معرفی
Mary A. Markiewicz, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) and a member of the University of Kansas Cancer Center. She serves as Scientific Director of the University of Kansas Flow Cytometry Core since 2017, providing critical infrastructure for immunological research across the institution.
Her educational background includes:
- BS in Microbiology from The Ohio State University
- PhD in Immunology from the University of Chicago
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at Loyola University
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine
Dr. Markiewicz is a cellular immunologist specializing in the NKG2D immune receptor system. Her research focuses on dual pathways: NKG2D signaling in autoimmune diabetes (particularly type 1 diabetes) where she demonstrated pancreatic NKG2D signaling enhances protective CD8+ central memory T cell generation, and NKG2D's role in tumor immunity where she investigates ligand expression on immune cells. Her work bridges fundamental immunological mechanisms with therapeutic applications for diabetes and cancer immunotherapy.
Analysis of her recent publications (2022-2025) reveals concentrated translational efforts in three areas: engineering regulatory T cells for autoimmune diabetes treatment, progesterone-mediated immune evasion in breast cancer (with implications for hormone-responsive tumors), and MK2/STING pathway interactions in head and neck cancer. Her work consistently explores how immune receptor systems can be harnessed for novel therapeutic strategies.
Her scientific awards include:
- American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
- American Diabetes Association Junior Faculty Award
Dr. Markiewicz maintains active grant funding from the Department of Defense, The Beatson Foundation, The University of Kansas Diabetes Institute, the V Foundation, and the University of Kansas Cancer Center. These support her dual research programs in diabetes and cancer immunology. As Flow Cytometry Core Director, she oversees a high-parameter immune cell analysis facility serving over 50 research groups, integrating advanced cytometry with translational immunology projects.
