Katarzyna Nawrotek PhD DSc Eng.

In 2014, she received her doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering at the Lodz University of Technology. In 2022, she received habilitation in the discipline of chemical engineering. Principal investigator of research projects funded by, among others: NCN (Sonata (2018-2022), Opus (from 2024)), NCBR (Leader (2020-2023), and FNP (INTER 2014-2015). She has held fellowships abroad at Aix-Marseille Université in France (Erasmus student exchange program), McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine in the USA (MENTORING, FNP), University of Oslo in Norway (Scientia Fellows postdoctoral fellowship program - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action) and University College London in the UK (Bekker NAWA, NAWA). Awarded many national and international awards by, among others: MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Polish Chitin Society, and the Minister of Science and Higher Education. She is the co-author of 7 patents granted by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland. She conducts research in collaboration with scientists from national and international research institutions, including Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz in Poland; Institut des Sciences du Mouvement, Aix Marseille Université in France; Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen in the Netherlands; Developmental and Disease Epigenomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

Dr. Katarzyna Nawrotek's research interests include:
• Technologies and materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine Design and fabrication of devices for manufacturing materials intended for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Design and fabrication of complex structures recreating the natural cell-supporting niche of tissues or organs to be replaced. Development of methods to decorate the materials with bioactive molecules that will be actively involved in delivering cues to cells, and consequently, make an active contribution to the formation of regenerating tissue.
• Extracellular signals in guiding cell regeneration via epigenetic regulation Design and fabrication of materials able to release molecules that induce changes in gene expression including genes critical for improved cell regeneration
• Devices and in vitro models for assessment of materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine Design and fabrication of novel devices and in vitro models that will help the advancement of diagnostics, disease modeling, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.

• Nawrotek K, Grams J, Sobczyk R, Kubicka M, Czeladzińska B, Jóźwiak P. Effect of chitosan structure and deposition time on structural and mechanical properties of chitosan-hydroxyapatite tubular-shaped electrodeposits for biomedical applications. Polym. Test. 2023, 123, 108061
• Nawrotek K, Kubicka M, Gatkowska J, Wieczorek M, Michlewska S, Bekier A, Wach R, Rudnicka K. Controlling the Spatiotemporal Release of Nerve Growth Factor by Chitosan/Polycaprolactone Conduits for Use in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(5), 2852
• Nawrotek K, Rudnicka K, Gatkowska J, Michlewska S, Pearson BL, Płociński P, Wieczorek M. Ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 3‐loaded microspheres penetrate neurons in vitro causing active demethylation and neurite outgrowth. J. Tissue. Eng. Regen. Med. 2021, 15(5), 463-474.
• Nawrotek K, Tylman M, Adamus-Włodarczyk A, Rudnicka K, Gatkowska J, Wieczorek M, Wach R. Influence of chitosan average molecular weight on degradation and stability of electrodeposited conduits. Carbohydr. Polym, 2020, 244:116484
• Nawrotek K, Marqueste T, Modrzejewska Z, Zarzycki R, Rusak A, Decherchi P, Thermogelling chitosan lactate hydrogel improves functional recovery after a C2 spinal cord hemisection in rat, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. A. 2017, 105(7), 2004-2019

• Patent no. 241041, 25.07.2022 Urządzenie do wytwarzania hybrydowych implantów o kształcie cylindrycznym (A device for manufacturing hybrid cylindrical implants). Michał Tylman, Katarzyna Nawrotek, Dawid Zawadzki. The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
• Patent no. 434765, 24.01.2022 Sposób i urządzenie do wprowadzania polimerowych mikrosfer z substancją aktywną do implantów medycznych, zwłaszcza wytwarzanych metodą druku 3D (Method and device for introducing polymer microspheres with an active substance into medical implants, especially those produced by 3D printing). Katarzyna Nawrotek, Michał Tylman, Dawid Zawadzki, Mariusz Mąkiewicz, Bartosz Opara. The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
• Patent no. 238830, 06.07.2021 Przepływowe urządzenie do badania ilości farmaceutycznej substancji aktywnej uwalnianej z implantów o kształcie cylindrycznym (Flow device for testing the amount of pharmaceutical active substance released from cylindrical implants). Katarzyna Nawrotek, Mariusz Mąkiewicz, Dawid Zawadzki, Bartosz Opara. The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
• Patent no. 240217, 17.11.2021 Urządzenie do badania ilości farmaceutyczej substancji aktywnej uwalnianej z implantów o kształcie cylindrycznym (A device for testing the amount of pharmaceutical active substance released from cylindrical implants). Katarzyna Nawrotek, Michał Tylman, Dawid Zawadzki, Bartosz Opara, Paulina Pędziwiatr. The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
• Patent no. 238404, 24.05.2021 Sposób wytwarzania hybrydowych implantów o kształcie cylindrycznym (A method of producing hybrid cylindrical implants). Katarzyna Nawrotek, Michał Tylman. The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland