Biochemical Journal Young Investigator Award winner

Dr Jolanta Idkowiak-Baldys

Dr Jolanta Idkowiak-Baldys graduated from Utah State University in June 2004 with a PhD degree in Biology. During the course of her studies she gained a broad knowledge and practical experience in the field of microbiology, antifungal agents and the biochemistry of lipids. The focus of her graduate work was on defining the mechanism of action of the antifungal agent syringomycin E. During her graduate work she was also actively involved in teaching. She was a teaching assistant for several undergraduate-level courses and supervised multiple undergraduate and graduate students. After receiving her degree, Jolanta joined Dr Yusuf Hannun's group at the Medical University of South Carolina as a postdoctoral fellow in the field of sphingolipid biochemistry. She continued to work under the mentorship of Dr Hannun on a project defining the regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) and investigating the role of PKC in various cellular processes. Better understanding of PKC regulation is of high importance as sustained stimulation of PKC is observed in such pathological processes as diabetes and cancer.