We're changing how ultra-rare diseases and cancers are perceived.
And we stand by the people they touch, their families and loved ones.
People4People.
Rarely alone.
Meet P4P
The People
4 People
Foundation
Smart prevention starts with your genes.
We’re changing how ultra-rare diseases and cancers are perceived. We support the people affected by them, as well as their families and loved ones.
The Foundation was established in 2023 by experienced doctors and scientists. After years of working with patients, we'd seen how far medicine had come, and how many families living with ultra-rare diseases were still left without help. We founded People 4 People to give patients and their loved ones support they can genuinely rely on.
From day one, our goal has been to change how rare diseases are approached in Poland: breaking down the barriers and the isolation that patients with ultra-rare conditions so often face, and meeting them with hope and positive energy.
We also champion informed health choices and prevention. We back the Genialni Health Initiative, which encourages people to have themselves and their loved ones tested genetically for greater awareness and wiser planning of one's own health. We show that modern science and prevention can go hand in hand with everyday self-care, giving each of us a shot at a healthier future.
People 4 People. The name is our whole mission.
Anna Pańkowska
LM, legal advisor
with many years of experience.
She safeguards the legal side of the Foundation's scientific and operational work – managing research agreements, intellectual property, and full compliance with bioethics and data-protection requirements.
A keen skier and a passionate lover
of music of all genres.
Aleksandra Jezela-Stanek
Professor, MD, PhD, clinical geneticist and oncogeneticist.
She leads pioneering diagnostic projects in ultra-rare diseases (including those of the respiratory system). For years she has brought genomics together with personalised medicine to answer the real needs of patients.
Devoted to ancient sculpture, iconography, and Baroque opera.
Joanna Chorostowska-Wynimko
Professor, MD, PhD, pulmonologist, specialist in laboratory clinical immunology, and an expert in the molecular diagnostics of lung cancer. Deeply engaged in molecular research, particularly on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). President of the European Respiratory Society (2025–2026).
An enthusiast of travel, healthy living
and the cuisines of the world.
What do we value most in our work?
Awareness
Raising awareness of ultra-rare diseases, and of the support available, is the foundation of our mission. We help society see that patients and their families need not stay in the shadows – the more we understand about rare and cancer-related diseases, the more effectively we can help and break down barriers.
We share what we know, because we believe knowledge builds understanding, and understanding brings hope.
Prevention
We believe it's better to prevent than to treat. That's why we promote informed health choices and regular testing, so that risks can be caught before they turn into something serious.
We support preventive and educational work, and we provide the tools that let people protect their health (their own and their loved ones') before disease has a chance to do harm.
Empathy
Behind every illness there's a person and a family, so sensitivity and understanding sit at the heart of what we do. We stand with patients and their loved ones at every stage – listening, and offering support both emotional and practical – because we know how much another person matters in the hardest moments.
We speak plainly, to bring relief and hope where there might otherwise be confusion.
Innovation
We reach for the latest advances in medicine to help those who are ill. As a foundation created by doctors and scientists, we bring expert knowledge together with modern technology – backing research and diagnostic projects (such as the Testygen Institute) that move us closer to breakthroughs in treating ultra-rare diseases.
We're not afraid to look for new paths. We believe innovation is what sparks fresh hope where little has been felt before.
Accessibility
We work to make sure no family touched by an ultra-rare disease or cancer is left without support. Removing barriers – financial, organisational, and informational – is our priority.
We simplify procedures and translate the complexities of medicine into everyday language, so that modern diagnostics, therapy, and help are within reach for everyone who needs them.
Our Scientific Council
The Scientific Council of the P4P Foundation brings together specialists who pair deep experience in rare-disease research with a passion for uncovering new therapeutic possibilities.
Their work is guided by openness and an innovative mindset. They draw on the newest tools of molecular biology, such as CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
The Foundation's experts form a rare kind of team, distinguished by years of experience in genetic research and model organisms.
Clinical
Trials
dr n. med. A. Almgren-Rachtan
Tunneling Group
(Research Group)
dr hab. Artur Góra
Legal & Regulatory,
Bioethics
mgr Ernest Jędrzejewski
Protein Metabolism
Laboratory
dr hab. Wojciech Pokrzywa
Transfer
of Science
prof. dr hab. Arkadiusz Szterk
Metabolic
Paediatrics
prof. Jolanta Sykut-Cegielska
What sets our projects apart?
Pulmogenetics
2025. With Ministry funding, and in partnership with the PTChP and the Silesian Academy, we're running Pulmogenetics – genetic testing for patients with rare lung diseases.
Dreams
2024. We make dreams come true: our kids are touring Poland by camper > see it here
Partnership
2024. We're a partner of the Medical Research Agency.
Growth
2023. We're expanding Pulmogenetics and rolling out testing for rare lung diseases.
Support
2023. We back the "Finding Life Within Life" coaching programme and provide psychological support for parents and carers of children with rare, congenital neurodevelopmental disorders (in cooperation with Agata Śliwowski and Beata Mrotek)
Care
2023. We organise a multidisciplinary care system for those in our charge, in cooperation with the Persevere Development Support Centre in Katowice.
PIGVolution
2022. Developing a model of a rare disease linked to disorders of the PIGV gene (PIGV-CDG), using a nematode, to understand its mechanism and identify possible avenues for therapy.
PIGVolution 🧬
Our research concerns a rare disease caused by mutations in the PIGV gene, one of the GPI-anchor synthesis disorders, a subgroup of congenital disorders of glycosylation. Although we focus mainly on PIGV mutations, the project opens the door to discoveries that matter for the wider family of PIG genes too.
We've already made real progress, using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing to create C. elegans nematodes carrying the corresponding human mutation, which gave us a precise animal model of the PIGV mutation.
Early analyses have delivered promising results. The PIGV gene is strongly conserved through evolution between humans and nematodes, as are the disease-causing mutations seen in patients. Our team also brings deep experience in using C. elegans to study rare diseases, which strengthens the project's foundations further still.
Worth noting: this organism has a unique trait that makes it an unusually convenient research model – every individual of the species shares the same genetic variant, something rare even on a global scale.
Standing with us every day
