The First PhD Defense at IIMCB – A Milestone in the Institute's History
International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB) has witnessed the first PhD defense in its history. This event marks a new chapter in the training of young scientists and highlights the growing prestige of the Institute.
The doctoral dissertation by Michał Brouze, titled “Analysis of the Role of Selected Exoribonucleases and Poly(A) Polymerases in Mus musculus”, was defended on February 21, 2025, at the IIMCB headquarters. The thesis was supervised by Professor Andrzej Dziembowski, an ERC Advanced Grant laureate and a member of the Board of Directors of the RNA Society. The reviewers, Dr. Michał Gdula (Adam Mickiewicz University), Professor Monika Marzena Kaczmarek (Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences), and Professor Grażyna Ewa Ptak (Jagiellonian University), unanimously gave a positive assessment of the dissertation. In accordance with IIMCB standards, both the thesis and the PhD conferral process were conducted in English.
Michał Brouze, author of “Analysis of the Role of Selected Exoribonucleases and Poly(A) Polymerases in Mus musculus”
A Full PhD Path Under One Roof
"The first PhD defense and the awarding of a doctoral degree with an IIMCB affiliation is a milestone in our institution's development," said Urszula Białek-Wyrzykowska, Deputy Director for Development at IIMCB. "We offer young researchers not only doctoral training but also the opportunity to carry out an exciting research project under the guidance of outstanding scientists, culminating in the awarding of a PhD."
Until now, PhD students working at IIMCB have typically defended their dissertations at Polish Academy of Sciences institutes or universities. The decision by the Research Excellence Council to grant IIMCB the right to confer PhD degrees has made it possible to complete the entire PhD process within a single institution – from education and research to degree conferral. Notably, at IIMCB in Warsaw, PhD degrees are awarded by the International Advisory Board, composed of leading scientists from around the world, including Nobel laureate Professor Aaron Ciechanover from Israel.
Photo: from left: reviewer Dr. Michał Gdula, chairman of the doctoral committee Prof. Jacek Kuźnicki, dissertation author Michał Brouze, Prof. Marta Miączyńska, Director of IIMCB, and Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski - supervisor
Award-Winning Publications Led to the PhD
The foundation of the dissertation was a series of scientific articles published in Nature Communications and RNA Journal, where Michał Brouze is the lead author," said Professor Andrzej Dziembowski the thesis supervisor and corresponding author of the publications. "The first of these articles described the key role of TENT5 proteins in the development of oocytes and sperm cells. It also received our internal Best Papers Award for 2024. The best paper has thus led to the first PhD defense, for which I sincerely congratulate Michał," added Andrzej Dziembowski.
"This is a great day for me – the culmination of a years-long scientific journey in my field of RNA biology," said Michał Brouze. "I believe that our research findings, which form the basis of my dissertation, will make a significant contribution to science and help advance our understanding of organismal development mechanisms," he concluded.
Michał Brouze’s dissertation and the PhD conferral proceedings can be accessed at the following link: https://bip.iimcb.gov.pl/pl/bip/postepowania-awansowe/postepowania-o-nadanie-stopnia-doktora/postepowania-o-nadanie-stopnia-doktora-2025