Timetable

..........2026
9:30 – 11:00

..........2026
9:30 – 11:00

Mitochondrial haplogroups (1h) 
(dr Patrycja Daca-Roszak)

Evolution and pathology of sex chromosomes (1h) 
(dr hab. Kamila Kusz-Zamelczyk)

Genetic epidemiology in forensic studies (1h)
(dr Patrycja Daca-Roszak) 

Analysis of human intestinal microbiota (1h)
(dr hab. Marzena Skrzypczak-Zielińska)

Human Genome Evolution and Variability in Health and Disease

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, the PhD student:

• understands the principles of responsible research and innovation in biomedical sciences;
• knows the legal and ethical foundations of intellectual property protection and commercialization in regulated biomedical environments;
• understands Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and their application in life sciences;
• understands key commercialization pathways, including licensing and academic spin-off formation;
• understands differences between grant-based academic funding and venture capital investment logic;
• is familiar with industry evaluation criteria used by pharmaceutical companies and deep-tech investors.

Skills

Upon completion of the course, the PhD student:

• is able to assess the translational and societal potential of their own research project;
• is able to identify intellectual property opportunities and risks at early stages of research;
• is able to prepare a structured translational project brief tailored to non-academic stakeholders;
• is able to design a preliminary TRL advancement and validation roadmap (12-24 months);
• is able to identify relevant industrial, clinical and investment partners;
• is able to communicate research value propositions clearly to industry and innovation ecosystem actors.

Social Qualifications

Upon completion of the course, the PhD student:

• demonstrates awareness of ethical responsibility in research commercialization;
• understands the importance of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration;
• shows readiness to engage constructively with industry, investors and healthcare stakeholders;
• demonstrates proactive and independent planning of career development within the research–innovation ecosystem;
• respects academic integrity while operating in applied and commercial contexts.

Successful completion of the course requires:

• active participation in workshop sessions;
• submission of an Individual Translational and Commercialization Development Plan based on the participant’s own PhD project;
• positive evaluation of the final oral presentation of the translational roadmap.

Failure to submit the individual plan or absence from the final presentation results in non-completion of the course.

1. Translational Thinking in Biomedical Research

• From hypothesis to societal value
• Publication-oriented vs implementation-oriented research design
• Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) in life sciences
• Identifying application hypotheses in early-stage biomedical research

2. Research Integrity, Ethics and Intellectual Property in Regulated Environments

• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
• Conflict of interest and academia-industry collaboration
• Publication vs patent strategy
• IP fundamentals for biomedical researchers
• Data governance, regulatory constraints and clinical validation pathways

3. Designing Research with Implementation in Mind

• Translational gap in biomedical sciences
• Early validation strategies
• De-risking logic in drug development and diagnostics
• Preparing a translational project brief for market consultation
• Cooperation with Technology Transfer Offices

4. Industry Perspective: Big Pharma and Healthcare Systems

(Guest lecture – pharmaceutical industry representative)

• How pharmaceutical companies evaluate academic research
• Biomarker validation and clinical relevance
• Typical collaboration models with academia
• What makes academic science investable or licensable

5. Financing Biomedical Innovation and Spin-Off Strategy

(Guest lecture – deep-tech venture capital representative)

• Venture capital logic vs grant logic
• Risk, timelines and capital intensity in life sciences
• Academic spin-off creation pathways
• Ownership, equity and founder considerations
• When to license and when to build a company

6. Strategic Networking and Positioning in the Innovation Ecosystem

• Building professional relationships beyond academia
• Communicating with industry, KOLs and investors
• Leveraging institutional partnerships and international networks
• Personal brand building for researchers

7. Individual Translational Roadmap Development (Workshop Module)

• TRL assessment of individual PhD projects
• Identification of potential partners (industry, clinical, investment)
• Funding pathway mapping
• 12-24 month commercialization and collaboration plan

Final project presentations

Participants will receive:

• lecture presentations in PDF format;
• structured templates for:
  • translational project brief (1-page industry summary),
  • TRL self-assessment tool,
  • intellectual property decision checklist,
  • preliminary commercialization roadmap (12–24 months),
  • early-stage spin-off pathway outline;
• selected case studies from European and US biomedical commercialization programs;
• indicative industry evaluation criteria used by pharmaceutical companies and deep-tech investors;

recommended reports on life science venture capital and translational funding schemes

Selected practical materials, policy documents, industry reports and online resources will be provided after each thematic module.The course bibliography will include application-oriented sources such as:

• European Commission and OECD reports on research commercialization and Responsible Research & Innovation;
• WIPO and European Patent Office materials on intellectual property in life sciences;
• industry and venture capital reports on biomedical innovation and deep-tech investment;
• selected case studies and guidelines relevant to translational research and academic spin-offs.