metabolitical
stem cells, we might be preserving the risk of
developing other hematological disorders.
So we are not really focusing on drug targeting, but we provide
the basis to build up on on that.
Can you explain how do you become involved in J first?
So when I was a PhD student, I already joined some of the
meetings at IHA. That was really at the early
days of and then when I was thinking about the step towards
the post doc, I was suggested to apply for an EHA fellowship.
When I wrote a fellowship at that time, I seen we were only
giving 2. So it was the early days of
those guns and fellowships. But I was awarded one of them
and in fact that helped me to go for my post doc abroad.
And after that, soon after obtaining the fellowship, I was
able to also enroll in several committees.
So I participated at that time in the scientific program
committee, the research committee, then I jumped to the
fellowship and grant committee, later on to the stakeholder
committee. So I have been actually in in
many, many committees at the EHA through all my career.
And I think that that has really helped me to have this community
of scientists, hematologists around me that really have been
very, very supportive and inspiring.
And also has helped me a lot to build up a network, which I
think it's very important in the job we do that we don't get just
close in our labs, focus only on what we do, but we also expand
to really see what's happening in the clinics, what are the
needs there, how can I contribute to that.
And I think the EHA has been part of all this interaction and
development. The CHA is most more associated
in general with clinical. Research.
But you're really the example that researcher can also benefit
and have an important role participating in EHA.
And think that that's a bit maybe the all view of EHA to
have mostly an association based on clinical research and
clinicians. But during the last years we
have been expanding a lot. We have been opening ourselves
more towards fundamental research physician scientists,
promoting them. And I think that now the the
research community is also enjoying EHAA.
Couple of years ago I was elected as a board member, which
allowed me to bring the boys of researchers to the association.
And, and I hope that with this little step that I do, I can
also push a little bit more the association to open their eyes
and opportunities for researchers to be also part of
the community. And I think that it's maybe
taking a while, but a step by step we are really getting
there. So I'm I'm very happy about
that. Do you think that hematology is
a field where there's a particular close relationship
between research and. Clinics where many.
Research findings are being translated quickly to the
clinics, yes, but this goes in both directions.
I think that we as scientists really have to pay attention to
what's happening in the clinics when we are thinking about what
to base our projects on, what to develop, what are the needs in
the clinics. And then the research, the
results that we provide can be applied or used to think about
therapies. So it's, I think it's a two way
relationship. So scientists can benefit, I
think from working closer with clinicians and I think
clinicians can also benefit when working closer with with us
researchers. So what are your main activities
at the moment? So, so this is interesting
because at the beginning when you establish your lab, you're
still very close to what's happening on the bench.
I did like a lot actually pipetting.
So as soon as I could, I would be there with a, with a team
doing experiments. As the time passes by, you get
other duties. You are teaching at the faculty,
you are on several committees at the university, PhD Student
Association committees. I also, I'm very actively at the
HA, participating at several committees, the board, the
executive board. So you start being less close to
the bench and more involved in what I call administration,
which is not admin by itself. But yeah, right now I spend most
of the time on the computer, either writing, reviewing,
assessing, preparing presentations.
But I keep time every week to talk to my students, to still
know what's happening in the lab, what are they dealing with?
What are the troubles, and try to help them to to move those
projects forward. Is there one lesson that you
wish you? Had.
Known when you started. There are many actually, but
there is one that I think it's very important.
I didn't realize when I finished my PhD that the date of
finishing and graduating, it's very important for my next
steps. You want to apply for grants,
fellowships, and it all starts sticking when you graduate as a
PhD. Most of the grants do have a
seven-year application deadline from graduating that I was not
aware of. So I was enjoying my post doc
and I spent seven years in Boston as a postdoc without
thinking that if I wanted to be API, which in principle was not
the case, but if I wanted to be APII had to keep in mind that
the deadline for grant applications was seven years
from graduation. The seven years have been a
little bit. Some agencies is 3/4, some
others is 10. Some are flexible, but that's
something very important to keep in mind when you are on the
transition from postdoc, maybe towards for the BI.
Is there anything else you would like to add for the audience
that I haven't asked something that was important in your
career? I think it's important to be
aware that sometimes you should not have very high expectations.
You should know what you want and that's fantastic.
Go for it. But sometimes things will
happen, opportunities will appear, and science is like a
tree pride. And it's not only about the end
goal is also the right you have along.
So try to enjoy each of the steps that you are going
through. Sometimes they can be very
tough. Opportunities will come up.
You have to search for them. But do not obsess on the end
goal. That's what I always tell my PhD
students. They see the end goal as getting
the PhD, but that takes four or five years.
So enjoy also all the little steps that you gained through
that process and be proud of them, not only Diacon.
Thank you very much for sharing with us your journey.
Thank you, Isabel, thanks to you.
Thank you to the audience for listening.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please like it and stay tuned
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