Joanna Rorbach receives The Ascending Investigator Grant
Joanna Rorbach, Principal Researcher at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet, receives The Ascending Investigator Grant from Novo Nordisk 2024.
Congratulations Joanna! Tell us about the award you have received.
“I have received the Ascending Investigator Grant within Endocrinology and Metabolism from Novo Nordisk to study mitochondrial gene expression in health and disease.”
What does it mean for you and your research to get this award?
“It is an honor to be recognized and supported by Novo Nordisk, a global leader in healthcare and drug development. First and foremost, the award highlights the critical role mitochondria play in a number of different diseases and pathological processes and the importance of understanding these processes at the genetic and molecular level.”
“With this award, my team is able to pursue important questions concerning mitochondrial gene expression. In the future, we hope knowledge in this area will impact the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunctions.”
What is next?
”This award provides a foundation for us to expand our work into novel avenues. For example, in recent years, my group has been focusing on understanding fundamental mechanistic details of mitochondrial proteins involved in mitochondrial RNA metabolism and translation. We are now able to expand into the complexity of the regulation of these processes and their integration within other essential metabolic pathways.”
Are you going to celebrate this?
“Time in nature is the best! We will celebrate the hard work and discoveries that led to this prestigious award with a lab kayaking trip to the Stockholm archipelago.”