Biology/Biochemistry/Cell Biology and A&P - experiemced college Professor with extensive experience in teaching kids, youths, and adults.

Jolanta's resume

Summary of Qualifications
• Proven track record of establishing independent research program
• Extensive experience in biomedical research and applications
• Broad knowledge and experience to effectively teach life science and healthcare related courses, advise and mentor students from diverse background

Education
University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY
Postdoctoral Research Associate 2006 – 2013

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
Ph.D. (Cum Laude) Biochemistry 2006

Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań, Poland
M.S., Molecular Biology 2000

Teaching Experience:
Alfred University Alfred, NY
2013-present
• Recruited as an Assistant Professor of Biology (tenure track)
• Assisted in curriculum design for College of Liberal Arts and Science (CLAS)
• Developed and instructed the lecture and laboratory section for courses taught
• Adapted different, student-oriented teaching style to students’ learning abilities
• Designed, built and upgraded laboratory set-ups for students’ research projects
• Advised, trained and facilitated students to formulate hypothesis, conduct research, critically evaluate data, and publicized the results
• Mentored more than 15 students in their on-going career
• Supervised, directed, and served as the Chairman of Honor Thesis Committee for the students’ research projects:
-“Glycolysis as a mechanism for maintaining cancer environment in a reduced state”
-“Review of nuclear medicine”
-“The effects of the drug α- cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (CHC) on Granta cell survival”
- “Glycolysis in C2C12 myoblastic cells”
- “The effects of classical music on dairy cattle”
• Course taught: Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, Research Topics, Independent Studies, Immunology, Cell Biology, Structure and Function of Organisms, Junior Seminar, Senior Seminar

St. Stanislaus Church Rochester, NY
2011-present
• Volunteered as a polish language tutor for Polish School
• Designed and performed the language course for children born in polish families, who do not speak polish language
• Assisted, contributed, and supported the polish heritage values


Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
2012-2013
• Recruited as an Adjunct Professor of Biology
• Directed biology laboratory sections for General Biology (I, II, III)
• Accounted for grading laboratory assignments
• Prepared, effectively delivered and conducted pre-lab discussions
• Constructed office hours in various locations on Campus
• Consulted and mentored students
Academic mentors: Gary Skuse Ph.D., and Anne Houtman, D.Phil.

University of Rochester Rochester, NY
2011-2013
• Volunteered as a Tutor for Science Ambassador’s Program at Life Science Learning Center
• Moderated and performed hands-on laboratory activities for primary and secondary education students in Greater Rochester Area
• Executed student-centered methods to boost science literacy and increase the enthusiasm towards learning science
Mentors: Diana Markovitz Ph.D., and Michael DuPre M.A.T.

Research Experience:
Alfred University Alfred, NY
2013-present
• Opened independent research on cancer metabolism, bioenergetics, and cell signaling with the involvement of undergraduate students
• Established new effective cross-functional collaborations with Dr. Michelle Kiebala (University of Rochester, Rochester NY) and Dr. Halina Krzyżanowska (Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN) on cancer metabolism and malignancy detection methods
• Wrote as a PI grants for:
- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER): Glycolytic Control of Differentiation via Regulation of Surface Redox State (NSF, not funded)
- Polonez II: Glycolysis as a Mechanism for Controlling Reducing Extracellular Environment of Malignant Cells (National Science Center, pending)

University of Rochester Rochester, NY
2006-2013
• Established and developed first, novel, goal-oriented methods for targeting malignant cells, which discriminate the surface proteins’ redox state
• Invented, designed, supported and executed complex studies leading to discovery of unknown properties of chemotherapeutic drugs: auranofin, parthenolide, imexon, and CDDO
• Executed studies using pre-clinical models for large cell lymphoma
• Participated in projects:
- “Triterpenoids as a novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma”
- “Rituximab elicitation of tumor specific T-cell responses in follicular lymphoma patients”
- “Redox dependent therapeutic strategies for the treatment of lymphoma”

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
2000-2006
• Worked on the project: “Interaction of potassium channel effectors’ with skeletal muscle mitochondria”
Supervisor and Mentor: Adam Szewczyk, Ph.D., expert in intracellular ion channels

University of Bonn Bonn, Germany
2004
• Worked on the project:” Potassium ions transport and muscle mitochondria – the basis for cell protection by potassium channel openers (KCO)”
Supervisor and Mentor: Wolfram Kunz, Ph.D.; expert in potassium channels physiology

University of Padua Padua, Italy
2003 and 2005
• Worked on the project: “Functional coupling between mitochondrial potassium channels and permeability transition pore in mouse skeletal muscle mitochondria”
Supervisor and Mentor: Paolo Bernardi, MD.; expert in mitochondrial bioenergetics

Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań, Poland
1995-2000
• Worked on the project: “Purification of ribosomal protein p30 from Lupinus luteus in E. coli system”
Supervisor and Mentor: Jan Barciszewski, Ph.D.; expert in RNA(s)- protein(s) interactions

Skills
• Developed methods for oncology drug discovery, target identification, and drug delivery
• Engineered assays for cellular physiology measurements (respiratory rate with oxygen electrodes, polarographic oxygen sensors, spectrophotometers UV and Vis)
• Implemented cell imaging techniques including epi-fluorescence, confocal laser scanning microscopy, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry in various assays
• Achieved strong technical background in molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry techniques (Flow Cytometry, DNA purification, DNA quantification, PCR/qPCR, enzymatic assays, molecular cloning, proteomics methods, PAGE gels and 2D gels, Western Blot, ELISA etc.)
• Maintained mammalian cell culture and laboratory animals colonies (mice and rats)
• Trained at aseptic environment and handling biohazard specimens
• Operated “Mycourse”, “Black Board”, and “Canvas” communication tool
• Proficient in PowerPoint, Excels, Word, Graph Pad, Corel, and Photoshop programs

Awards and Honors
• Theleton research fellowship Italy,
2009
• BRAINS training fellowship Bonn, Germany
2004
• FEBS research fellowship Mądralin, Poland
2003
• Winner of Bolesław Skarżyński Competition: Warsaw, Poland
The best article published in Postępy Biochemii 2007

• Winner of Włodzimierz Mozołowski Competition:
The best oral presentation Kiev, The Ukraine, 2005


Professional Memberships
• Fellow: American Physiological Society 2013-present
• Referee of Biochemical Pharmacology (BCP) 2010-present

Presentations
• Skalska J., Cecala C. (2015): Glycolysis in cancer cells. Poster Session presented at Keystone Symposia Conference: Integrating Metabolism and Tumor Biology Vancouver, Canada, 2015

• Cecala C., Skalska J. (2013): Glycolysis as a mechanism for maintaining cancer environment in reduced state. Poster Session presented at 40th Annual Fall Scientific Paper Session Rochester Academy Of Sciences Rochester, NY, 2013

• Skalska J., Kiebala M., Brookes P., Hilchey S., Briehl M., Maggirwar S., Bernstein S (2009): The effect of auranofin on lymphoma cells: mechanism of action. Poster Session presented at 51st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting New Orleans, LA, 2009

• Skalska J., Hilchey S, Jordan C., Bernstein S. (2009): Modulation of cell surface protein thiols: a mechanism of action of sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide. Poster Session presented at ACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Metabolism and Cancer La Jolla, California, 2009


Publications
1. Skalska J.: (in press) “Thiredoxin-1 PEGylation and an in vitro method for drug target identification”. Redox Mediates Signaling Transduction: Methods and Protocols, Humana (new edition edited by Prof. Myra Conway and Prof. John Hancock)
2. Kiebala M., Skalska J., Casulo C., Brookes P., Peterson D., Hilchey S., Dai Y., Grant S., Sanjay B. Maggirwar S., Bernstein S. (2015) Dual targeting of the thioredoxin and glutathione anti-oxidant systems in malignant B-cell: a novel synergistic therapeutic approach. Exp Hematol. 43: 89-99
3. Bernstein S., Venkatesh S., Li M., Lee J., Lu B., Hilchey S.P., Morse K.M., Metcalfe H.M.,
Skalska J., Andreeff M., Brookes P.S., Suzuki C.K. (2012) The mitochondrial ATP-dependent Lon protease: a novel target in lymphoma death mediated by the synthetic triterpenoid CDDO and its derivatives. Blood 119 (14): 3321-9
4. Skalska J., Bernstein S., Brookes P. (2010) Measurements of extracellular (exofacial) versus intracellular thiols. Methods Enzymol 474: 149-64
5. Dębska-Vielhaber G., Godlewski M.M., Kicińska A., Skalska J., Kulawiak B., Piwońska M., Zabłocki K., Kunz W.S., Szewczyk A., Motyl T. (2009) Large-conductance K+ channel openers induce death of human glioma cells. J Physiology Pharmacol: 60(4): 27-36
6. Skalska J., Brookes P.S., Nadtochiy S.M., Hilchey S.P., Jordan C.T., Guzman M.L., Briehl M.M., Maggirwar S.B. and Bernstein S.H. (2009) Modulation of cell surface protein free thiols: a potent novel mechanism of action of sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide. PloS One: 4(12) e8115
7. Ingraham C.A., Burwell L.S., Skalska J., Brookes P.S., Howell R.L., Sheu SS., Pinkert C.A. (2009) NDUFS4: Creation of a mouse model mimicking a complex I disorder. Mitochondrion 9: 204-210
8. Skalska J., Bednarczyk P., Piwońska M., Kulawiak B., Wilczyński G., Dolowy K., Kudin A.P., Kunz W., Szewczyk A. (2009) Calcium ions regulate K+ uptake into brain mitochondria: the evidence for a novel potassium channel. Int J Mol Sci 3:1104-1120
9. Feissner R.F., Skalska J., Gaum W.E., Sheu SS (2009) Crosstalk signaling between mitochondrial Ca2+ and ROS. Front Biosci 14: 1197-218
10. Skalska J., Piwońska M., Wyroba E., Surmacz L., Wieczorek R., Koszela-Piotrowska I., Bednarczyk P., Dolowy K., Wilczyński G.M, Szewczyk A., Kunz W.S. (2008) A novel potassium channel in skeletal muscle mitochondria. Biochim Biophys Acta 7-8: 651-9
11. Szewczyk A., Skalska J., Głąb M., Kulawiak B., Malińska D., Koszela-Piotrowska I., Kunz WS. (2006) Mitochondrial potassium channels: from pharmacology to function. Biochim. Biophys Acta 1757(5-6):715-20
12. Skalska J., Dębska-Vielhaber G., Głąb M., Kulawiak B., Malińska D., Koszela-Piotrowska I., Bednarczyk P., Dolowy K., Szewczyk A. (2006) Mitochondrial ion channels. Postępy Biochem 52: 137-44
13. Skalska J., Dębska G., Kunz W.S., Szewczyk A., (2005) Antidiabetic sulfonylureas activate mitochondrial permeability transition in rat skeletal muscle. British Journal of Pharmacology 145: 785-791
14. Kicińska A., Skalska J. and Szewczyk A., (2004) Mitochondria and big – conductance potassium channel openers. Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods 14:63 - 65
15. Dębska G., Kicińska A., Dobrucki J., Dworakowska B., Nurowska E., Skalska J., Dolowy K., Szewczyk A. (2003) Large-conductance K+ openners NS1619 and NS004 as inhibitors of mitochondrial function in glioma cells. Biochemical Pharmacology 65: 1827 – 1834
16. Dębska G., Kicińska A., Skalska J., Szewczyk A., May R., Elger C., Kunz W. S. (2002) Opening of potassium channels modulates mitochondrial function in rat skeletal muscle. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1556: 97 – 105.
17. Dębska G., Kicińska A., Skalska J., Berest V., Szewczyk A. (2002) Mitochondrial Ion Channels. Postepy Higieny Medycyny Doswiadczalnej 56: 315 – 321
18. Dębska G., Kicińska A., Skalska J. and Szewczyk A. (2001) Intracellular potassium and chloride channels: An update. Acta Biochimica Polonica 48: 137 – 144

Interests and Hobbies
• Languages: Italian German, and Russian
• Latin music and culture
• Sports: swimming, skating and biking