Ania Wronski.com

Recent Posts

Positions

Field Application Scientist: Cell Models         October 2016 - Present

Cell Biology Group - Life Sciences Solutions

Thermo Fisher Scientific

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I support the drug discovery, protein expression and some of the stem cell portfolio in North America by providing pre- and post- sale technical support to the sales force and our customers. [Watch this space - updating this section!]

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Education/Training

Postdoctoral Scholar                                           November 2012 - October 2016

Tufts University - Kuperwasser Laboratory, Boston MA, U.S.A. 

Raymond and Beverly Sackler Convergence Laboratory (RBSCL)

Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology (DMCB) at the School of Medicine, Tufts University. 

Molecular Oncology Research Institute, part of the Cancer Center at the Tufts Medical Center.

The main aim of my postdoctoral work identify how normal cells of the human breast transform and initiate tumorigenesis and progress into malignant breast tumors, particularly of the luminal subtype. I have established a new model system of in vitro luminal epithelial cells to better understand the cell plasticity and transitions of mature and progenitor luminal epithelial cells and how this may relate to tumorigenesis. 

 

 

PhD                                                                  February 2009 - October 2012
University of Queensland - Brown Laboratory, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
School of Chemical and Molecular Biology (SCMB) within the Faculty of Science.

I investigated the molecular mechanisms of Brca1 disruption in the mouse mammary gland and identified several factors that may underlie Brca1 associated defects within the murine mammary gland.

B.Sc (Honours Class I)                                    February 2005 - December 2008
University of Queensland - Brown Laboratory, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
School of Chemical and Molecular Biology (SCMB) within the Faculty of Science.
 

Positions and Honours

 

Positions:

2009 – 2013         Graduate Student

                                School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia

                                Advisor: Professor Melissa Brown, PhD       

                             Australian Postgraduate Award (Funded by Australian Government)

2008 – 2012         Laboratory Tutor

2011 – 2012         Head Laboratory Tutor

 

2013 – Present     Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology

                                Advisor: Assistant Professor Charlotte Kuperwasser, PhD  

                                Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA

Honors and Awards:

2007                     Deans Commendation for High Achievement

2007                     Biochemistry Alumni Award

2010 – 2012         Tutor Excellence Award

                                 Travel Bursary for Lorne Cancer Conference               

2010                     Faculty of Science Travel Award

                             Cancer Council of Queensland Travel Grant

Peoples’ Choice Award, Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology       (ASBMB) Best Oral Presentation and 3rd prize for oral presentation award at the 6th Annual School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Students’ Symposium

2011                     Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology Travel Bursary

 

Committee Service and membership:

2014 – Present     Chair of the Tufts Postdoctoral Association

                             Member of the Woman Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST).

2013 - Present      Committee member of the Tufts Postdoctoral Association

                             Member of the Tufts Postdoctoral Association Career Development Committee

2013 - Present      Member of the Association of Women in Science – Massachusetts chapter 

2010 - 2012          Travel Bursary for Lorne Cancer Conference

2011                     Gordon Conference on Mammary Gland Biology Travel Bursary

2011                     Member of School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Research Students Consultative Committee

2011                     Member of the organizing committee for the 7th Annual School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Research Students Symposium (responsible for coordinating finances including sponsorships).

 

Invited presentations/abstracts:

Poster Presentations:

2008                            “Analysis of differentially expression genes in the mammary glands of Brca1 conditional knockout mice” presented at Kathleen Cuningham Foundation Consortium for research into Familial Breast cancer (kConFab) Conference, 2008 and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences’ Postgraduate Symposium, 2008.

 

2010                            “Molecular consequences of Brca1 loss in the mouse mammary gland” presented at the 2010 Lorne Cancer Conference in Lorne, VIC, Australia and the 2010 UQ Postgraduate Biomedical Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

 

2011                            “Investigating the early molecular consequences of Brca1 loss in the mouse mammary gland” presented at the 2011 Lorne Cancer Conference in Lorne, VIC, Australia.

“Investigating the early molecular consequences of Brca1 loss in the mouse mammary gland” presented at the 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Mammary Gland Biology in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

2012                            “The role of microRNAs in the conditional Brca1 knockout mouse mammary gland” presented at the 2012 Lorne Cancer Conference in Lorne, VIC, Australia.

 

2014                            “Elucidating the role of TBX3 in mammary epithelial cells and tumorigenesis” presented at 2014 Gordon Research Seminar and Gordon Research Conference, Lucca, Italy. Group discussion leader at GRS.

2015                            “The Importance of Being Luminal:  A model of luminal epithelial cells” presented at 2015 Gordon Research Seminar and Gordon Research Conference, Vermont, USA. Group discussion leader at GRS.

Oral Presentations:

2010                            “Molecular consequences of Brca1 loss in the mouse mammary gland” presented at the Sixth Annual SCMB Research Students Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

 

Other Presentations:

2010                            Guest panelist at Graduate School Week, “PhD milestone process”, University of Queensland.

Guest speaker at School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience Honours Graduates 1965-1974 Reunion, University of Queensland.

 

2011                            Guest presenter for Graduate School Week “It's not (just) rocket science: busting the myths about Research Higher Degrees”, University of Queensland.

Guest speaker for Graduate School “3 minute thesis” presentation at University of Queensland Open day.

 

 

2012                            Guest panelist on “Scientists on the Loose” at the “Careers That Shape the World” event at the University of Queensland.

 

Peer Reviewed Publications

 

(To view all my publications with links, please click here). 

 

Arendt LM, St. Laurent J, Wronski, A, Keller PJ, Callebero S,Lyle SR, Naber SP, Kuperwasser C. (2014) “Human Breast Progenitor Cell NumbersAre Regulated by WNT and TBX3.” PLoS One 9(10): e111442
 

Kottakis F, Foltopoulou P, Sanidas I, Keller P, Wronski A, Dake BT, Ezell SA, Shen Z, Naber SP, Hinds PW, McNiel E, Kuperwasser C, Tsichlis PN (2014) “NDY1/KDM2B Functions as a Master Regulator of Polycomb Complexes and Controls Self-Renewal of Breast Cancer Stem Cells.” Cancer Research 74(14): 3935-46
 

Phillips S, Prat A, Sedic M, Proia T, Wronski A, Mazumdar S, Skibinski A, Shirley SH, Perou CM, Gill G,Gupta PB, Kuperwasser C (2014) “Cell-state transitions regulated by Slug arecritical for tissue regeneration and tumor initiation.” Stem Cell Reports2(5): 633-47.
 

Smart, C. E*., A.Wronski*, J. D. French, S. L. Edwards, M. L. Asselin-Labat, N. Waddell, K.Peters, B. L. Brewster, K. Brooks, K. Simpson, N. Manning, S. R. Lakhani, S.Grimmond, G. J. Lindeman, J. E. Visvader and M. A. Brown (2011). "Analysisof Brca1-deficient mouse mammary glands reveals reciprocal regulation of Brca1and c-kit." Oncogene 30:1597-1607.

*Joint first authorship

 

Brewster, B. L., F. Rossiello, J. D. French, S. L. Edwards, M. Wong, A. Wronski, P. Whiley, N. Waddell, X. Chen, B. Bove, kConFab, J. L. Hopper, E. M. John, I. Andrulis, M. Daly, S. Volorio, L. Bernard, B. Peissel, S. Manoukian, M. Barile, S. Pizzamiglio, P. Verderio, A. B. Spurdle, P. Radice, A. K. Godwin, M. C. Southey, M. A. Brown and P. Peterlongo (2012). "Identification of fifteen novel germline variants in the BRCA1 3′UTR reveals a variant in a breast cancer case that introduces a functional miR-103 target site." Human Mutation 33(12): 1665-1675.

 

Smart, C. E., M. E. Askarian Amiri, A. Wronski, M. E. Dinger, J. Crawford, D. A. Ovchinnikov, A. C. Vargas, L. Reid, P. T. Simpson, S. Song, C. Wiesner, J. D. French, R. K. Dave, L. da Silva, A. Purdon, M. Andrew, J. S. Mattick, S. R. Lakhani, M. A. Brown and S. Kellie (2012). "Expression and function of the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor J (PTPRJ) in normal mammary epithelial cells and breast tumors." PLoS One 7(7): e40742.

 

Pettigrew, C. A., N. Wayte, A. Wronski, P. K. Lovelock, A. B. Spurdle and M. A. Brown (2008). "Colocalisation of predicted exonic splicing enhancers in BRCA2 with reported sequence variants." Breast Cancer Res Treat 110(2): 227-234.