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Paulina Jedynak

0000-0002-9525-8308

Post-doctoral researcher (Neurosciences not elsewhere classified)

Barcelona

Research Interests As biotechnologist and neuroscientist, my research interests include biology of the nervous system in health and disease, psychiatric disorders, and more recently neurotoxicology and biomedical research. Specifically I am interested in genetic and molecular bases of behavior impairment caused by external conditions affecting the nervous system, such as chronic stress or long-term drug administration. I also investigate potential factors that could help to prevent or treat the nervous system injury caused by these conditions. Past and Current Research During my PhD I studied the role of neurogenesis in the adult brain using cyclin D2 KO mice showing almost complete lack of adult neurogenesis. Using this model I tested the major hypotheses in the field, namely its role in depression and action of anti-depressant drug fluoxetine. As a side project I also studied the importance of newborn neurons in learning and memory process. Interestingly, our mice were found to be normal in regard to both of the behavioral phenotypes. On the other hand I have discovered another defective phenotype in those animals, i.e., deficiency in species specific and hippocampal-dependent behaviors. At present, the importance of adult neurogenesis is still vigorously discussed among researchers and I believe that the results I published so far will add an important piece of knowledge to the field. My current research in Prof. Jordi Llorens’ Neurotoxicology Lab aims to understand the mechanisms behind the events taking place during the vestibular damage and repair in chronic ototoxicity. These phenomena are largely unknown but are of the great interest in prophylactic, therapeutic and basic points of view, as impaired function of the vestibular system causes disequilibrium and vertigo. In humans, apart from aging, one of its causes is the toxicity of some pharmaceuticals, including aminoglycoside antibiotics, antimalarial drugs such as mefloquine, and the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. The main goal of my project is to establish the relationship between behavioral, ultrastructural and molecular changes during chronic ototoxicity and recovery using the IDPN (3,3’-iminodipropionitrile) model of ototoxicity in the rat. The candidate factors are calpains, known mediators of excitotoxic stress and BDNF /TrkB /PLCgamma /TRPC3, a signalling pathway required for growth of the afferents of the vestibular system during development. We hypothesize that calpain activation mediates afferent damage and that reactivation of BDNF signalling drives afferent repair. In my work I use behavioral, cell and molecular biology techniques followed by confocal imaging. Future Research and Goals I would like to combine previously gained skills in molecular biology with my knowledge gathered in the field of neurobiology to perform a study focused on the development of new therapeutic approaches for prevention and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Joining a group conducting a translational research would broaden my understanding of highly relevant neurological diseases and direct my career to disease modeling. Ideally, I would like to work on the project that spans from molecular to behavioral level in order to reinforce my present skills and permit a complete independent expertise. My strong background in molecular biology, distinct imaging techniques as well as past extensive training in behavioral methods will be the basis for quick learning of the new complementing techniques what will result in a good position to develop new lines of research in the future.

Publications

  • Jedynak P, Jaholkowski P, Wozniak G, Sandi C, Kaczmarek L, Filipkowski RK (2012) Lack of cyclin D2 impairing adult brain neurogenesis alters hippocampal-dependent behavioral tasks without reducing learning ability. Behav Brain Res 227(1), 159-66.
  • Jedynak P, Kos T, Sandi C, Filipkowski RK, Kaczmarek L (re-submitted) Mice with ablated adult brain neurogenesis are not impaired in anti-depressant response to chronic fluoxetine.
  • Jedynak P, Sandi C, Filipkowski RK, Kaczmarek L (manuscript in preparation) Cyclin D2 knockout mice showing lack of adult brain neurogenesis display emotional disturbances and altered reaction to stress.
  • Jaholkowski P, Kiryk A, Jedynak P, Ben Abdallah NM, Knapska E, Kowalczyk A, Piechal A, Blecharz-Klin K, Figiel I, Lioudyno V, Widy-Tyszkiewicz E, Wilczynski GM, Lipp HP, Kaczmarek L, Filipkowski RK (2009) New hippocampal neurons are not obligatory for memory formation; cyclin D2 knock-out mice with no adult brain neurogenesis show learning. Learn Mem 16(7), 439-51.
  • Godlewski MM, Slazak P, Zabielski R, Piastowska A, Gralak MA (2006) Quantitative study of soybean-induced changes in proliferation and programmed cell death in the intestinal mucosa of young rats. J Physiol Pharmacol 57, 125-33.
  • Godlewski MM, Turowska A, Jedynak P, Martinez Puig D, Nevalainen H (2009) Quantitative analysis of fluorescent image – from descriptive to computational microscopy. In Fluorescence applications in biotechnology and life sciences (Goldys E, ed), 99-116. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Godlewski MM, Slazak P, Hallay N, Skrzypek T (2007) Remodeling of the gastrointestinal tract epithelium in the early postnatal period [article in Polish]. In Modulation of the gastrointestinal tract development in newborn mammals (Zabielski R, ed), pp 85-99. Polish National Publisher for Agriculture and Forestry.
  • Jedynak P, Jahołkowski P, Filipkowski RK (2007) Adult neurogenesis and depression [review in Polish]. Neuropsych Neuropsychology 2(2), 57-65.

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