Dr Anna Karnkowska from the UW Faculty of Biology and Biological and Chemical Centre received a grant from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). The Installation Grant is awarded to early-career researchers establishing their independent laboratories. Dr. Karnkowska’s research interests include diversity and molecular evolution of chosen groups of protists.
EMBO is an organization of more than 1800 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond. The organisation supports talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulates the exchange of scientific information, and helps build a research environment where scientists can achieve their best work. The Installation Grants are awarded to researchers from the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal and Turkey. Thanks to them, scientists can establish their independent laboratories. Grantees receive EUR 50 000 annually for between three and five years. Since 2006, EMBO has supported 103 group leaders through Installation Grants.
Dr. Anna Karnkowska is one of ten scientists awarded by EMBO. She received the grant for “Evolution of phototrophy in eukaryotes” project. Dr. Anna Karnkowska works in the Department of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution at the UW Faculty of Biology and the Eukaryotic Microorganisms research group of the Biological and Chemical Centre. She carries out research on the evolution of chloroplasts and mitochondria, genomics and transcriptomics of eukaryotic microorganisms as well as taxonomy and diversity of euglenids.
The UW researcher is the author and co-author of dozens of scientific publications. She was awarded many awards, fellowships and grants such as Minister of Science and Higher Education Scholarship for outstanding young scientists (2017), Prize of Bedřich Hrozný for a major scientific achievement (2017), Holz-Conner Travel Award from ISOP (2015), Polish National Science Center grant for a project entitled “Plastid evolution and functions of colourless algae within the Euglenophytes and Dictyochophyceae” (2017), UE grant in Synthesys programme for a project entitled “Taxonomy of green euglenids – insight into the Ehrenberg Collection” (2009). Dr. Anna Karnkowska did her two post-doctoral research fellowhips, the first at the Charles University in Prague (2013-2015) where she contributed to the discovery of first eukaryote lacking any form of a mitochondrion, and the second at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (2016) where she continued her research on anaerobic protists.
The 2018 grantees will establish one laboratory each in the Czech Republic and Portugal, three in Poland and five in Turkey. Besides Dr. Anna Karnkowska, two more Poles were awarded: Dr. Michał Szymański from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk and Dr. Łukasz Piątkowski representing the Poznan University of Technology.
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