Address:

Department of General Biochemistry

Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology

Jagiellonian University

ul. Gronostajowa 7

30-387 Kraków

Room: B125

Phone: 12 664 63 59

E–mail: weronika.szukala@uj.edu.pl

Education:

2025 - PhD in biological sciences, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Krakow                           

2019 - Master of biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Krakow

Positions:

2025 – present: Assistant Professor (Adjunct, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of General Biochemistry

2023 – 2025: Research Assistant, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of General Biochemistry

Research projects:

“MCPIP1 as a regulator of skin homeostasis” - Preludium 19 from National Science Centre in Poland, 2020-2023

„The impact of modulation of the expression of the Mcpip1 protein on the embryonic development of zebrafish” - Faculty Research Project for Young Scientists and PhD Students at Jagiellonian University, 2021-2022

Awards and scholarships:

2024 - START stipend in 32nd competition in the START programme of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) for the best young scientists in Poland in 2024

2023 - FEBS scholarship for participation in the 22nd FEBS Young Scientists' Forum in Tours in 2023

 2022 - The FEBS Journal Global Poster Prize for the best poster: “The role of MCPIP1 in cutaneous interaction of keratinocytes and immune cells” at FEBS Congress, Lisbon Portugal, 2022

2022 - 3rd place in the photographic competition “From science to art, the world under the microscope” organized by IBD im. Nencki PAN and Nencki Foundation for Supporting Biological Sciences in Warsaw

2016 - Rector`s scholarship for the best students from Jagiellonian University for 2015/2016 academic year

2016, 2017 - Scholarship „JUNIOR” from Leading National Research Center for Faculty of  Biochemistry, Biophycis and Biotechnology on Jagiellonian University for the best students; for 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic years

Research interests:

My research focuses on the role of the MCPIP1 protein in the skin, both under physiological and pathological conditions, particularly in the context of skin diseases such as psoriasis and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, I study the interaction of keratinocytes with skin immune cells in the mentioned skin diseases.

Internships:

2024 – 3 months research visit at the Department of Dermatology Medical University of Vienna in prof. Leopold Eckhart`s group funded by FEBS Fellowship

2022 – short-term foreign internship (10 days) in Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy founded by NAWA Canaletto project.

Conferences – selected presentations:

2025 – 6th BIO Meeting in Poznań, Polska, 2025, short oral presentation: “MCPIP proteins as key modulators of skin cancer fate” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, J. Jura

2024 - 53rd Annual ESDR Meeting, Lizbona, Portugal, 2024, short oral presentation: “MCPIP1 as a modulator of the long regulatory RNAs in cutaneous skin carcinoma” – W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, I. Pasionek, G. Machaj, G. Ylla, J. Jura

2024 - 48th FEBS Congress, Milan, Italy, 2024, poster: “The common and opposite roles of MCPIP1 and MCPIP3 RNases in skin biology” – W. Szukała, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, J. Jura, A. Lichawska-Cieślar.

2023 - 5th Inflammatory Skin Disease Summit, Vienna, Austria, 2023, poster: “Loss of myeloid Mcpip1 suppresses hair growth and development of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin” - W. Szukała, K. Goryca, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, K. Eckhart, J. Kozieł,  J. Jura, A. Lichawska-Cieślar

2023 - 47th FEBS Congress, Tours, France, 2023, short oral presentation: “The distinct role of keratinocyte and myeloid Mcpip1 in skin inflammation” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, J. Jura.

2022 - 7th Warsaw Conference on Perspectives of Molecular Oncology, 2022, short oral presentation: “Distinct roles of keratinocyte and myeloid Mcpip1 in response to chemically induced skin carcinogenesis” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, J. Jura

2022 - 46th FEBS Congress, Lisbon Portugal, 09-14.07.2022, poster: “The role of MCPIP1 in cutaneous interaction of keratinocytes and immune cells” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, J. Kozieł, J. Jura

2021 - 25th Gliwice Scientific Meetings, 2021, short oral presentation: „Mcpip1 in skin tumorigenesis” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, R. Pietrzycka, P. Konieczny, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, I. Chlebicka, J. C. Szepietowski, G. Fontemaggi, J. Jura.

2021 - 48th Winter School WBBiB UJ, 2021, short oral presentation: “Loss of keratinocyte Mcpip1 accelerates the development of skin squamous cell carcinoma” - W. Szukała, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, R. Pietrzycka, J. Kotlinowski, P. Konieczny, M. Kulecka, I. Rumieńczyk, M. Mikula, M. Fu, J. Jura.

Publications:

1.       A. Lichawska-Cieslar, W. Szukala, L. Eckhart, J. Jura, MCPIP3/Regnase-3 binds 14-3-3 proteins and contributes to the regulation of the cell cycle in human immortalized keratinocytes. Scientific Reports 15, 33222 (2025).

2.       A. Lichawska-Cieslar, W. Szukala, P. Pilat, L. Eckhart, J. Szepietowski, J. Jura, MCPIP3 orchestrates the balance of epidermal proliferation and differentiation. Cell Communication and Signaling (2025) 8;23(1):175

3.       A. Lichawska-Cieslar, W. Szukala, G. Ylla, G. Machaj, F. Ploskonka, I. Chlebicka, J.C. Szepietowski, J. Jura, MCPIP1 modulates the miRNA‒mRNA landscape in keratinocyte carcinomas. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research (2024) 21;43(1):290.

4.       K. Berniak, A. Moradi, A. Lichawska-Cieslar, W. Szukala, J. Jura, U. Stachewicz, Controlled therapeutic cholesterol delivery to cells for proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes. Journal of Material Chemistry B (2024).12, 11110-11122.

5.       W. Szukala, A. Lichawska-Cieslar, R. Zawada, I. Rumienczyk, M. Mikula, K. Goryca, J. Jura, Keratinocyte and myeloid MCPIP1 have distinct roles in maintaining skin homeostasis, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects (2024) 130671.

6.       P.K. Krajewski, W. Szukała, J.C. Szepietowski, The NLRP3 Inflammasome Gene Is Overexpressed in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Lesions: A Preliminary Study on the Role of Pyroptosis in Disease Pathogenesis, Current Issues in Molecular Biology (2024), 46;2544–2552.

7.       W. Szukala, I. Rumienczyk, M. Mikula, K. Goryca, L. Eckhart, J. Koziel, J. Jura, A. Lichawska-Cieslar, MCPIP1 controls effects of myeloid cells on skin carcinogenesis and hair growth, Journal of Investigative Dermatology 144 (2023) 1401–1405.

8.       W. Szukala#, A. Lichawska-Cieslar#, P.K. Krajewski#, M. Kulecka, I. Rumienczyk, M. Mikula, Ł. Matusiak, J. Jura, J.C. Szepietowski, An Atlas of the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Transcriptome, Dermatology and Therapy (Heidelb) (2024) 1–12. 

9.       A. Lichawska-Cieslar#, W. Szukala#, T.K. Prajsnar#, N. Pooranachandran, M. Kulecka, M. Dabrowska, M. Mikula, K. Rakus, M. Chadzinska, J. Jura, MCPIP1 functions as a safeguard of early embryonic development, Scientific Reports 2023 13:1 13 (2023) 1–11.

10.     W. Szukala#, M. Pilarczyk-Zurek#, J. Folkert, J. Kotlinowski, J. Koziel, J. Jura, Depletion of Mcpip1 in murine myeloid cells results in intestinal dysbiosis followed by allergic inflammation, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease 1869 (2023) 166764. 

11.     W. Szukala, A. Lichawska-Cieslar, R. Pietrzycka, M. Kulecka, I. Rumienczyk, M. Mikula, I. Chlebicka, P. Konieczny, K. Dziedzic, J.C. Szepietowski, G. Fontemaggi, J. Rys, J. Jura, Loss of epidermal MCPIP1 is associated with aggressive squamous cell carcinoma, Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research 40 (2021) 391.

12.     A. Lichawska-Cieslar, P. Konieczny, W. Szukala, W. Declercq, M. Fu, J. Jura, Loss of keratinocyte Mcpip1 abruptly activates the IL-23/Th17 and Stat3 pathways in skin inflammation., Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research 1868 (2021) 118866

13.     P.K. Krajewski#, W. Szukała#, A. Lichawska-Cieślar, Ł. Matusiak, J. Jura, J.C. Szepietowski, Mcpip1/regnase-1 expression in keratinocytes of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: Preliminary results, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22 (2021)

14.     R. Musson, W. Szukała, J. Jura, Mcpip1 rnase and its multifaceted role International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (2020).

15.     P. Konieczny, A. Lichawska-Cieslar, P. Kwiecinska, J. Cichy, R. Pietrzycka, W. Szukala, W. Declercq, M. Devos, A. Paziewska, I. Rumienczyk, M. Kulecka, M. Mikula, M. Fu, J. Borowczyk, L.F. Santamaria-Babí, J. Jura, Keratinocyte-specific ablation of Mcpip1 impairs skin integrity and promotes local and systemic inflammation, Journal of Molecular Medicine 97 (2019) 1669–1684.