Scientific achievements
Dr. Katarzyna Pieklarz of the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering at the Lodz University of Technology is an outstanding young specialist in the field of biomedical engineering, particularly in research on innovative polymer materials, nanotechnology, and chemical engineering. She is the author of 11 scientific publications in prestigious JCR-listed journals and scientific monographs.
Research profile and research directions
Her research is interdisciplinary in nature, combining issues from the fields of technical sciences and medicine. Her scientific work focuses on the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of a new generation of chitosan structures, in the form of thermosensitive hydrogels containing salts of various nucleotides. The focus of her research is inspired by the fact that, despite the development in recent years of therapeutic strategies for treating tissue damage resulting from past injuries, chronic inflammation, degenerative changes, or congenital defects, this problem remains unresolved. There remains a significant disparity between the demand for tissues and organs and the number of potential donors. Furthermore, the immunosuppressive therapy used does not guarantee that the transplant will take. Conversely, conservative therapy, based on the use of pharmacological agents, is effective only in the early stages of damage caused, for example, by inflammation. For this reason, it can be assumed that the thermosensitive chitosan hydrogels she has developed have significant potential for clinical applications. This is because they exhibit high biocompatibility with living tissues under in vitro conditions and the ability to mimic the natural extracellular matrix. These biomaterials (their precursors—sols) can be introduced into the implantation site in a minimally invasive method—via injection. This procedure ensures greater patient comfort and is a less invasive solution, carrying a lower risk of complications, compared to traditional surgical procedures.
Honours and recognition from the scientific community
She is a member of the Polish Chitin Society, and her inventions have been awarded gold medals in Romania, Thailand, and South Korea. She is the recipient of the Prof. H. Struszczyk Award, presented by the Polish Chitin Society for outstanding achievements in research and applications of chitin and its derivatives.