We are delighted to announce that Marta Sochocka, PhD, DSc, from the Virology Laboratory at the IIET PAS, has been named a winner of the 9th edition of the prestigious ‘30 Creative Minds of Wrocław’ competition, organised by the Wroclaw.pl portal, the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency (ARAW) and the City of Wrocław.
The awards ceremony took place on 15 April 2026 at the Wrocław Congress Centre. The awards are presented to individuals who, through their work in the fields of science, business, culture and social life, not only achieve outstanding results but, above all, demonstrate creativity – bold thinking, breaking with convention and seeking new solutions that have a tangible impact on the city’s development.
Marta Sochocka, PhD, DSc, was awarded in the Science/Technology category. Her research work is an excellent example of creativity in this sense – bringing together seemingly disparate fields of knowledge and asking questions that open up new avenues of research. The researcher focuses on the links between oral health and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
The international research project OASIS-AD, which she leads and which is funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, is investigating the impact of periodontitis treatment on immune system function and the progression of the disease. This research indicates that untreated periodontal disease may significantly increase the risk of developing cognitive impairment, and that the oral cavity may play a key role in the processes leading to neurodegeneration.
Dr Sochocka is also actively involved in popularising science, translating complex biomedical issues into accessible and understandable language. As coordinator of the Lower Silesian Science Festival at the IIET PAS and a participant in educational and popular science events, she brings the importance of research into brain health and diseases to a wide audience.
We warmly congratulate Dr Marta Sochocka on this award and wish her every success in her future academic endeavours!
For more information about the Awards Ceremony, including a photo gallery:
Profile of the winner:
https://www.wroclaw.pl/30-kreatywnych-wroclawia/2026/dr-hab-marta-sochocka
Information about all the winners:
https://www.wroclaw.pl/30-kreatywnych-wroclawia/2026/
Photo sources: Bartosz Mokrzycki