Dr. Adam Lewandowski is a Biological Science Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Here is Dr. Lewandowski has to say about his time here at the University of Guelph and what his long term goals are. 

I completed my undergraduate studies in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Guelph in 2009. Upon graduation, I received the WC Winegard Medal, the Bruce Sells Bachelor of Science Academic Award for Excellence in Biological Programs, and the College of Biological Sciences Award for Academic Excellence. I was also awarded a prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship to fund my DPhil (PhD) studies in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

My time at Guelph was extremely busy and rewarding: I competed throughout my time as a varsity athlete in cross-country and track & field, volunteered on campus and in the community, and pushed myself academically. I am so grateful for the unique academic opportunities I received as a result of being in the College of Biological Sciences at Guelph, as the experiences and courses I took ultimately shaped my career path today. In particular, the Human Anatomy course with Dr Lorraine Jadeski and the Human Physiology course with Dr Coral Murrant really opened my eyes to the world of systems physiology. This exposure, along with my fourth year research project with Dr Jim Petrik, motivated me to apply to do my PhD at Oxford.

Since completing my doctorate in 2013, I have been working as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of Oxford. I am also a Research Fellow in Systems Physiology at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford and am responsible for cardiovascular, renal and respiratory physiology teaching for first and second year medical students at Oxford. My research focus is on the long-term impact of pregnancy complications, such as being born early (preterm), on offspring cardiovascular health and ways of reducing cardiovascular disease risk. I use multimodality imaging approaches, including cardiovascular magnetic resonance, ultrasound and microscopy, in observational studies and clinical trials of adults and children. Furthermore, I perform bench lab research using human blood samples from individuals studied using medical imaging to explore mechanistic pathways that may explain phenotypic changes. The fundamental knowledge and skills I learned in my studies at Guelph formed a foundation of understanding of key molecular, anatomical, and physiological concepts that I draw on daily as part of my research. I have now published over 40 original peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and my research has been widely featured by the media, including Forbes, CBS News, BBC News, the Guardian and the New York Times. My long-term intentions are to lead a research group of scientists, clinicians and other researchers in order to determine how best to reduce cardiovascular risk in preterm-born individuals.