Izabela Zawiska

Dr. Izabela Zawiska is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences, specializing in paleolimnology with expertise in lake and peat bog ecosystems. Her research focuses on analyzing subfossil Cladocera to understand environmental changes recorded in biogenic sediments, with fieldwork spanning Poland, Scandinavia, and the Bolivian and Peruvian Altiplano.

• 1996-2003: Master's studies at University of Warsaw, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies (Thesis: "The state of the soil cover of Uroczysko Orłów - Krugłe Bagno and the expected consequences of flooding - Poleski National Park")
• 2005-2006: Postgraduate studies in Project Management at Warsaw School of Economics
• 2006-2011: Doctoral studies at Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PhD: "Changes in the natural environment in the late glacial and Holocene periods in the vicinity of Lake Łukie (Lublin Polesie)")

Dr. Zawiska's research centers on paleolimnological reconstruction using biological indicators, particularly Cladocera. She has conducted extensive studies on dystrophic lakes in northeastern Poland, examining their long-term ecological development. Her work integrates multiple proxies to reconstruct past environmental conditions and understand how freshwater ecosystems respond to both natural climate variability and human activities. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between lake morphology, productivity, and biological communities through detailed analysis of sediment records.

Her recent publications (2020-2025) reveal a sophisticated research trajectory focused on quantitative reconstruction methods for lake trophic states, anthropogenic impacts on freshwater ecosystems, and interdisciplinary approaches combining traditional paleolimnology with machine learning techniques. She has developed training sets for reconstructing past lake conditions using subfossil Cladocera and diatoms, and has examined how urbanization, water management practices, and climate variability affect lake ecosystems across different geographical regions.

No specific scientific awards were mentioned in the available information.

Dr. Zawiska has been actively involved in numerous research projects, particularly those related to ecosystem services, lake dynamics, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. She has collaborated extensively with researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences and international institutions across Europe and the Americas. Her project portfolio includes research on riparian forests along the Vistula River, lake ecosystem responses to climate change, and the development of methods for reconstructing past environmental conditions using biological indicators.

She works within the Department of Dynamics of Past Landscapes at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, participating in several international research networks including INQUA (International Union for Quaternary Research) and collaborating with researchers studying the INTIMATE (Integration of ice-core, marine and terrestrial records for understanding climate change) project. Her interdisciplinary approach combines expertise in geology, biology, chemistry, and data science to address complex questions about past and present environmental changes.