Group Leader Joanna Zawacka, PhD, Associate Professor
Joanna Zawacka is an Associate Professor (Docent) in Medical Biotechnology, in the Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute and a Group Leader at the Medical University of Warsaw.
She completed her postdoctoral training in p53 tumor biology and targeted therapies in the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute (2005 – 2006).
In 2007, she was awarded Assistant Professor position at the University of Gdansk. In 2012 she was recruited to the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute as Assitant Professor and Principal Investigator.
about our lab
Our Research
Our goal is to identify effective, specific, and selective treatments for solid and hematological cancers with TP53 mutations that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice. Towards that goal, we use repurposed drugs shown to reactivate p53 protein family members, compounds reactivating mutant p53 and the standard of care as well as unique pre-clinical models which include primary human cancer cells and humanized mouse models.
Using an interdisciplinary approach we strive to understand the mechanisms by which p53 exerts its tumor suppression function and affects longevity by applying cutting-edge biophysical, biochemical, bioinformatics, and deep learning methods. We hope, in the future, this knowledge could be translated for improved cancer therapy and to modulate physiological aging in humans.
Team MembersDr Malihe Behzadi, postdoc
Dr Qurat Ul Ain Fateh, postdoc
Dr Hanna Krynska, postdoc
Former Team Members
Bahareh Haeri, PhD student
Matilde Fregni, Erasmus student
Dr Pilar Acedo, postdoc (2014-2015)
Alicja Sznarkowska, visiting PhD student (2009 - 2015)
Anna Kostecka, visiting PhD student (2010 - 2015)
Malihe Behzadi received her PhD degree from the Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry University of Teheran in 2021. Her dissertation was on the development and evaluation of anticancer peptides that induce necroptosis and autophagy in lung cancer cells. Her research was published in the prestigouse journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
Since joining the Dr Zawacka's Lab in December 2023, she has been focusing on elucidating the mechanisms driving the reactivation of p53 pathway by pharmacological agents in lung cancer. Her work will investigate the therapeutic potential of these drugs in treating cancers with mutant p53 and will help to identify novel synthetic lethal interactions for improved cancer therapy .
Qurat Ul Ain Fateh is a Technical and Scientific Specialist-Postdoc at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. She received her PhD degree in Chemistry (2019) from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Pakistan and she performed part of her PhD research as a visiting researcher (2018) at MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston TX, USA.
She worked there on Biogenic nano-silver derivatives synthesis and evaluated their anticancer potential alone and combined with DNA-damaging drugs on different human cancer cell lines. She was an Assistant professor at G.C University Faisalabad (GCUF).
She joined Joanna Zawacka-Pankau Lab to identify effective, specific, and selective treatments for NSCLC with TP53 mutation by using repurposed drugs to reactivate p53 protein family members and translate them into clinical practice.
FundingCathrine Everts Forskningsstiftelse 2021;Åke Wibergs stiftelse;National Science Centre, Poland (research grant OPUS 20)
CollaborationProf. Klas Wiman, Karolinska InstitutetProf. Elsa Flores, Moffitt Cancer CenterProf. Patrick Micke, Uppsala University Prof. Katalin Dobra, Karolinska InstituteDr. Andrey Alexeyenko, EviStatDr. Pan Pantziarka, Anticancer FundDr. Gauthier Bouche, Anticancer Fund
CollaborationProf. Klas Wiman, Karolinska InstitutetProf. Elsa Flores, Moffitt Cancer CenterProf. Patrick Micke, Uppsala University Prof. Katalin Dobra, Karolinska InstituteDr. Andrey Alexeyenko, EviStatDr. Pan Pantziarka, Anticancer FundDr. Gauthier Bouche, Anticancer Fund