Dr. Aleksandra Kolodziejczyk, the Head of Laboratory of Cellular Genomics at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), has become a laureate of the Polish Returns Programme of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). The awarded grant will support Dr. Kołodziejczyk in the establishment of her group at the IIMCB and it will allow her to develop a research project within grant’s dedicated component funded by the National Science Centre (NCN). Congratulations to Aleksandra!

About the project
The microorganisms in the gut, called microbiota, affect physiology through metabolites which they produce. The liver is the first organ reached by nutrients and other molecules from the intestine, making the liver particularly exposed to microbial metabolites. The balance between microbiota, intestine, and liver functions is vital for gastrointestinal health. In this project, dr. Kołodziejczyk aims to describe the role of the gut in the context of liver cirrhosis and to unravel underlying mechanisms.

About the NAWA Polish Returns Programme
The aim of the Polish Returns Programme is to allow prominent Polish scientists to return to their country and take up employment in Polish higher education institutions, scientific units or research institutes.