Janiszewska Lab
Our goal is to identify mechanisms behind cellular diversity in highly heterogeneous brain tumors and use our knowledge to develop new ways to target these malignancies.
Brain Tumor Research in the Janiszewska Lab
Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the deadliest primary brain cancer, with a 5-years survival rate of only 6.8%
Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of patient specimens revealed that each GBM tumor contains multiple co-existing subpopulations of cells with distinct phenotypes, ranging from neuronal to glial progenitor-like, whose collective function fuels the disease. Yet, how these heterogenous subpopulations interact with each other and drive the aggressive behavior of the tumor remains largely unknown.
The histological hallmarks of GBM, necroses and microvascular proliferation, can appear in close proximity within a single tumor biopsy. These features constitute markedly distinct microenvironments with regards to oxygen and nutrients availability, thereby exerting different selective pressures on GBM cells. Nonetheless, the interactions between GBM subpopulations and their tumor microenvironment remain poorly understood. Our research aims to elucidate these interdependencies and leverage this knowledge to disrupt the GBM cancer ecosystem.
Open Positions
Postdoc Positions
Graduate Students
Students can inquire about rotations in the Janiszewska Lab by emailing Dr. Janiszewska at [email protected].
Research Team
Michalina Janiszewska, PhD
Michalina Janiszewska, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. She leads brain tumor research to exploit cellular diversity and interactions between the cancer cells and the cells of the tumor microenvironment to develop more effective treatment for glioblastoma.
Before moving to CU Anschutz, Dr. Janiszewska was an assistant professor at the Scripps Research Institute, FL campus (currently The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute). She completed her bachelor's degree in biotechnology and master's degree in medical biotechnology at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. She then completed her PhD in life sciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and postdoctoral training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School, where she also held an instructor of medicine position.