Biography:
Mariusz Z. Ratajczak, M.D., Ph.D, D.Sci d.hc is the Henry and Stella Hoenig Endowed Chair in Cancer Biology and the Director of the Developmental Biology Research Program at the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center and Head of Department of Regenerative Medicine, Warsaw Medical University, Poland. Dr. Ratajczak earned his M.D. at the Pomeranian Medical University and his Ph.D. and D.Sci at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland and completed fellowships at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is an internationally known investigator in the field of adult stem cell biology. His 2005 discovery of embryonic-like stem cells in adult tissues has the potential to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine. This discovery provides an avenue to guide the development of new treatments for cancer, heart disease, eye disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
Among Dr. Ratajczak’s prestigious awards are the 2008 President’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creativity from the University of Louisville, the 2008 distinguished recipient of the 2008 Cancer Researcher of the Year, the 2007 Mosaic Award from Jewish Family and Vocational Service, the 2006 Award in Medicine and Biology from the Foundation for Polish Sciences (highest scientific award in Poland), the 2004 Individual Award from the Polish Ministry of Health for Scientific Achievements and the 2002 Chad Kopple Spirit Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is editor-in-chief of the Central European Journal of Biology, associate editor of the Experimental Hematology, section editor for the journal Leukemia and consulting editor in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. He is also a member of the Editorial Boards of other distinguished journals including Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cells, and Journal of Applied Genetics. He has published numerous books peer reviewed publications and is a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide. Dr. Ratajczak has been elected as a foreign member of the Polish Academy of Art and Sciences and is also a member of the International Society of Experimental Hematology, American Society for Cancer Research and American Society of Hematology. Most recently, Dr. Ratajczak was honored with the degree, doctoris honoris causa, from the Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
