PhD Advisor: Professor David Gomez-Cabrero

Abstract:
Multiple myeloma (MM) develops through progressive genetic and epigenetic changes that drive the transformation of plasma cells from precursor stages to symptomatic disease. While genetic alterations have been extensively characterized, the regulatory mechanisms underlying disease progression remain incompletely understood.

In her Ph.D. research, Aleksandra integrated chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, gene expression, and 3D genome organization across healthy donors and patients spanning all stages of MM. Her work identified stage-specific regulatory programs, and enhancer–promoter interactions that drive malignant transformation. Using complementary analyses in genetically engineered mouse models, she further validated conserved regulatory mechanisms of disease evolution. Her findings provide a comprehensive framework for understanding MM progression and identifying potential therapeutic targets.

Bio:
Aleksandra Kurowska is a Ph.D. candidate in the Bioscience program at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, under the supervision of Prof. David Gomez-Cabrero. Her research integrates multi-omics data and computational approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying multiple myeloma progression. By combining genomics, epigenomics, and bioinformatics, her work aims to identify key regulatory programs driving disease evolution and reveal potential therapeutic targets. 
She holds an M.Sc. in Applied Genetics from Ilia State University, Georgia, and a B.Sc. in biotechnology from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland.