Researchers Find Joy in Their Work and Each Other

Sometimes satisfaction must be found in the day-to-day steps while continuing the work of finding a breakthrough. For Eva Morava-Kozicz, M.D., Ph.D., the process of developing therapies for new metabolic disorders is a fight won by inches, against an opponent that does not fight fair.

Dr. Morava-Kozicz’s latest work concerns genetic conditions associated with developmental delays, and while she is not yet able to fully treat these disorders, her team says that promising new therapies are being developed from this research. It is from these initial victories that life-changing answers can be found, and Dr. Morava-Kozicz says the ability to do the work with her team is what drives her to keep searching.

“Our most recent joy comes from our team receiving a National Institutes of Health research grant that will facilitate our multicenter clinical translational research on a very high level,” Dr. Morava-Kozicz says. “We are extremely proud of it.”

Dr. Morava-Kozicz is joined by fellow team member and husband Tamas Kozicz, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientist who is studying why mice with mitochondrial disorders are more vulnerable to stress. The two first collaborated at Radboud University Medical Center, and Dr. Morava-Kozicz says it is that spirit of teamwork and collaboration that brings substance to their efforts to solve critical needs of patients.

“Mayo’s inspiring scientific environment and culture of teamwork have opened several new possibilities to extend and enrich my research,” Dr. Morava-Kozicz says. “This culture brings joy and satisfaction into my everyday work at Mayo.”

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