Krzysztof received his M.Sc. in biophysics from University of Warsaw, Poland. He got his Ph.D. in biophysics in 1997 from Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, working with Prof. Andrzej Bierzyński, and focusing on structural bioinformatics of calcium binding proteins. He moved to San Diego as a postdoctoral fellow to the lab of Dr. Adam Godzik at The Scripps Research Institute, and later at The Burnham Institute. There, he worked on bioinformatics identification and characterization of novel apoptosis-related proteins. Among others, he identified the novel NLRP protein family and the novel pyrin/PAAD structural domains within. Later these proteins turned out to be crucial to inflammasome and the innate immune system activation.
After the postdoc, he spent six years at AstraZeneca R&D Lund, Sweden, working on bioinformatics aspects of early target discovery in respiratory diseases. Using bioinformatics, he showed that the CLCA protein family, believed at the time to be ion channels and drug targets for asthma and COPD, were in fact metalloproteases. This changed the focus of a few drug discovery projects. In 2007, Krzysztof moved back to academia and joined the faculty of the Nencki Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences and Warsaw University of Life Sciences. He was focusing on bioinformatics discovery of novel enzyme families using recognition of distant homology, and has identified a number of novel putative kinase, ADP-ribosyltransferase, protease, and other enzyme families, spurring several experimental projects. In 2019, Krzysztof came to UT Southwestern as a visiting professor, and a year later stayed on as instructor in the Tagliabracci lab. He continues searching for novel (pseudo)enzyme families using structural bioinformatics approaches, inspiring experimental projects aimed at revealing unexpected catalytic activities and novel signaling mechanisms.
Krzysztof enjoys hiking, kayaking, cycling and skiing, preferably out in nature and combined with travel.
Tagliabracci lab
6000 Harry Hines Blvd
NA5.214
Dallas, TX 75390