Kaarina Kowalec, MSc, PhD

Research summary

What if we could improve the outcomes of those affected by severe psychiatric and neurological disorders using people's genes? We aim to do this via scientific discoveries using genomic, speciality clinic, and population-based data.

 

Research themes

Theme 1

Epidemiology and genomics of poor outcomes in schizophrenia, depression, and other psychiatric disorders

Theme 2

Epidemiology and genomics of poor outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic immunoinflammatory diseases

  • Keywords

    • Epidemiology
    • Genomics
    • Multiple sclerosis
    • Psychiatric genetics
    • Schizophrenia

  • Research groups

    PI, Kowalec Lab

  • Research affiliations

    Affiliated researcher, Karolinska Institutet

Leadership style

When I am leading my team, I think that being vulnerable is extremely important because it helps to keep an open dialogue with my team members and a supportive environment for which they can grow and learn.

I always want my team members to feel comfortable with approaching me with questions and want them to understand that there is no such thing as a 'bad' question.

I want everyone to feel supported and included in discussions about science and that they all have a voice.

Teaching philosophy

When I am teaching a course, I believe students should be versed in skills that can assist them in the real world, whether it is conducting research as a scientist, policy advisor, or for decision-making as a clinician.

In my experience, integrating innovative teaching methods (e.g., digital tools), alongside “tried and true” methods (e.g., lectures, discussion groups) are effective means to learn new concepts.

I also believe that the way in which we instruct courses and supervise graduate students should be an iterative process, with the overall goal to always be improving.

When I teach, I enjoy incorporating personal examples into the classroom to enhance engagement, including problem-based learning, using digital and online tools, and providing support for mental health.

Biography

Dr. Kowalec joined the College of Pharmacy in 2019 and is currently an associate professor. She has earned recognition from prominent organizations, including the United States Department of Defense Research Program, the National Institutes of Health, the European Commission (Horizon 2020), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Among her many honours are the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions European Fellowship and the Government of Canada Banting Fellowship.

During her PhD training alone, Dr. Kowalec received over 20 awards, amounting to more than $960,000 in personal salary awards and $1.85 million in peer-reviewed operating and team grants. Since joining the University of Manitoba, she has secured over $1 million in research funding.

Before her current role, Dr. Kowalec was a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Banting Fellow and a European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellow. She conducted her research at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, under Professor Patrick Sullivan in the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. There, she investigated poor outcomes in psychiatric disorders, such as treatment resistance and mortality, using Swedish National Register data and extensive genomic data.

Education

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Psychiatric Genetics, Karolinska Institutet, 2019
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Genomics, University of British Columbia, 2016
  • Master of Science (MSc), Viral Genetics, University of Manitoba, 2011

Awards

  • Sternfel's Prize for Drug Safety Discoveries Runner-Up (2019)
  • Canadian Society for Pharmacology & Therapeutics Ken Piafsky Award for Best Presentation (2016)
  • Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, PhD Studentship (2014)
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Drug Safety and Effectiveness Cross-Disciplinary Training Program Award (2013)
  • CIHR Banting and Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, University of British Columbia, 4-YF Fellowship, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, PhD Studentship (2011)
  • Manitoba Graduate Scholarship, University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (2008)

Dr. Kaarina Kowalec In the news

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Contact us

College of Pharmacy
Apotex Centre
750 McDermot Avenue West
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5 Canada

pharmacy@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9306
204-789-3744