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I didn't realize when I finished
my PhD that the date of 

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finishing and graduating it's 
very important for my next 

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steps. 
You want to apply for grants, 

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fellowships, and it all start 
sticking when you graduate as a 

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PhD. 
Most of the grants do have a 

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seven-year application deadline 
from graduating that I was not 

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aware of. 
Welcome to EHA Unplugged, the 

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official podcast channel of the 
European Hematology Association 

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EHA. 
I am your host Isabella Livera. 

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Today's guest is Mary Albert 
Giorda, A principal investigator

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based in Prague in the Czech 
Republic at the Institute of 

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Molecular Genetics and at the 
Second Faculty of Medicine at 

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Charles University in Moto 
Hospital. 

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Her work focuses on 
hematopoietic and leuchemic stem

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cells, on how the dysregulation 
drives acute myeloid leukemia 

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AML. 
But this conversation isn't just

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about the science, it's about 
the journey behind it. 

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In this episode, Mary reflects 
on her path to becoming API, 

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sharing with us what she wishes 
she had known at the start of 

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her research career. 
Welcome to this episode, DO. 

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You consider yourself a 
hematologist? 

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I did a study biology and very 
soon in my career I got an 

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interest in mythology and I have
always been studying in this 

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field, but I'm not an MD, so not
a real hematology. 

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Where did you start? 
When did you become interested 

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in hematology? 
So I studied in fact 

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biotechnology at the University 
of Barcelona. 

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That was very theoretical at 
that time and I was missing 

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experience in the lab. 
And I got a chance to go abroad 

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to the Netherlands for an 
Erasmus exchange and it was 

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supposed to be 4 months, and 
that in fact was extended to one

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year because I absolutely fell 
in love with a bench. 

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But at that time I also realized
that biotechnology was not 

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really my field. 
I had a big interest in the 

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medical research and I found a 
position at the Erasmus MC at 

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the Department of Hematology, 
where I actually applied for a 

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PhD and that was already in 
hematology. 

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What was your PhD? 
So I was studying the effect of 

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the cannabinoid receptors in 
blood cells, in leukocytes, how 

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they affect myeloid 
differentiation. 

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We all know cannabinoid 
receptors for being expressed in

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brain and we know the effects 
that they might cause if you 

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stimulate them. 
But there is another family 

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member, another cannabinoid 
receptor that is expressing 

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blood and that one was totally 
under explore. 

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So under the mentorship of 
Rudelwell, we explore the role 

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of this cannabinoid receptor in 
a metabolic differentiation and 

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in low chemogenesis. 
Did you continue this subject 

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after your PD or what did you do
after? 

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So during the PhD, we mostly 
focus on membrane receptors to 

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protein couple receptors and how
they activate signaling 

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pathways. 
But very soon we got interested 

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in understanding deeper the 
molecular mechanisms that get 

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activated when we stimulate 
these receptors and we moved to 

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understanding transcription 
factors. 

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And that brought us to CVP 
alpha, which is a key 

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transcription factor in myeloid 
differentiation. 

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So because of that, I search for
a postdoc in the field of 

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transcriptional regulation in my
alloy differentiation. 

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So in fact, it was like a spin 
off. 

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How did you develop as a 
scientist as a postdoc? 

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So if I have to tell you the 
truth, I was not very sure 

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whether I wanted to do a PhD or 
even a postdoc, but things just 

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happened. 
The opportunities came and when 

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I was finishing my PHDI got to 
meet then tenant that was my 

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mentor in in Boston, and he 
offered me joining his lab. 

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I was unsure that the postdoc 
was a good fit for me, but I 

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decided to give it a try. 
I thought it would be 

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interesting to move from the 
Netherlands to the States. 

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That's how it went. 
I started on the topic of CBP 

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alpha, transcriptional 
regulation and mildly 

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differentiation. 
And then as the time pass, the 

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project evolved and I end up 
moving to another transcription 

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factor from the same family that
was CBP comma. 

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And also we explored how CBP 
comma can control myeloid 

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differentiation and again plays 
a role in the development of 

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acute myeloid leukemia. 
And the project kind of expand 

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evolve brought new research 
lines and I took the one that I 

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thought was more suitable and 
that was how the project 

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evolved. 
What did you want to do after 

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that? 
Did you want to? 

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Become API. 
No, no, that was also not in my 

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plans in in fact, I always 
thought I would end up working 

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in a company. 
That was what I thought I could 

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do. 
And when I was thinking out the 

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transition from Bozo to my next 
step in my career, I did search 

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for that opportunity. 
And in fact, I quit the lab 

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thinking that I was moving to a 
company, but it didn't work out.

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In fact, I went to Pratt. 
That's where I I was moving at 

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that time for, for family 
reasons and I had an agreement 

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with a company, but it didn't 
work out. 

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So I end up with no job in a 
country where I did not speak 

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the language. 
So that was very challenging, 

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didn't want to stay at home. 
So I said, OK, the only thing I 

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can do here is in fact go back 
to the lab. 

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That is what I know. 
So I had some, some contacts in,

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in Czech Republic and I talked 
to the director of the Institute

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of Molecular Genetics at the 
time. 

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But Slavoreshi, I explained the 
situation, I'm jobless and he 

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said, well, we can offer you a 
job, but there is not an open 

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position for group leader, but 
you can build up up to you. 

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So I went there. 
I, I asked for funding. 

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In a short period of time, I was
able to, to recruit some 

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funding, set up some projects. 
And soon after I I got the 

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opportunity to establish myself 
independently at IMG. 

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That is where I must still right
now. 

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It sounds easy, but it's not 
because you had to apply for 

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funding for a project on your 
own line. 

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How did you find your own line 
of research in Boston? 

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I spent seven years and that 
gave me time to focus on my main

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projects. 
But we also had some side 

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projects that well were coming 
up as we were doing our work. 

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Some of them established the 
basis for future research that 

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in principle I was leaving 
behind. 

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However, when the plan change 
and I had to set up my own lab, 

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I contact my former Pi, 
explained the situation and I 

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said 10. 
I'm interested in following up 

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those things that I left halfway
or we're just starting. 

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Would you be supportive? 
Would you be willing to have a 

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collaboration with me? 
We could do this together and I 

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was very lucky because the 
antenna was open to support me 

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to giving me animal reagents and
things that would really help me

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to establish my own projects. 
But again, it was as a follow up

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of what I was doing later on 
when the Lapa start running 

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after 2-3 years, we finish the 
initial projects and we expanded

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a bit more. 
The worst stem cell biology, 

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inflammation, acute 
inflammation, but also chronic 

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inflammation. 
And that's what the lab has been

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working on during the last 
years. 

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So we still do myeloid 
differentiation. 

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We still focus on leukemia, 
mostly AML, but we have been 

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also getting more interesting, 
more more interest in the immune

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regulation of a stem cell 
biology. 

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What do you think are the main 
findings are you associated with

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during the last years we have 
been working a lot on on chronic

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and acute inflammation and how 
those conditions affect stem 

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cells, their fitness, their 
functionality, their fate. 

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And I think that I'm still, I 
guess part of those studies with

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18 and the transcription factor 
CPR facility become a, but I 

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think that during the last years
we have evolved towards 

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something that was more ours, 
more from our lab. 

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We have developed our own 
models, in vivo models to study 

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these conditions of 
inflammation. 

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And I think that those are the 
studies I'm the most proud of. 

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I would guess if you have to 
choose one project, well, I 

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think more than a project 
itself, what I really have been 

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enjoying during these years as 
an independent scientist is the 

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fact I had on my students and a 
mentorship. 

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I could provide them. 
Science is important. 

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I love the projects we have 
under research we do. 

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I like to understand every 
insight of the stem cells and 

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how they react to to external 
cue. 

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But overall that I think that 
the most important thing is the 

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world I have been doing with my 
PhD students, the the 

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interactions, the 
collaborations, training, 

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mentorship, helping them to grow
up as a scientist. 

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I think that's the nice thing 
about my job. 

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Are there any of your findings 
that are finding an application?

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So the work we have been doing 
on AML during the last years has

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been in a very close 
collaboration with a company, 

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French company Advanced Value 
Design. 

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And those are really on the 
course of clinical trial phase 

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one with a specific compound a 
company develop and we provide 

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all the the muting data to 
validate fundings and then 

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allowing us to move to human 
clinical trials for a relapse 

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and protector AML. 
So that's what I would think is 

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the most translational thing we 
have ever done. 

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But it did not really steam from
my own lab. 

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It was in collaboration with the
pharmaceutical company. 

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The other side of the lab is 
working on really fundamental 

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projects, really basic research.
I think my work will not really 

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directly lead to a clinical 
trial product or drug 

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development because that's not 
what we are focusing on. 

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But I think that we are 
providing the knowledge to 

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establish the basis for 
understanding how we can 

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therapeutically target, for 
instance, chronic inflammation 

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and to prevent the effects that 
this condition which is actually

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very prevalent in our society. 
I mean think about it, auto 

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inflammatory disorders, cancers,
diabetes, many conditions do 

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have this hallmark of chronic 
inflammation. 

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So we know now based on on our 
studies and many others that 

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this chronic inflammation 
affects the stem cells not only 

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in, let's say in and when the 
muscles or in other systems, but

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also in the metaboietic system. 
So by preventing the effects 

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that this chronic inflammation 
might have on the metabolitical 

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stem cells, we might be 
preserving the risk of 

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developing other hematological 
disorders. 

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So we are not really focusing on
drug targeting, but we provide 

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the basis to build up on on 
that. 

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Can you explain how do you 
become involved in J first? 

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So when I was a PhD student, I 
already joined some of the 

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meetings at IHA. 
That was really at the early 

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days of and then when I was 
thinking about the step towards 

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the post doc, I was suggested to
apply for an EHA fellowship. 

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When I wrote a fellowship at 
that time, I seen we were only 

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giving 2. 
So it was the early days of 

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those guns and fellowships. 
But I was awarded one of them 

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and in fact that helped me to go
for my post doc abroad. 

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And after that, soon after 
obtaining the fellowship, I was 

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able to also enroll in several 
committees. 

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So I participated at that time 
in the scientific program 

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committee, the research 
committee, then I jumped to the 

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fellowship and grant committee, 
later on to the stakeholder 

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committee. 
So I have been actually in in 

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many, many committees at the EHA
through all my career. 

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And I think that that has really
helped me to have this community

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of scientists, hematologists 
around me that really have been 

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very, very supportive and 
inspiring. 

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And also has helped me a lot to 
build up a network, which I 

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think it's very important in the
job we do that we don't get just

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close in our labs, focus only on
what we do, but we also expand 

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to really see what's happening 
in the clinics, what are the 

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needs there, how can I 
contribute to that. 

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And I think the EHA has been 
part of all this interaction and

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development. 
The CHA is most more associated 

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in general with clinical. 
Research. 

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But you're really the example 
that researcher can also benefit

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and have an important role 
participating in EHA. 

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And think that that's a bit 
maybe the all view of EHA to 

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have mostly an association based
on clinical research and 

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clinicians. 
But during the last years we 

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have been expanding a lot. 
We have been opening ourselves 

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more towards fundamental 
research physician scientists, 

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promoting them. 
And I think that now the the 

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research community is also 
enjoying EHAA. 

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Couple of years ago I was 
elected as a board member, which

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allowed me to bring the boys of 
researchers to the association. 

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And, and I hope that with this 
little step that I do, I can 

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also push a little bit more the 
association to open their eyes 

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and opportunities for 
researchers to be also part of 

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the community. 
And I think that it's maybe 

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taking a while, but a step by 
step we are really getting 

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there. 
So I'm I'm very happy about 

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that. 
Do you think that hematology is 

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a field where there's a 
particular close relationship 

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between research and. 
Clinics where many. 

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Research findings are being 
translated quickly to the 

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clinics, yes, but this goes in 
both directions. 

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I think that we as scientists 
really have to pay attention to 

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what's happening in the clinics 
when we are thinking about what 

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to base our projects on, what to
develop, what are the needs in 

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the clinics. 
And then the research, the 

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results that we provide can be 
applied or used to think about 

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therapies. 
So it's, I think it's a two way 

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relationship. 
So scientists can benefit, I 

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think from working closer with 
clinicians and I think 

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clinicians can also benefit when
working closer with with us 

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researchers. 
So what are your main activities

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at the moment? 
So, so this is interesting 

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because at the beginning when 
you establish your lab, you're 

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still very close to what's 
happening on the bench. 

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I did like a lot actually 
pipetting. 

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So as soon as I could, I would 
be there with a, with a team 

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doing experiments. 
As the time passes by, you get 

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other duties. 
You are teaching at the faculty,

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you are on several committees at
the university, PhD Student 

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Association committees. 
I also, I'm very actively at the

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HA, participating at several 
committees, the board, the 

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executive board. 
So you start being less close to

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the bench and more involved in 
what I call administration, 

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which is not admin by itself. 
But yeah, right now I spend most

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of the time on the computer, 
either writing, reviewing, 

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assessing, preparing 
presentations. 

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But I keep time every week to 
talk to my students, to still 

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know what's happening in the 
lab, what are they dealing with?

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What are the troubles, and try 
to help them to to move those 

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projects forward. 
Is there one lesson that you 

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wish you? 
Had. 

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Known when you started. 
There are many actually, but 

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there is one that I think it's 
very important. 

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I didn't realize when I finished
my PhD that the date of 

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finishing and graduating, it's 
very important for my next 

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steps. 
You want to apply for grants, 

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fellowships, and it all starts 
sticking when you graduate as a 

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PhD. 
Most of the grants do have a 

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seven-year application deadline 
from graduating that I was not 

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aware of. 
So I was enjoying my post doc 

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and I spent seven years in 
Boston as a postdoc without 

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thinking that if I wanted to be 
API, which in principle was not 

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the case, but if I wanted to be 
APII had to keep in mind that 

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the deadline for grant 
applications was seven years 

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from graduation. 
The seven years have been a 

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little bit. 
Some agencies is 3/4, some 

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others is 10. 
Some are flexible, but that's 

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something very important to keep
in mind when you are on the 

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transition from postdoc, maybe 
towards for the BI. 

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Is there anything else you would
like to add for the audience 

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that I haven't asked something 
that was important in your 

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career? 
I think it's important to be 

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aware that sometimes you should 
not have very high expectations.

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You should know what you want 
and that's fantastic. 

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Go for it. 
But sometimes things will 

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happen, opportunities will 
appear, and science is like a 

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tree pride. 
And it's not only about the end 

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goal is also the right you have 
along. 

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So try to enjoy each of the 
steps that you are going 

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through. 
Sometimes they can be very 

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tough. 
Opportunities will come up. 

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You have to search for them. 
But do not obsess on the end 

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goal. 
That's what I always tell my PhD

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students. 
They see the end goal as getting

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the PhD, but that takes four or 
five years. 

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So enjoy also all the little 
steps that you gained through 

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that process and be proud of 
them, not only Diacon. 

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Thank you very much for sharing 
with us your journey. 

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Thank you, Isabel, thanks to 
you. 

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Thank you to the audience for 
listening. 

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If you enjoyed this podcast, 
please like it and stay tuned 

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00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,040
for more episodes of EHM Plot.