Dr hab. Anna Wardowska awarded the Eastern Star Award

25.07.2025

Anna Wardowska, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. from the Department of Pathophysiology at the MUG has been awarded the Eastern Star Award, a prestigious European prize granted by the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) to outstanding scientists from Central and Eastern Europe. The MUG researcher received €10,000, which she plans to use for a pilot study on immune-related adverse events (irAEs) observed in oncology patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Anna Wardowska, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.

– Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionised cancer treatment, significantly improving patient prognosis. Their mechanism involves reactivating the immune response against cancer cells, explains Dr. Wardowska. – However, the use of ICIs is associated with the risk of immune-related adverse events, which can vary in severity and affect different organs. While most cases are mild, some patients experience severe, life-threatening complications that may require treatment discontinuation. The aim of our project is to identify immunological factors that predispose patients to irAEs, which will allow earlier detection and risk prediction of such complications, she adds.

The study will be carried out in collaboration with the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy as well as the Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine at the MUG.

The Eastern Star Award is presented to researchers from 22 Central and Eastern European countries. In addition to Dr. Wardowska, two other scientists received the award in this year’s edition of the competition.