Doctoral candidates from the Medical University of Gdańsk at the ‘Society for Heart and Vascular Metabolism Conference’ in Bordeaux

3.07.2025

Doctoral candidates from the Department of Biochemistry at the Medical University of Gdańsk – Klaudia Stawarska and Iga Walczak — under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Barbara Kutryb-Zając, Ph.D., D.Sc. participated in the 22nd annual conference of the Society for Heart and Vascular Metabolism (SHVM), held from 22nd–25th June in Bordeaux, France. The conference focused on the latest advances in the understanding of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, mitochondrial dysfunction andd emerging therapeutic strategies targeting cardiac and vascular metabolism.

Klaudia Stawarska presented a research project entitled Radiotherapy-induced metabolic and mitochondrial dysregulation of the heart, conducted in collaboration with Piotr Siondalski, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. from the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery at the MUG, as well as Bartłomiej Tomasik, M.D., Ph.D. from the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy at the MUG. The study forms part of a broader initiative based at the Experimental Cardio-Oncology Centre and is conducted within the framework of the OPUS grant titled Radiotherapy-induced reprogramming of cardiac conduction – a molecular perspective.

Iga Walczak presented findings from a project entitled Metabolic benefits and microvascular improvement in heart failure patients using SGLT2 inhibitors, carried out in collaboration with Prof. Marcin Hellmann from the Division of Cardiac Diagnostics. The research is conducted as part of the OPUS grant entitled Mitochondrial effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in endothelial cells – a novel approach to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart failure.

Both doctoral candidates received financial support for their participation through the Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grant, awarded by the European COST Action network “EU-METAHEART” (European network to tackle METAbolic alterations in HEART failure). The aim of this initiative is to support early-career researchers focused on metabolic dysfunction in heart failure and to foster international scientific collaboration.

Additionally, Klaudia Stawarska participated in a summer school organised in Nice (1st – 4th June) by the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science under the auspices of the European Society of Cardiology. This prestigious event, addressed to early-stage researchers in cardiovascular science, provided an opportunity to deepen scientific knowledge, enhance presentation skills, and build a network for international academic cooperation.