Share
21. May 2025
Laura Ondrišová, a PhD candidate at Faculty of Medicine and CEITEC Masaryk University, has been awarded the Jiřina Michlová Prize by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic for outstanding scientific achievements by doctoral students. In the research group of Marek Mráz, she studies chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and explores how cancer cells adapt to targeted treatment. In this interview, we asked her what led her to molecular medicine, why she chose CEITEC, and how she would explain her research to a small child.
Laura, you have just received the Jiřina Michlová Prize awarded by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic to outstanding doctoral students – congratulations! How did it feel when you heard the news, and what does the award mean to you?
First of all, thank you for the congratulations! I was thrilled to receive the award and feel truly honoured. I worked on the article for which I was awarded for many years, and it’s great to see that the work has been recognised by such a respected organisation.
How did you first get into science? Was there a moment or inspiration that led you to study molecular medicine?
I decided to study genetics when I was eight years old. My mother told me a story about a scientist who found out through DNA testing that he had ancestors from Britain. I found it fascinating. I later confirmed this interest in high school while working on a science project at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Comenius University in Bratislava. Based on that experience, I chose to study molecular biology and genetics in Brno – the birthplace of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics – and my fascination with this scientific field has never left me. I eventually chose molecular medicine because I wanted my research to help people.
Do you remember what first drew you to haematological oncology? Was it already in high school, or only later at university?
I became interested in cancer cells at university, thanks to a course taught by Professor Šmardová. I recommend her book What tumors teach us: Parallels in cell and human behavior to anyone interested in this topic. She showed us that just like in society, balance is crucial in the molecular biology of the human body. Even the overactivation or suppression of a single gene out of thousands can cause major damage. Cancer cells are very smart – under normal circumstances, our immune system fights damaged cells, but cancer cells can trick other cells in the body and even get them to help feed the tumour. As scientists, our job is to understand cancer cells, outsmart them, and ultimately defeat them.
You work in Marek Mráz’s research group, which focuses on B-cell malignancies. How did you join the group and what attracted you to their research?
Initially, I was looking for a group focused on epigenetics – a field that studies how gene function can be influenced without changing the underlying DNA sequence. I joined Marek Mráz’s group during my undergraduate studies, mainly to study microRNAs and their role in the biology of B-cell-derived cancers. Over time, I became more interested in how cancer cells adapt to targeted therapies and the signalling pathways that regulate these changes, which is now the main focus of my work.
What is it like to be a young researcher in a group led by such a prominent scientific figure? Do you have the freedom to pursue your own ideas?
Professor Mráz sets the bar high and encourages us to aim for ambitious research goals. At the same time, he always finds time to discuss our results and helps us figure out what next steps we should take in the lab and where to take our projects. He has extensive international experience and many connections, thanks to which we collaborate with scientists from top institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Southampton, and the University of Barcelona. I myself went on two research internships in the UK and Vienna.
Our group has a very friendly and collaborative atmosphere. There’s always someone to consult results with or to ask for help. We are encouraged to bring forward our own ideas and support each other during regular lab meetings – especially when someone gets stuck in their research.
You’re researching chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and the mechanisms by which cancer cells resist treatment. What led you to this topic, and what impact could your findings have on future patient care?
I was introduced to the topic largely thanks to my great colleague in Marek Mráz Lab Dr. Vašek Šeda, who offered me the project for my master’s thesis. Cancer cells can resist our therapeutic attacks, and I wanted to understand how they do it – and how we can stop them. Our discovery could help make CLL treatment more effective in the future, potentially reducing the need for long-term therapy or preventing resistance to specific types of drugs.
What techniques and approaches do you use most in your research? Is there anything in the lab that truly excites you or feels like scientific “magic”?
I work a lot with cell lines and with primary cells from patients, adding various compounds and analysing how the cells respond. Sometimes I try to activate a specific signalling pathway; other times, I observe whether adding a drug reduces the cancer cells’ viability or how they fight back to avoid being killed by monitoring the levels of various RNA molecules and proteins.
Right now, I’m especially fascinated by modern techniques that allow us to analyse cells in a more comprehensive way. One example is transcriptome analysis – in other words, we look at all the RNA molecules present in a cell at a given time, either across a group of cells or individually. This helps us track how RNA levels change under different conditions, such as before and after treatment.
Why did you choose CEITEC for your research? What has your experience of PhD study been like so far – has anything surprised or challenged you?
I conduct my research at CEITEC Masaryk University as a PhD student of the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, where I wanted to complete and publish the project I had started during my master’s thesis. Thanks to our collaboration with the Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology at University Hospital Brno, we have access to patient samples, which elevates the quality of our research.
Doing a PhD in research is demanding – mentally, physically, and timewise. We often work late nights and weekends. On the other hand, we have many unique opportunities to grow and learn. One major benefit is the support and friendships I’ve developed with other PhD students at the faculty.
I know you’re currently working on your dissertation – are you going deeper into existing research, or exploring a new topic? And do you have an idea where your scientific career might take you next?
My dissertation is structured as a commentary on a set of research articles, in which I am either the first author or a co-author. I place our findings on how leukaemic cells adapt to targeted therapies and how to identify new therapeutic targets in a broader disease context. My scientific future is still open, and I’m curious to see what opportunities lie ahead. I plan to go abroad and would like to deepen my skills in bioinformatics as during my PhD, I also completed a bachelor’s degree in this area. I hope to combine it with my expertise in oncology and molecular biology. I’m also drawn to research in autoimmune diseases, where I could apply what I’ve learned about B cells – the very cells that give rise to chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
If you could create your ideal research project – budget aside – what would you study, and why?
I’d love to study autoimmune diseases and explore how to precisely target the harmful immune cells that attack the body’s own tissues.
How would you explain your work to children or a grandmother? Do you use analogies or techniques to make your research easier to understand?
Honestly, I explain my work and molecular biology in general to my family quite often – they’re very interested, and I really enjoy answering their questions. I was especially impressed by my six-year-old cousin, who asked some surprisingly insightful questions – a future scientist in the making (laughs).
To put it simply: I study how cancer cells, specifically leukaemic cells, resist treatment. Imagine that we block their main road to survival using drugs. We already knew that some cells can “break through” this blockade by mutating their DNA – essentially rewriting their instruction manual so that the drug no longer binds properly. But we discovered that the cells can also take a shortcut: they find a completely new survival route without changing their DNA.
More specifically, we found that leukaemic cells can adapt to BCR inhibitor therapy by activating another signalling pathway, particularly one involving the molecule FoxO1. If we block this alternative pathway as well, their chance of survival drops – and that’s our goal: to find a treatment combination that’s more effective and prevents resistance.
I hope that one day, our research will help turn this disease into one that we can treat faster, more effectively, and with less burden for patients.
Photogallery
Author
Expert
