Zsuzsanna Izsvák - Biography#

I earned my PhD in 1994 from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (EMBO fellow). Since 1999, I have been a researcher at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin.

In 2004, I received a European Young Investigator Award (EURYI), enabling me to establish and lead the Mobile DNA Laboratory. My work was recognized in 2009 by the Molecule of the Year award. I hold a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree and am a foreign member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. I served as guest professor at the Medical University of Debrecen (2009 - 2011) and currently act as President of the Dennis Gabor Gesellschaft, promoting scientific excellence and Hungary–Germany/Europe scientific–industrial networking.

My research has been supported by two ERC Advanced Grants (TransposoSTRESS, PI; EvoGenMed, co-PI). I co-founded the Helmholtz Innovation Lab MDCell to foster academia–industry collaboration. The Sleeping Beauty transposon system, which I co-invented, is among the most frequently licensed MDC technologies and is advancing toward clinical and industrial translation, including EFRE-supported spin-off activities.

Scientifically, I am a pioneer in transposable element biology and non-viral gene therapy. My lab revealed essential roles of endogenous retroviruses, particularly HERVH, in primate pluripotency and early human development. We developed advanced stem-cell and organoid platforms for disease modeling, drug testing, and studies of neurodevelopment, aging, and pregnancy disorders.

By applying artificial intelligence to decode the non-coding genome, we identified previously unrecognized regulatory elements contributing to placental function and pre-eclampsia, enabling early biomarker discovery. We also demonstrated the neuronal function of the domesticated transposon gene PGBD1 and established organoid-based schizophrenia models.

Overall, my work bridges fundamental genome biology with translational applications in stem cell research, gene and cell therapy, pregnancy disorders, neuropsychiatric disease, aging, and cancer immunotherapy.