The FameLab Poland 2026 Final took place on 9 June at Kinoteatr Rialto; the event is one of the biggest events dedicated to science communication. In this year’s edition, twelve finalists representing universities and research institutes from across Poland took on the challenge of presenting scientific topics in just three minutes, in a way that is understandable, engaging and inspiring to a wide audience.
Following the final talks, the jury selected the winners of the competition:
First prize was awarded to Tomas Senda, MSc, the Research and Academic Computer Network – National Research Institute (NASK), for his presentation ‘The Prism of Culture: Can Artificial Intelligence see our identity?’ A researcher specialising in natural language processing, multilingualism and large language models highlighted the role of AI in preserving linguistic and cultural diversity.
Second prize went to Dagmara Stasiowska, PhD Eng., AGH University of Kraków, for her presentation ‘Our new home’. She introduced the topic of space biology and the challenges associated with future human life beyond Earth.
Third prize went to Piotr Falkowski, PhD Eng., Łukasiewicz Research Network – PIAP, for his presentation ‘Robots and AI – the physiotherapists of tomorrow’. He focused on modern technologies that support rehabilitation, including medical robotics and solutions utilising artificial intelligence.
Tomas Senda, MA—the winner of the national final—will also represent Poland at the FameLab International.
This year’s final showcased the remarkable diversity of modern science. The group of other finalists were: Angelika Żurawska, MSc (University of Opole); Lipoprotein(a): the hidden code of heart risk written in your genes; Anna Wolny, PhD Eng. (Silesian University of Technology) – Molecular selection: How nature designs medicines; Juliusz Chojenka, PhD Eng. (Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków) – What is a memristor anyway?; Karima Afandi, MSc (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) – Your face has tenants? Demodex and the red face mystery; Mariya Mathew, MSc (University of Silesia in Katowice) – When drugs don’t reach their target: Unlocking their hidden potential; Marta Sałek, MSc Eng. (University of Warsaw) – Unknown life next door; Martyna Czarnomska, MSc (University of Gdańsk) – The light of truth: What fingerprints are hiding from us; Michał Kucała, MSc Eng. (Kraków University of Technology) – Chemistry isn’t so scary: Plant-based and recycled polymers in service of people and the planet; and Rami Altabbouche, MSc (Medical University of Lodz) – Switching off appetite: How modern medicine rewrites hunger.
FameLab Poland 2026 Final is not merely a competition but also a true celebration of science and science communication. The finalists proved that it is possible to present even the most complex topics in a simple and entertaining way—ranging from artificial intelligence and space technology to medicine, biology, physics, and chemistry.
The event was also an opportunity to award prizes in the competition for the best BA, MA and Engineering thesis dedicated to metropolitan topics; the competition is organised by the Metropolis GZM.
The FameLab Poland is organised by the University of Silesia, together with the Academic Consortium – Katowice City of Science. The event is co-hosted by the City of Katowice and the Metropolis GZM.
This year’s event once again showed the vital role that effective science communication plays in fostering dialogue between the research community and the public.
Congratulations to the winners and all the finalists of FameLab Poland 2026
