„We are investigating how biological therapies for psoriasis reduce cardiovascular risk compared to each other”

She is an outstanding member of the Dermatology and Pediatrics Group, who consistently demonstrates exceptional preparedness and advanced progress in her project, showcasing remarkable presentation skills that captivate her audience. In September, Dr. Mária Veronika Kolonics was named the Best First-Year Ph.D. Student at the Centre for Translational Medicine.

Dr. Kolonics was involved in academic research at the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University as a fourth-year medical student. She was researching psoriasis in the same research team with Dr. Noémi Ágnes Galajda, who had just entered the CTM Ph.D. program. “I was also interested in translational medicine, so I became involved in the work of the centre as a medical student. At CTM I started working with András Bánvölgyi, who later became one of my Ph.D. supervisors. My other supervisor is Professor Péter Holló, who had already supported me and was my first supervisor as a student researcher.”

Dr. Kolonics applied to CTM Ph.D. training because as a student researcher she felt its staff very supportive and helpful. „In the weekly group meetings, not only our own supervisors give us feedback on our progress, but also the other participants. In addition we get feedback on the progress reports, which is also beneficial. My Ph.D. topic is linked to the cardiovascular risk of psoriasis, and thematically related to Dr. Galajda's research. Cardiovascular diseases are highlighted because such pathologies are more common in people with psoriasis and are often undetected. Research has also found that cardiovascular risk increases with the severity of psoriasis. However, one of Dr. Galajda's projects has shown that tumor necrosis factor inhibitors also reduce the cardiovascular risk associated with the disease.”

“In my project I am investigating how biological therapies reduce cardiovascular risk compared to each other in psoriasis. We would also like to rank the drugs to have a clear indication of which therapy should be chosen in patients with psoriasis associated with cardiovascular disease. For my work, I get a lot of help from my supervisors and from the whole team of CTM.”

(Emese Szabó)