Iwona Ciechomska PhD
Biography:
Graduated in 1996 from the University of Maria Curie Sklodowska in Lublin and postgraduated (1997) from Technical University of Lublin, Poland. In 1997-1999 did research training in Laboratory of Muscle Adaptation at the Nencki Institute in Poland and at the Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova in Italy. Did PhD in Molecular Biology (2004) in Laboratory of Transcription Regulation under the supervision of Prof. Bozena Kaminska at the Nencki Institute. Following with postdoctoral training in Laboratory of Human Immunogenetics, INSERM Unit 396 in Paris (2004) and in 2005-2007 at the University of Cambridge, UK (Dr Aviva Tolkovsky’s group). From 2007 she is an Assistant Professor at Nencki Institute. In 2012 was a visiting scientist at the Brain Repair Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK.
Research Interest:
Her current project focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for chemoresistance of glioma cells and the role of autophagy and epigenetic mechanisms in glioma pathogenesis.
Professional Activities:
2013-2015 - supervision of Master's thesis, Judyta Jackl „The effect of selected histone modifying enzyme inhibitors on glioma stem-like cells”
2012, 2014 - co-organizer “Brain Tumors: from biology to therapy” conference in Warsaw.
Since 2004 member of the Polish Biochemical Society.
Awards:
2014- Award of Polish Academy of Sciences for co-author of a set of publications entitled: The discovery of a key mechanisms for pathobiology and glioma therapy.
2014 - Award of Foundation L’OREAL For Women in Science (national fellowship).
2008 - Award of Polish Academy of Sciences for co-author of a set of publications entitled: Molecular mechanisms of invasiveness and tumorigenicity of glioblastoma cells.
2003 - Award of Polish Academy of Sciences for co-author of a set of publications entitled: Molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death induced by cyclosporin A.
Fellowships, research grants:
2012-2015 - research grant of National Science Centre “Role of autophagy in chemoresistance of glioblastoma stem-like cells”, grant No. 2011/03/B/NZ3/04453, principal investigator
2012, BioImage fellowship for laboratory training in Brain Repair Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
2011-2012 - project R&D of The National Centre for Research and Development, “Development of original polish anti-cancer drug with mechanism of action – preclinical studies”, grant No. NR13-0133-10/2011, investigator
2009-2010 - research grant of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, “Role of mTOR pathway in the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis of malignant glioma cells”, grant No. N N301 092036, principal investigator
2005-2007 - research grant of Wellcome Trust, grant No. 064232, investigator
2004 - FEBS fellowship for laboratory training in INSERM U396, Centre de Recherches Biomedicales des Cordeliers, Paris
2003-2006 - Polish-German solicited project “Microglia-glioma interactins and role in glioma pathogenesis” grant No. PBZ-MIN-001/P05/2002/10, investigator
2002-2003 - research grant of Nencki Institute – local grant for scientist, “Role of PI3K/Akt- Forkhead signalling pathway in the transcriptional regulation of FasL”, principal investigator
2001-2002 - research grant of Polish State Committee for Scientific Research “Transcriptional regulation of FasL during apoptosis of glioma cells”, grant for young scientist No. KBN 6 P04A 017 20, principal investigator
1998 - TEMPUS scholarship for laboratory training in Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
Numerous conference fellowships: BioImage fellowship from Nencki Institute, fellowship of ECDO (European Cell Death Organisation), fellowship of ESH (European School of Haematology), scholarship of DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), scholarship of Stefan Batory Foundation and Warsaw Scientific Society, scholarship of Foundation Experimental and Clinical Oncology and fellowship of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Publications (top 10)
Klionsky DJ et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition), Autophagy 2016, 12(1): 1-222.
Ciechomska IA, Gabrusiewicz K, Szczepankiewicz AA, Kaminska B, Endoplasmic reticulum stress triggers autophagy in malignant glioma cells undergoing cyclosporine A-induced cell death, Oncogene, 2013, 32(12): 1518-29.
Ciechomska IA, Kaminska B, ER stress and autophagy contribute to CsA-induced death of malignant glioma cells, Autophagy, 2012, 8(10): 1526-8
Ciechomska IA, Goemans CG, Tolkovsky AM, Why doesn’t Beclin 1, a BH3-only protein, suppress the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-2? Autophagy, 2009, 5(6): 880-1
Ciechomska IA, Goemans CG, Skepper JN, Tolkovsky AM, Bcl-2 complexed with Beclin-1 maintains full anti-apoptotic function, Oncogene, 2009, 28(21): 2128-41.
Ciechomska IA, Tolkovsky AM, Non-autophagic GFP-LC3 puncta induced by saponin and other detergents, Autophagy, 2007, 3(6): 586-90.
Ciechomska I, Legat M, Golab J, Wesolowska A, Kurzaj Z, Mackiewicz, A, Kamińska B, Cyclosporine A and its nonimmunosuppressive derivative NIM811 induce apoptosis of malignant melanoma cells – in vitro and in vivo studies, Int J Cancer, 2005, 117(1): 59-67.
Ciechomska I, Pyrzynska B, Kazmierczak P, Kaminska B, Inhibition of Akt kinase signalling and activation of Forkhead are indispensable for upregulation of FasL expression in apoptosis of glioma cells, Oncogene, 2003, 22(48): 7617-27.
Biral D, Jakubiec-Puka A, Ciechomska I, Sandri M, Rossini K, Carraro U, Betto R, Loss of dystrophin and some dystrophin-associated proteins with concomitant signs of apoptosis in rat leg muscle overworked in extension, Acta Neuropathol, 2000, 100(6): 618-26.
Kaminska B, Pyrzynska B, Ciechomska I, Wisniewska M, Modulation of the composition of AP-1 complex and its impact on transcriptional activity, Acta Neurobiol. Exp., 2000, 60(3): 395-402.