Scientist

Completing a bachelor’s in biology at the University of Silesia gave me a wide knowledge with a focus on animal embryonal development, which paved my way towards stem cell research. My passion to work with induced pluripotent stem cells lead me to complete a Master’s in Biotechnology at the Jagiellonian University – the first place in Poland where it was possible. My Master’s thesis on the influence of heme oxygenase-1 on cell reprogramming required me to do an extensive part of the research individually and has prepared me for the demands of laboratory work. Later I gain experience with human cell reprogramming using Sendai vectors during my work in polish leading biotechnology company Celther. As a Ph.D. student at the Department of Stem Cell Applications at the University of Leipzig, I had an opportunity to study non-coding RNA profiles in iPSCs-derived hepatocytes. I generated iPSCsc line wich is registered in Human pluripotent stem cell registry as ULEIi001-A. I have become increasingly interested in bioinformatic analysis of gene expression and have been primed with those methods in my lab work. Furthermore, my international background and work experience in different laboratories has rendered me an adaptable and competent co-worker and communicator. Most recently I have been working as a postdoctoral researcher in The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences where I was developing a model to study dementia using stem cells differentiated into cerebral organoids. My first postdoctoral position was in RegMed XB project in Einthoven Laboratory at Leiden University Medical Center where I differentiated pluripotent stem cells into pancreatic beta cells. Additionally, I was a member of a clinical islet isolation team, so I am familiar with working in GMP conditions. I developed my experience also in the industry when I was working for Peace of Meat company. This innovative work give me the opportunity to be behind the start-up foundation. During Corona I decided to go back to Poland and work with brain organoids, which always were my big fascination. This postdoc position give me foundation to work on developing treatment for ALS and dementia. Then I followed my love which was based in Slovenia. I was lucky to get the opportunity to work in the Institute in Ljubljana. Here I am studying how O-Glc-NAcylation of proteins can influence their function in the context of TDP-43 proteinopathy.