Department of Zoology
Poznań University of Life Sciences
Joanna H. Śliwowska
Head of Laboratory
CV
2020 – Professor Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland
2017 – Associate Professor Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland
2012 – Habilitation: “Environmental factors and neuroplasticity of rat and sheep brains”.
Department of Biology, Gdansk University, Poland (with honours)
2010 – 2016 – Assistant Professor Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland
2005 – 2010 – Research Associate Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the British Columbia; Canada
2004 – 2005 – Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the British Columbia; Canada
2001 – 2004 – Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
1996 – 2001 – PhD in Animal Physiology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
Experience and Employment
Long-term postdoctoral research stays abroad
2005 – 2010 – Research Associate; University of the British Columbia; Kanada
2004 – 2005 – Postdoctoral Fellow; University of the British Columbia; Kanada
2001 – 2004 – Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
Research internships during the PhD
2000 – Department of Neurobiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
1998-1999 – Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden; Svenska Institutet (Stypendium Rządu Szwedzkiego)
Awards
Other Activities
Selected projects
2020 – 2023 – PRELUDIUM Grant (NCN), “Effect of maternal cafeteria diet on metabolic and reproductive functions of rat offspring: in search of a mechanism”. (Principal Investigator Julia Matuszewska, MSc; scientific supervisor prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska)
2019-2021 – PRELUDIUM grant (National Center of Science, NCN), Poland “Oxytocin and kisspeptin interactions and functions in female rats with induced diabetes type 2.” (Principal Investigator: Kamil Ziarniak, MSc; scientific supervisor: prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska)
2018-2021 Mobility grant (Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences) “Neuroendocrine circuits governing natural food reward and reproduction: Basic studies and therapeutic implications”. (Principal Investigator in Poland – prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska)
2015 – 2017 – Mobility Grant (Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences) „Oxytocin as a potential anti-obesity hormone: Towards a better understaning the mechanism of its action in the brain”(prof. Joanna H. Śliwowska – Principal Investigator in Poland).
2016-2020 – National Center of Science (NCN) OPUS grant, Poland “KNDy neurons and reproductive dysfunctions in female rats with experimentally induced obesity and diabetes type 2” (Principal Investigator – prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska)
2017-2019 POLONIUM Grant (France – Poland) „Kisspeptin – a peptide that link metabolic and reproductive functions” (Principal investigator in Poland – prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska)
2011 – 2015 Grant National Center of Science (NCN) OPUS grant, Poland “Characteristics of KISS-1/GPR54 system, a key regulator of reproductive processes inrats with experimentally induced obesity and diabetes type 1 and 2” (Principal Investigator – prof. Joanna H. Sliwowska
Teaching
Brain and behaviour (Neurobiology, Biology, Animal Science)
Neuroecology (Neurobiology, Biology)
Neurobiology of addiction and mental disorders (Neurobiology)
Principles of neurobiology for veterinary students (Veterinary Medicine)
Biology – a review in the English language (Biology)
Laboratory animals (Neurobiology, Biology)
Seminars for MSc and PhD students (Biology, Neurosciene)
Research interests
The brain is a fascinating organ, which structure and functions we study in our laboratory. One of the extraordinary features of the brain is neuroplasticity, which is the main area of our research. It is the ability of the brain to change in response to environmental stimuli. It allows the organism to change, adapt, repair itself, and learn.
Research conducted at the Laboratory of Neurobiology is looking for answers to the following questions:
How does the brain control the processes of sexual maturation?
How do abnormal environmental conditions, such as unhealthy diet contributing to the development of the obesity epidemic, affect the brain and interfere with reproductive processes?
What are the neurobiological principles of different functions of female and male brains?
Learn more about the projects
Elucidating molecular mechanisms of the crosstalk between the muscle and the brain during physical activity in obesity