Dr. Danica Ivovič presented a new diagnostic tool she is working on at the competition, which could help doctors detect in time when treatment for patients with testicular cancer is no longer working.
Dr. Danica Ivovič from the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS) won first place at the prestigious nationwide forum for scientific talent, Falling Walls Lab Slovakia, along with a spot in the world finals of this competition in Berlin. On stage at Bratislava’s V-Club at the Slovak finals on September 25, 2025, she presented a new diagnostic tool she is working on that could help doctors detect in time when treatment for patients with testicular cancer is no longer working.
“My research focuses on how tumors can adapt and become resistant to treatment. While doctors today usually only detect treatment failure when the tumor reappears, I am trying to detect early stress signals in tumor cells. The new diagnostic tool I am working on could enable doctors to obtain this information earlier, so that patients do not lose valuable time,” explains Dr. Danica Ivovič.
In the Falling Walls Lab format, each contestant must present their innovative idea or research in English in a maximum of three minutes. Contributions from any scientific field are welcome.
The chairman of the Slovak jury, which traditionally includes personalities from the scientific and business spheres, was Professor Peter Celec. The winner of the competition is decided based on the innovativeness of the idea, its impact on society, and the level of presentation.
The competition has been held in Slovakia since 2017, but this was the first time BMC SAS had been represented. In addition to Danica Ivovič, the jury awarded second place to Dr. Šarlota Kaňuková from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava for her topic on saffron production in the laboratory, and third place to Dr. Jana Shepa from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice for her topic on innovative biosensors.
“I was pleasantly surprised when my name was announced as the winner. What I appreciate most is that this award gives young scientists the opportunity to show how their work can contribute to a better future for people,” says Danica Ivovič.
She is already looking forward to the competition finals on November 6, 2025, in Berlin, where she will participate alongside a hundred talented scientists from around the world.
Find out more here: https://falling-walls.com/lab
Text and photo: E. Rybárová, BMC SAS
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