prof. dr hab. Jacek Kuźnicki

prof. dr hab. Jacek Kuźnicki

• International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw
• Laboratory of Neurodegeneration

 

In 1976, graduated from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Warsaw. In 1980, he was awarded doctorate in biochemistry from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, under the supervision of Professor Witold Drabikowski. Completed a post-doc fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, USA (1981-1984). In 1987, he became an assistant professor (doctor habilitowany) and in 1993, professor. He has made several visits abroad as a visiting professor, e.g. to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda between 1992 and 1995 and in 2018, Leiden University in 2014 and University of Cambridge in 2015. Since 2001, Head of the Laboratory of Neurodegeneration at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. Between 2001 and 2018, Director of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. Between 1999 and 2001, organiser and Director of the Polish Centenarians Program PolStu1999. Between 1996 and 2002, Head of the Laboratory of Calcium Binding Proteins at the Nencki Institute and between 2002 and 2014, professor at the Laboratory of Calcium Binding Proteins at the Nencki Institute. Since 2004, corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.   

His research interests are focused on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases and on mice and zebrafish models for those diseases, calcium dyshomeostasis and the role of STIM proteins in store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in neurons. Together with his team, he has described and explained, inter alia, the new role of beta-catenin as an activator of Cacna1G gene transcription and the mechanism of its accumulation in thalamic neurons, characterized calmyrins and Sgt1 protein, discovered CacyBP/SIP protein and calcyclin and identified the new mutations in presenilins that cause familial Alzheimer’s disease.

Winner of many awards and prizes, such as the Crystal Brussels Prize for outstanding FP7 achievements in the individual category (2013), Officer’s and Knight’s Crosses of Polonia Restituta (2008 and 1998), Professorial Subsidy Program Award from the Foundation for Polish Science (2004-2007), Prime Minister’s Award for Scientific Achievements (2003) and Mozołowski Award for Outstanding Young Biochemists from the Polish Biochemical Society (1977).

Member of many organizations and societies in Poland and abroad, such as the International Advisory Board of the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology at the Jagiellonian University (since 2016), COST Action BM1406 Management Committee (since 2014), International Expert Council of the Research and Education Centre in Ukraine (since 2011), Scientific Policy Committee at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (between 2011 and 2014) (rotating president between 07.2012 and 12.2012), Society for Neuroscience (since 2010), Board of the European Calcium Society (since 2008), Prime Minister Award Committee (between 2007 and 2009), EC Health Advisory Group for FP7 in Brussels (between 2006 and 2011), Polish Neuroscience Society (since 1991), Polish Biochemical Society (since 1977) (General Secretary between 1989 and 1991); honorary Head of the Program Board at the Centre for Innovative Bioscience Education (BioCEN) and founding member of the Board of the BioEducation Foundation.

Leader of many national and international research projects, such as the National Science Centre (MAESTRO, OPUS), FP7: FishMed, HEALTH-PROT, COMBIOM, ERA-NET NEURON - NeuConnect, ERA-NET RUS - TargetSOCE, FP6: PROMEMORIA, APOPIS, FP5: Director at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biomedicine. Co-author of over 120 publications available in the Web of Science database and over 3500 citations, with the H-index of 37.

Co-author of 3 patents and 1 patent application. Supervised 14 successful doctoral dissertations.