Prof. Petr Cejka, Group Leader at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), affiliated with USI, has received the 2026 Dick Marty Award in recognition of his contribution to cancer research.
Prof. Petr Cejka, head of the Recombination Mechanisms research group at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), has been awarded the 2026 Dick Marty Award.
The award was presented during the Giornata della Ricerca e dell’Innovazione in Medicina Umana della Svizzera italiana, an event bringing together the scientific and medical research community of Southern Switzerland.
Established in 2024 by the Fondazione per la ricerca sul cancro nel Ticino, which operates in collaboration with the Ticino Cancer League, the Dick Marty Award honours the memory of Dick Marty, who served as President of the Foundation for more than twenty years.
The annual award recognizes the best publication in the field of cancer research from the previous year and is open to researchers active in Ticino or with strong professional ties to the Canton. The CHF 30,000 prize supports both the awardee and their research group.
At IRB, Petr Cejka and his group investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in DNA repair and homologous recombination. Understanding these fundamental processes is essential to uncover how cells maintain genome stability and how failures in DNA repair can contribute to the development of cancer.
The Dick Marty Award adds to several recognitions received by Prof. Cejka for his scientific work, including the Dr. Ernst Th. Jucker Award, the Friedrich Miescher Award, the San Salvatore Award, as well as three European Research Council grants.
IRB warmly congratulates Petr and his team on this recognition.
The 2026 Dick Marty Award was also presented to Maria Cristina Pirosa of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), in recognition of her contribution to cancer research.
