Curriculum Vitae: Tomasz K. Bednarski

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2022-Present
Assistant Professor 
Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Education and Human Sciences
University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE

• Determine the role of aberrant polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in development of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy

• Identify the lipid metabolism pathways associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy pathogenesis

• Describe the role of pyruvate metabolism in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

• Establish the role of calcium flux and endoplasmic reticulum stress in pancreatic dysfunction and diabetes development.

• Harnesses the potential of epigenetics to uncover the mechanism behind "healthy obesity" using hibernating 13-lined ground squirrels as a model. 

2017-2022   
Postdoctoral Fellow, Prof. Jamey D. Young lab  
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

• Applied in vivo 2H/13C metabolic flux analysis (MFA) and metabolomics profiling to identify liver phenotypes that accelerate the transition from NAFLD to NASH

• Discovered that pharmacologic activation of SERCA calcium pump inhibits this transition in vivo by: 1) increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids contribution in hepatocytes by downregulation of de novo lipogenesis, while specifically promoting ω-3 fatty acids synthesis and transport; 2) alleviating redox imbalances between liver and peripheral tissues by normalizing pyruvate cycling, tryptophan-kynurenine pathway activity, and pyruvate transporters expression; 3) mitigating the inflammatory response and ER stress of steatotic hepatocytes. 

• Participated in the development of in vivo 2H/13C MFA technique to evaluate whole body metabolism. 

2011-2017  
Ph.D. Student
Laboratory of Molecular Medical Biochemistry 
Center for Basic and Translational Research in the Field of Biology and Biomedical Sciences
Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland

• Showed that dietary oleate contributes to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy caused by activation of PKCα-dependent pathway, NCX protein-regulated change in calcium homeostasis, and increased level of β-myosin heavy chain in cardiomyocytes

• Demonstrated that oleate-mediated cardiac steatosis is induced by the increased expression of triacylglycerol synthesis proteins and the inhibition of ATGL-mediated lipolysis. 

• Revealed that downregulation of SCD1 expression/activity decreases lipid accumulation in cardiomyocytes through inhibition of lipogenesis and activation of lipolysis, independently of the PPARα transcription factor.  

• Determined that upregulated lipogenesis, and the activation of PPARα-dependent β-oxidation pathway in cardiac muscle relate to the development of physiological left ventricular hypertrophy and may be one of the adaptive mechanisms to endurance training. 

• Established that pathological hypertrophy relates to extensive triacylglycerol accumulation in cardiomyocytes generated by the impairment of lipolytic and lack of lipogenesis activation

2005-2011  
M.Sc. Student, Biotechnology – Interdepartmental Studies 
Department of Biotechnology and General Food Technology
University of Agriculture, Krakow, Poland 

• Investigated the effects of phytase B on the baking characteristics and texture stability of rye bread. 

• Concluded that phytase B can be used as a food additive to reduce phytic acid content in rye breads and to improve its bioavailability

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Grants

• 2024-Present 
  CEHS Kutscher Technology Innovation Grant 
  “Thin Layer Chromatography - old methodology perfect for new students” 
  Amount: $4,600  
  Role: PI 

• 2024-Present 
  CEHS Grand Visions Faculty Seed Grant 
  “Analyzing the impact of steatosis and aberrant lipolysis on epigenetic modifications in cardiomyocytes” 
  Amount: $10,000  
  Role: PI 

• 2024-Present 
  University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division Strategic Funding 
  “The impact of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) supplementation on hypothyroidism pathogenesis in vivo” 
  Amount: $16,900  
  Role: PI 

• 2023-2024
  University of Nebraska Foundation Layman Seed Grant 
  "The effect of LPCAT3 activation on cardiomyocyte metabolism during acute lipotoxicity" 
  Amount: $10,000 
  Role: PI 

• 2023-2024
  NPOD Project Leader 2023 
  "The role of LPCAT3 in pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy”  
  Amount: $150,000 
  Role: PI 

• 2022-2023
  NPOD Program Seed Grant 2022
  “The impact of obesity on satellite cells action in the skeletal muscle”  
  Amount: $40,000 
  Role: PI 

• 2021-2022
  Vanderbilt Diabetes Center Discovery Program Grant 
  “In vivo 2H/13C flux analysis to assess LXR activation as a strategy to inhibit NASH pathogenesis”  
  Amount: $90,000 
  Role: Co-I 

• 2015-2016
  Grant PRELUDIUM 8 from National Science Centre in Poland
  “Role of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in regulation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and lipolysis in cardiomyocytes”  
  Amount: 50,000 PLN  
  Role: PI 

Fellowships 

• 2015-2017
  Stipend from Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology 
  Best doctoral student of the year in academic years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017

• 2013-2014
  Scholarship from Mazovian Voivodeship  
  “Development of science - the development of the region - supporting scholarships and support for Mazovia doctoral students.” 

• 2011-2012
  Scholarship from Academic Business Incubator 
  “Scientific PhD Scholarships as an opportunity for the development of Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship.”

ACADEMIC SERVICE

• Member of UNL’s Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences Chair's Advisory Council

• Member of UNL’s Agricultural Research Division (ARD) Advisory Council

• Member of UNL’s Faculty Senate • Member of UNL’s Research Council 

• Judge 2023, 2024 Student Research Days Competition

• Reviewer 2023, 2024 Student Research Days Competition

• Presenter at UNL’s Women in Science Expo 2023 
   

Reviewing and Editorial Service 

• Metabolism

• Liver International

• The Journal of Lipid Research

• Mitochondrion

• Cells

• Journal of Personalized Medicine Scientific 
   

Outreach

• Co-organizer of 13th Annual Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association Symposium

• Main organizer of “2nd Nencki Institute PhD Student Conference 2015” and “Do Science!” Opening of Academic Year 2013-2014 in Ochota Biocenter”

• Co-organizer of science popularization events: 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Science Festival in Warsaw; 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Scientific Picnic in Warsaw, Brain Awareness Week 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015; Researchers’ Night 2012, 2014, and 2015; Scientific Kindergarten 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. 
   

Invited Talks and Seminars 

• Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology Graduate Student Association, "From fluxomics in steatotic liver disease to epigenetics in hibernating squirrels – a scientific journey", October 23, 2024, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE

• School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Seminar Series, "Metabolic reprogramming in cardiac and hepatic manifestations of metabolic syndrome", March 4, 2024, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE

• MITO CLUB Seminar, "Metabolic reprogramming in cardiac and hepatic disorders", February 21, 2024, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE

• Metabolism Interest Group, “The effect of SERCA activation on liver metabolism during acute lipotoxicity in vivo,” January 18, 2022, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

• Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, “The effect of ER stress inhibition on liver metabolism and dietinduced steatohepatitis in mice,” December 6, 2021, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

• Metabolism Interest Group, “The effect of SERCA2 activation on liver metabolism and diet-induced steatohepatitis in mice”, March 2, 2021, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

• Metabolism Interest Group, “The role of lipid metabolism signaling pathways in development of left ventricular hypertrophy,” February 20, 2018, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-review articles 

• Rahim M, Bednarski TK, Hasenour CM, Banerjee DR, Trenary IA, Young JD. Simultaneous in vivo multiorgan fluxomics reveals divergent metabolic adaptations in liver, heart, and skeletal muscle during obesity. Cell Rep. in press. 

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Hasenour CM, Banerjee DR, Trenary IA, Wasserman DH, Young JD. Pharmacological SERCA activation limits diet-induced steatohepatitis and restores liver metabolic function in mice. J Lipid Res. 2024; 65 (6): 100558. 

• Bednarski TK, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Alterations of lipid metabolism in the heart in spontaneously hypertensive rats precedes left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. Cells. 2022: 11 (19): 3032. 

• Rahim M, Hasenour CM, Bednarski TK, Hughey CC, Wasserman DH, Young JD. Multitissue 2H/13C flux analysis reveals reciprocal upregulation of renal gluconeogenesis in hepatic PEPCK-C-knockout mice. JCI Insight. 2021; 6 (12): 149278. 

• Hasenour CM, Kennedy AJ, Bednarski T, Trenary IA, Eudy BJ, da Silva RP, Boyd KL, Young JD. Vitamin E does not prevent Western diet-induced NASH progression and increases metabolic flux dysregulation in mice. J Lipid Res. 2020; 61 (5): 707-721. 

• Bednarski T, Olichwier A, Opasinska A, Pyrkowska A, Gan AM, Ntambi JM, Dobrzyn P. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 deficiency reduces lipid accumulation in the heart by activating lipolysis independently of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016; 1861 (12 Pt A): 2029-2037. 

• Dobrzyn P, Pyrkowska A, Duda MK, Bednarski T, Maczewski M, Langfort J, Dobrzyn A. Expression of lipogenic genes is upregulated in the heart with exercise training induced but not pressure overloadinduced left ventricular hypertrophy. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2013; 304 (12): E1348-E1358.  
   

Review articles

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Young JD. In vivo 2H/13C flux analysis in metabolism research. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2021; 71: 1-8. 

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Opasińska A, Dobrzyn P. Regulation of cardiac metabolism and function by lipogenic factors. Postepy Hig Med Dosw. 2016; 70: 644-653. 

• Dobrzyn P, Bednarski T, Dobrzyn A. Metabolic reprogramming of the heart through stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Prog Lipid Res. 2015; 57: 1-12.
   

In preparation

• Bednarski TK, Whittenbarger N, Rahim M, Trenary IA, Young JD. Investigating the ability of LXR activation to mitigate NASH pathogenesis in vivo. 

• Bednarski TK, Byram MT, Yue Z, Hasenour CM, Rahim M, Trenary IA, Young JD. The effect of SERCA2 activation on liver metabolism during acute lipotoxicity in vivo.  

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

• Olichwier AJ, Heinis F, Andrews M, Bednarski TK. Alterations of DNA methylation as an epigenetic regulatory mechanism in thirteen-lined ground squirrels' cardiac muscle during hibernation. J Biol Chem. 2024; 300 (3) Suppl.: 106554

• Banerjee DR, Rahim M, Hasenour CM, Bednarski TK, Young JD. Pharmacological SERCA Activation Shifts Cardiac Fuel Preference Without Impairing Function in Obese Mice. Circulation. 2023; 148 (Suppl. 1): 17088.

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Whittenbarger N, Olichwier AJ, Young JD. The Effect of LXR Activation on Liver Metabolism and Diet-Induced Steatohepatitis in Mice. Diabetes. 2023; 72 (Suppl. 1): 260-LB.

• Hasenour CM, Rahim M, Bednarski TK, Banerjee DR, Young JD. Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles Exhibit Discordant Flux Adaptations as a Result of Western Diet–Induced Obesity. Diabetes. 2022; 71 (Suppl. 1): 1393-P.

• Rahim M, Hasenour CM, Bednarski TK, Hughey CC, Wasserman DH, Young JD. Simultaneous 2H/13C Assessment of Liver and Kidney Metabolic Fluxes Reveals Reciprocal Upregulation of Renal Gluconeogenesis in Hepatic PEPCK-C Knockout Mice. Diabetes. 2021; 70 (Suppl. 1): 207-LB.

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Trenary IA, Young JD. The Effect of SERCA2 Activation on Liver Metabolism and Diet-Induced Steatohepatitis in Mice. Diabetes. 2020; 69 (Suppl. 1): 74-OR.

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Trenary IA, Young JD. The effect of SERCA2 activation on liver metabolism during acute lipotoxicity in vivo. The FASEB Journal. 2020; 34 (S1): 1-1.

• Bednarski TK, Rahim M, Young JD. Short-Term Effect of Saturated and Monounsaturated Fatty Acids on Hepatic Energy Metabolism. Diabetes. 2019; 68 (Suppl. 1): 285-LB. 

• Bednarski T, Dobrzyn P. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 regulates rate of triglyceride lipolysis in cardiomyocytes. BBA – Bioenergetics. 2016; 1857 Suppl.: e74. 

• Bednarski T, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Lipid metabolism pathways are involved in the development of obesity and hypertension related left ventricular hypertrophy. 4th IRB Barcelona PhD Students Symposium: Science fights back: Tackling disease to recover homeostasis Abstract Book. 2015; 58. 

• Bednarski T, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Development of hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with impairment of lipolysis in cardiomyocytes. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 36: 580–581, 2015. 

• Bednarski T, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Activity of Akt/mTOR pathway depends on type and time of hypertensive stimuli in the heart. FEBS J. 2015; 282, (Suppl. 1): 222. 

• Bednarski T, Olichwier A, Opasinska A, Dobrzyn P. Hypertension-induced heart steatosis is not associated with increased cardiac lipogenesis. Acta Biochimica Polonica Vol. 61 (3), Suppl. 1: 229, 2014. 

• Bednarski T, Opasinska A, Olichwier A, Dobrzyn P. Role of cardiac lipid metabolism in the development of hypertension-induced heart steatosis. FEBS J. 2014; 281 (Suppl. 1): 597. 

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Dobrzyn A, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Lipid-induced cardiac remodeling and left ventricle steatosis depend on the degree of saturation of fatty acids in dietary fats. ISSFAL Congress Abstract Book, 2014; S5.01.

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Dobrzyn A, Duda M, Dobrzyn P. Monounsaturated fatty acids activate lipogenic pathways in the heart leading to cardiac steatosis and left ventricular remodeling. Eur J Clin Invest. 2014; 44 (Suppl. 1): 7. 

• Dobrzyn P, Pyrkowska A, Duda M, Maczewski M, Bednarski T, Langfort J, Dobrzyn A. Overexpression of lipogenic genes in the heart distinguishes physiologic from pathologic left ventricle hypertrophy. FASEB J. 2013; 27: 813.2. 

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Ochalek A, Duda M, Dobrzyn A, Langfort J, Dobrzyn P. Lipid metabolism in different types of left ventricular hypertrophy. 54th International Conference on the Biosciences of Lipids: Linking Transcription to Physiology in Lipidomics Abstract Book. 2013; 5. 

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Ochalek A, Duda M, Dobrzyn A, Langfort J, Dobrzyn P. Lipogenesis and Fatty Acid Utilization in Different Models of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy. FEBS workshop Translating Epigenomes into Function: a Next-Generation Challenge for Human Disease Workshop Booklet. 2013; 53. 

• Dobrzyn P, Pyrkowska A, Bednarski T, Ochalek A, Duda M, Langfort J, Dobrzyn A. Stearoyl-CoA desaturse expression is upregulated in exercise training-induced left ventricular hypertrophy. FEBS J. 2013; 280, (Suppl. 1): 182.  

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Dobrzyn P. Lipid metabolism in obesity-induced and endurance traininginduced left ventricular hypertrophy. 1st Nencki Institute PhD Student Conference Abstract Book. 2013; S7.5. 

• Bednarski T, Pyrkowska A, Dobrzyn P. Lipogenesis and fatty acid utilization in obesity-induced and endurance training-induced left ventricular hypertrophy. Do Science! Opening of the Academic Year 2013/2014 at Biocentrum Ochota Programme and Abstract book. 2013; 1. 

• Bednarski T, Jazurek M, Dobrzyn A, Małodobra-Mazur M, Dobrzyn P. Effect of dietary stearate and oleate on expression of fatty acid desaturases and elongases in the heart. EJLST. 2012; 114, (Suppl. 1): 367.