Biosketch:
Dr. Kozubowski received MS degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the Medical University of Warsaw and a doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Kelly Tatchell. He then conducted postdoctoral studies on establishment of cell polarity based on S. cerevisiae model in the laboratory of Dr. Danny Lew at Duke University, followed by studies on pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans in laboratories of Dr. Joseph Heitman, Dr. Andy Alspaugh, and Dr. John Perfect.

Research Summary:
Our research addresses fundamental questions about microbial pathogenesis and the interface between host and pathogen, based on human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans model. Our current studies focus on two major questions: What are the mechanisms that govern the formation of aneuploidy in C. neoformans during exposure to stress and antifungal drugs. 2. What are the mechanisms through which septins contribute to stress response and pathogenicity of C. neoformans.

Selected Publications:

1. Martinez Barrera S, Kozubowski L. Beyond division and morphogenesis: Considering the emerging roles of septins in plasma membrane homeostasis and cell wall integrity in human fungal pathogens. 2025, PLoS Pathog 21(6): e1013226. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013226

2. Kozubowski L, Berman J. The impact of phenotypic heterogeneity on fungal pathogenicity and drug resistance. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2025 Jan 14;49:fuaf001. doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuaf001. PMID: 39809571; PMCID: PMC11756289.

3. Martinez Barrera S, Hatchell E, Byrum SD, Mackintosh SG, Kozubowski L. Quantitative analysis of septin Cdc10 & Cdc3-associated proteome during stress response in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 17;19(12):e0313444. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313444. PMID: 39689097; PMCID: PMC11651612

4. Stempinski PR, Goughenour KD, du Plooy LM, Alspaugh JA, Olszewski MA, Kozubowski L. The Cryptococcus neoformans Flc1 Homologue Controls Calcium Homeostasis and Confers Fungal Pathogenicity in the Infected Hosts. mBio. 2022 Sep 28:e0225322. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02253-22. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36169198.

5. Stempinski PR, Zielinski JM, Dbouk NH, Huey ES, McCormack EC, Rubin AM, Chandrasekaran S, Kozubowski L. Genetic contribution to high temperature tolerance in Cryptococcus neoformans. Genetics. 2021 Mar 3;217(1):1-15. doi: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa009. PMID: 33683363.