Wioletta Czaja, Ph.D., who joined the Department of Genetics in October 2022, comes to UAB with a fresh energy ready to immediately make contributions to the university as well as the department. She has arrived with a great knowledge of genetics and a tireless work ethic, with the intention of establishing partnerships and collaborations that lead to innovative discoveries. 

Dr. Czaja currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the department, as part of the research faculty for the Department of Genetics. She comes to UAB from the Hormel Research Institute of the University of Minnesota, where she was the leader of the DNA Repair and Genome section. While at the University of Georgia as a research faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Czaja was able to establish a cross-disciplinary research program which investigated the mechanisms of genome stability.

The laboratory established by Dr. Czaja at UAB will investigate mechanisms of DNA repair and genome stability in the context of cancer, inflammation, and immune dysfunction. Her other areas of interest include: cancer molecular biology, epigenetic drug targets, and precision oncology.

When she is not working on developing innovative tools within the world of genetics, Dr. Czaja enjoys traveling, healthy cooking, nature, and outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking, as well as photography. 

While she is relatively new to UAB, it does not diminish her enthusiasm about the Department of Genetics or the willingness to get to know new people, and establish new relationships. She looks forward to making her contributions to the overall growth of UAB, and more specifically, within genetics!