Researcher at the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS) in the field of oncology, Dr. Danica Ivovič, took part in the global finals of the Falling Walls Lab competition for scientific talent and the subsequent conference in Berlin from November 6 to 10, 2025, where she received valuable feedback and made contacts with Nobel Prize winners.
“It was not only a scientific experience, but also a personal one. It was only there, among a hundred finalists from more than sixty countries, that I realized how prestigious this competition really is. Scientists from all over the world are building their careers on it. This year, almost three thousand of them applied,” says Danica Ivovič.
She added that it is a pity that many scientists in Slovakia do not know about this competition and that we should promote it more. “Several researchers in our country are working on the application of scientific results in practice and would certainly not be out of place on stage. Although Slovak science is not as well funded as in the US, Canada, Britain, or Germany, our results are world-class,” she adds.
In the Falling Walls Lab competition, finalists have three minutes to present their innovative idea from any scientific field. “I would call it a little test of whether we really understand the issue. Only then can we simplify our complicated problem and scientific solution in such a short time so that everyone can understand it,” explains Danica Ivovič.
The winner is determined by the innovativeness of the idea, its impact on society, and the level of presentation. The winners of the national rounds of the competition advance to the global finals.
Danica Ivovič presented a new diagnostic tool she is working on that could help doctors detect when treatment for testicular cancer patients is no longer working. This would allow patients to avoid wasting valuable time.
Her presentation in Berlin received excellent feedback. “Several people came up to me in person after the lecture and also contacted me online. For example, the dean from Toronto, Canada, wrote to me that my presentation was amazing and that he enjoyed it very much.”
The competition was followed by an unusual scientific conference attended by thousands of researchers. Topics ranged from biology and artificial intelligence to green technologies and the use of energy sources.
According to Danica Ivovič, the event had an excellent atmosphere and gave her new energy for her scientific work. Thanks to her participation, she now counts Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó among her contacts. In 2023, Karikó and Drew Weissman received the Nobel Prize for their key discoveries in the development of effective mRNA vaccines.
“Her lecture, in which she told her personal story, had a profound effect on me. It was about not giving up, even when others don’t believe in you,” says Danica Ivovič.
She also established contacts with a scientific colleague from the Czech Republic who is working on the development of nanoparticles. “We could potentially use them, so perhaps a new collaboration is on the horizon.”
Text: E: Rybárová, BMC SAS
Foto: © Falling Walls Foundation; archív D. Ivovič, BMC SAS
