Tanja Dominko

Tanja Dominko is a Professor of Surgery/Transplantation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and serves as Faculty Director of the Center for Biomedical Swine Research and Innovation. Her work focuses on understanding fibroblast behavior in wound healing, regenerative medicine, and xenotransplantation using swine models. She holds a DVM from the University of Ljubljana School of Veterinary Medicine, an MS in Reproduction and Obstetrics, and a PhD in Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of oxygen and growth factor signaling in fibroblasts, extracellular matrix roles in cell fate, and 3D tissue engineering. Her lab develops therapies for functional tissue regeneration and explores xenotransplantation using gene-edited swine models.

Recent Work: Recent studies include anti-fibrotic properties of artemisinin derivatives, decellularization techniques for food production, and fibroblast regulation via tryptophan metabolites. These contributions advance translational medicine and regenerative approaches.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Dominko Lab and oversees the Center for Biomedical Swine Research and Innovation, collaborating on humanized swine models for organ transplantation.