Anna Zolkiewska

Dr. Anna Zolkiewska is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at Kansas State University where she serves as an Undergraduate Advisor. Her research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), with particular emphasis on tumor-initiating cells and the tumor microenvironment. She maintains active research collaborations through the Johnson Cancer Research Center and has been featured in their Conquest magazine publications in both 2012 and 2021.

Education:

• M.S. (1984), University of Warsaw, Poland
• Ph.D. (1988), Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland

Dr. Zolkiewska's research centers on the molecular mechanisms responsible for immunosuppression in triple-negative breast cancer. Her laboratory investigates how cell surface metalloproteases from the ADAM family, particularly ADAM12, contribute to the assembly of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in TNBC. She employs multi-disciplinary approaches spanning biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and mouse models of human TNBC to discover mechanisms controlling immune cell infiltration into breast tumors. A significant portion of her work focuses on breast tumor-initiating cells (BTICs), which are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy and are believed to drive tumor recurrence and metastasis.

Analysis of Dr. Zolkiewska's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on ADAM proteases, particularly ADAM12, and their role in breast cancer progression. Her work demonstrates how these metalloproteases influence cancer stem cell phenotypes, immune evasion mechanisms, and response to immunotherapies. A notable trend in her recent work is the exploration of ADAM12's role in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment and improving response to checkpoint blockade therapy, representing a shift toward more translational cancer immunology research.

Scientific Recognition:

• Featured in Johnson Cancer Research Center's Conquest magazine (2012)
• Featured in Johnson Cancer Research Center's Conquest magazine (2021)

As an active researcher and educator, Dr. Zolkiewska serves as an Undergraduate Advisor while maintaining a productive research program. Her laboratory has received research funding through various mechanisms including the Johnson Cancer Research Center's Innovative Research Awards and other cancer research funding opportunities at Kansas State University. Dr. Zolkiewska's work bridges basic molecular mechanisms with potential clinical applications, particularly in improving immunotherapy responses for triple-negative breast cancer patients.

Her research team employs sophisticated biochemical, molecular, and cellular approaches to investigate cancer mechanisms, with recent work increasingly incorporating immunological perspectives and mouse models of human disease. This multi-faceted approach allows her laboratory to address complex questions about tumor biology from multiple angles.