Barbara Nikolajczyk, PhD
Connect
859-218-1382barb.nik@uky.edu
Positions
- Professor of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences
- Associate Director for Translational Research in Diabetes, Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center
- Fellow of The Obesity Society
College Unit(s)
Other Affiliation(s)
- Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Primary Faculty
- Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics - Adjunct Faculty
- Nutritional Sciences Graduate Faculty
Biography and Education
Education
B.S. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Animal Science (Graduated Valedictorian with Distinction in Animal Science)
Ph.D. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Cell Biology and Anatomy. Dissertation: "Characterization of rabbit testis ß-galactosidase and arylsulfatase A and their role in spermatozoan-zona pellucida interaction."
Positions:
Graduate Research Assistant with Dr. Michael O'Rand, Dept. of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (Fertilization)
Research Associate with Dr. Norman Hecht, Dept. of Biology, Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (Testes Transcriptional Regulation)
Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Ranjan Sen, Dept. of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA (Immunoglobulin Enhancer Regulation)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (Lymphocyte Gene Regulation)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Faculty Member, Immunology Training Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Faculty Member, Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Faculty Member, Oncobiology Training Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine Boston Univ. School of Medicine, Boston
Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology Boston Univ. School of Medicine, Boston
Currently - Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Associate Director for Translational Research in Diabetes, Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Professional Societies:
American Association of Immunologists
American Diabetes Association
American Aging Association
Fellowships and Awards:
The Ohio State Univ. College of Agriculture Undergraduate Honors Research Award
The Ohio State Univ. Valedictorian
Katherine Willis Coleman Graduate Fellowship, Mortar Board Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship
Carolina Challenge Fellowship, The Univ. of North Carolina Graduate School
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
National Research Service Award
Arthritis Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship
American Cancer Society Institutional Grant
New England American Cancer Society Grant
Arthritis Foundation Biomedical Sciences Grant
Massachusetts Thoracic Society Research grant
International Cytokine Society Meeting Travel Award
AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar
American Association of Immunologists Laboratory Travel Award
Fellow of the Obesity Society
Evans Center Research Center Collaborator Award
American Association of Immunologists Capitol Hill Day
Wethington Award
Fred and Marcielle de Beer Award
Research
Dr. Nikolajczyk’s current research focuses on the role the immune system plays in obesity and the related co-morbidities of type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease. Her work further queries how changes in fuel sources in these diseases impact immune cell function. She published the first functional analyses of B cells and T cells in type 2 diabetes patients, and her work includes a molecular understanding of mechanisms responsible for pro-inflammatory lymphocyte functions in these patients. Complementary mouse work in Dr. Nikolajczk’s lab rigorously tests concepts identified for humans in a whole animal model. Her work in both human subjects’ material and mouse models demonstrates facility in multiple major experimental approaches and is a strong example of success from concurrent bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench work with cross-disciplinary impact.