Magdalena Maria Gorska, MD, PhD

Special Interests

Research Interests

Dr. Gorska’s lab studies non-genetic inheritance of allergic diseases.

It is increasingly recognized that non-DNA sequence-based information can be inherited across several generations in organisms ranging from yeast to plants to humans. This information emerges as a result of parental interactions with an environment or due to parental disease. The non-genetic inheritance is postulated to contribute to the development of allergies and asthma. In epidemiological studies, childhood asthma positively associates with maternal stress and maternal exposures to air pollutants, and negatively, with maternal exposure to microorganisms and microbial products present in the farming environment.  Mechanisms how maternal environment and health status affect predisposition to asthma in offspring are unclear. Dr. Gorska’s lab is focused on addressing these knowledge gaps.

The goals of the lab are to define maternal information that is gained and transmitted to offspring or lost and not transferred to offspring, elucidate routes of information transfer (placenta, breast milk, gametes), delineate offspring cells and pathways that are programmed by this information, and study how these cells and pathways contribute to the development of asthma. The lab has particular interest in cells and pathways of the immune system. The translational goals are to identify early-life biomarkers of predisposition to asthma in humans and define molecular targets for development of preventive drugs.

To accomplish these goals, the lab uses mouse models, human cord blood samples, blood samples from young children with asthma, high-parameter flow cytometry, bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing, ATAC-sequencing, and many other state-of-the-art methods and techniques in immunology, developmental biology and biochemistry.

Education

Education

2010

Medical University of Lodz, Poland, Habilitation degree

2007

Medical University of Lodz, Poland, PhD

1999

Medical University of Lodz, Poland, MD

Fellowship

2002 - 2004

National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, Postdoctoral Fellowship

1999 - 2002

University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, Postdoctoral Fellowship

Awards & Recognition

2023: Election to American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
2020-2025: R01AI143837
2015-2024: R01HL122995
2017: G. Barsumian, M.D. Memorial Fund Grant Award
2015: National Jewish Health Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award
2014-2015: American Lung Association Biomedical Research Grant
2012-2013: Denver Children’s Environmental Health Center Faculty Development Award (NIEHS PO1 ES-018181 and EPA GAD 834515010)
2011-2014: Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) KL2 Research Scholar Award (NIH, KL2 TR001080)
2011-2013: Sheldon C. Siegel Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Investigator Grant Award
2011: DOM Basic Science Section Grant
2010-2011: CCTSI Junior Faculty Pilot Award (NIH, UL1 TR001082)
2005-2006: American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Interest Section Award
2000-2002: University of Texas James W. McLaughlin Award
1998-1999: Ministry of Health Scholarship for Academic Excellence (Poland)
1993-1998: Lodz Medical School Scholarship for Academic Excellence (Poland)
1992-1993: Polish Children Fund Scholarship

Professional Memberships

American Society for Clinical Investigation
American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology
American Association of Immunologists
Collegium Internationale Allergologicum

Publications

Qian Q, Chowdhury BP, Sun Z, Lenberg J, Alam R, Vivier E, Gorska MM. Maternal diesel particle exposure promotes offspring asthma through NK cell-derived granzyme B [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 29]. J Clin Invest. 2020;130324. doi:10.1172/JCI130324. PMID: 32407293
 
Lenberg J, Qian Q, Sun Z, Alam R, Gorska MM. Pre-pregnancy exposure to diesel exhaust predisposes offspring to asthma through IL-1β and IL-17A. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018, 141:1118-1122.e3. PMCID: PMC5844783.
 
Manners S, Alam R, Schwartz DA, Gorska MM. A mouse model links asthma susceptibility to prenatal exposure to diesel exhaust. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014, 134:63-72.e7. PMCID: PMC4065237.
 
Gorska MM, Alam R. A mutation in the human Uncoordinated 119 gene impairs TCR signaling and is associated with CD4 lymphopenia. Blood. 2012, 119:1399-1406. PMCID: PMC3286207
 
Gorska MM, Stafford S, Liang Q, Goplen N, Dharajiya N, Guo L, Sur S, Gaestel M, Alam R. MK2 controls the level of negative feedback in the NF-κB pathway and is essential for endothelial permeability and airway inflammation. J. Exp. Med. 2007, 204:1637-1652. PMCID: PMC2118652
 
Gorska MM, Stafford SJ, Cen O, Sur S, and Alam R. Unc119, a Novel Activator of Lck/Fyn, is Essential for T Cell Activation. J. Exp. Med. 2004, 199:369-379. PMCID: PMC2211793

Academic Affiliations

Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Jewish Health
Professor, Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, National Jewish Healt
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Immunology Graduate Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado

Teaching & Professional Positions

Associate Program Director of Research, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Fellowship Program, University of Colorado/National Jewish Health
Training Faculty Member, Immunology Graduate Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Colorado
Training Faculty Member, Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado

Mentoring

I am committed to mentoring and developing the next generation of scientists. I completed several courses on mentoring and DEI, including the CCTSI CO-Mentor Training, CU Medicine ORE Bystander/Upstander Training, CU DEI Training for MSTP Admission Committee and NJH DEI Training.

Website Information

Gorska Laboratory

Conflicts of Interest

National Jewish Health physicians and scientists may collaborate with pharmaceutical or other industries to develop medical and scientific breakthroughs or to provide education on trends in quality medical practice and outcomes to physicians and health professionals around the country. National Jewish Health maintains a strict conflict of interest policy to ensure that all potential conflicts are clearly visible and that management plans are put in place in order to further innovation and education while ensuring the protection of our patients and the integrity of our research. National Jewish Health publicly discloses any payment to our physicians or scientists. View this faculty member’s industry relationships and collaborations.