معرفی
Connie Krawczyk, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Van Andel Institute, leading research into the interplay between metabolism, epigenetics, and immune function. She investigates how metabolic pathways and epigenetic modifications regulate dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells in health and disease, with a focus on cancer, infections, autoimmunity, and neuroinflammation. Her work explores how immune cells adapt metabolically during activation and how these processes impact immune responses.
Education & Career: Earned a B.S. in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Guelph, followed by a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Toronto. Postdoctoral training included studies with Drs. Hao Shen and Edward Pearce at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining VAI in 2018, she held roles at Merck Frosst and McGill University.
Research Focus:
- Epigenetic and metabolic regulation of DC heterogeneity and function
- Role of KDM5C in immune cell programming and bone metabolism
- CD8+ T cell metabolism in anti-tumor immunity
Key Achievements:
- Discovered metabolic dependencies of DC migration and inflammatory responses
- Defined KDM5C’s dual role in repressing inflammation while promoting mitochondrial function
- Identified novel targets for osteoporosis treatment via osteoclast metabolism
Labs & Teams: Krawczyk Laboratory at VAI, collaborating with researchers like Tao Yang (osteoclast studies) and Russell Jones (metabolic profiling).
