Where Curiosity Leads

“Challenging and fun!” That’s how Wojtowicz describes her time as a Ph.D. student at Coulter BME. She credits the program with teaching her perseverance and independence. Wojtowicz credits her support system, including her advisor Andrés García and her fellow graduate students, for helping her through the tough times. (Exploring Atlanta and salsa dancing with friends was also a great distraction!) 

Wojtowicz’s Ph.D. program also shaped the way she thought about research and communication. While practicing her first oral presentation at a conference, she found that her research on tissue engineering wasn’t resonating. As she refined her presentation, she found satisfaction in translating complex ideas for her audiences and saw how these improvements helped people better understand her research. It’s a concept that she emphasizes to colleagues and students to this day: how you communicate your work matters. 

As the Medical Director for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Lifecycle Management and Launch Strategy, Wojtowicz connects all the medical affairs functions that support a particular product. She coordinates the different medical teams to ensure everyone is working towards a common strategy. She also reviews scientific literature and materials.  

Her work currently focuses on a therapy for IBD, which includes Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease, that reduces inflammation by targeting a cell signaling pathway to prevent specific lymphocytes from entering the body’s gut tissue. Wojtowicz worked on a similar pathway for bone tissue as part of her Ph.D. research. 

Wojtowicz says that non-invasive imaging and new medicines in the pipeline are sure to change the future of IBD research. She’s also working to improve care for patients with IBD by supporting education programs in underserved areas and developing new medications for pediatric patients.