Dr. Lidia Wróbel Awarded the 2025 L’Oréal–UNESCO Fellowship
Dr. Lidia Wróbel, whose research explores the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, is the recipient of the 2025 L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship.
The researcher, formerly affiliated with the University of Cambridge and currently heading the Laboratory of Cellular Proteostasis at the IIMCB (International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw), studies the mechanisms regulating protein homeostasis, and how alterations in these mechanisms contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In Poland, habilitation is an advanced postdoctoral qualification that marks a senior stage of an academic career.
“The L’Oréal-UNESCO Habilitation Fellowship is a great honor for me and an important recognition of my long-standing commitment to scientific research. I am deeply grateful to my supervisors, mentors, and postdoctoral colleagues, who played a significant role in shaping my career path and empowered me to pursue my scientific vision” says Dr. Lidia Wróbel.
Fot.: L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science
The goal of the research conducted by her team is to lay the groundwork for developing new therapeutic strategies targeting neurodegenerative diseases. These disorders arise when damaged proteins accumulate in neurons because they have not been properly removed. The accumulated proteins form harmful aggregates that disrupt cellular function and ultimately lead to neuronal death.
“We aim to understand how the systems responsible for protein quality control operate in nerve cells and how their dysfunction leads to the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates. By deepening our understanding of these processes, we can pave the way for the development of new targeted therapies that will restore proteostatic balance and help treat neurodegenerative diseases” emphasizes Dr. Wróbel.
Dr. Lidia Wróbel graduated in biotechnology from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) and gained her first research experience at Ghent University. In 2009, she began her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Prof. Agnieszka Chacińska at the IIMCB, focusing on mitochondrial biogenesis. She then continued her scientific work at the University of Cambridge in Prof. David Rubinsztein’s laboratory, where she studied the role of the lysosomal autophagy pathway in neurodegenerative diseases. In 2023, she won an international competition for a research group leader position at IIMCB and became the head of the Laboratory of Cellular Proteostasis.
The L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science program aims to promote the achievements of outstanding female researchers, encourage them to continue their scientific work, and support their professional development through fellowships. The program’s partners include the Polish National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the UN Global Compact Network Poland. The laureates are selected by an independent Jury composed of distinguished representatives of Polish science.