TEAM PUBLICATIONS PROJECTS CONTACT LAB
Daniel Szulczyk, Associate Professor
Daniel Szulczyk, specializing in medical and health sciences, is affiliated with the Chair and Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw. He leads a research group focused on the design and synthesis of bioactive compounds.
His scientific interests focus on medicinal chemistry, particularly the synthesis of heterocyclic organic compounds and structure–activity relationships (SAR) studies. His work includes the design of new molecules with antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory potential, as well as the application of in silico methods and artificial intelligence to support drug discovery.
Education and Academic Degrees
· Associate Professor in Medical and Health Sciences (2021), discipline: pharmaceutical sciences – Medical University of Warsaw
· PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2013) – Medical University of Warsaw
· MSc in Chemistry (2008) – University of Warsaw
Scientific Profile
Daniel Szulczyk conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology. His work includes:
· design and synthesis of new heterocyclic derivatives,
· physicochemical and spectroscopic characterization of compounds,
· biological activity studies (in vitro and in vivo),
· structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis,
· molecular modeling and the use of AI tools in drug design.
The goal of his research is the identification of new substances with therapeutic potential.
Major Scientific Achievements
· initiator and main co-author of the European patent EP3679037 on novel 5-aminotetrazole derivatives with antibacterial and antifungal activity,
· co-author of publications in high-impact journals (including Drug Discovery Today, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry),
· principal investigator of a research project on modeling cancer cell responses using artificial intelligence methods,
· co-investigator in projects in clinical pharmacology and pharmacoeconomics.
Professional Experience
Daniel Szulczyk combines academic work with many years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has worked in international companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim and MSD, gaining experience in clinical research, R&D, drug registration, and reimbursement.
Scientific Activity and Research Direction
Currently, he is developing research on the application of computational methods and predictive models (including LLMs and AI) in the design of novel compounds with therapeutic potential integrating experimental and computational approaches in modern medicinal chemistry.
TEAM MEMBERS
-
Jolanta Szymańska-Majchrzak, PhD
Jolanta Szymańska-Majchrzak is an assistant professor at the Chair and Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw. She obtained her PhD in chemical sciences (organic chemistry) in 2014 at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, where she had previously completed her MSc studies in chemistry with a specialization in biological chemistry.
Her research interests in medicinal chemistry focus on the design and synthesis of new compounds with therapeutic potential and evaluation of their biological activity. Her research includes antimicrobial and anticancer agents, including modified derivatives of antibiotics/chemotherapeutics and molecules targeting bacterial enzyme inhibition.
A particular area of her interest is the development of tetrazole derivatives active against multidrug-resistant strains such as Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
In her work, she uses purification techniques (column chromatography, HPLC) and structural analysis methods (NMR, IR, MS), and is also involved in spectroscopic data interpretation.
She has participated in research on biochemical aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, including the analysis of 11β-HSD2 activity and fetal cortisol levels in the context of cesarean section, as well as projects on lipid composition, lipase activity, and lipophilic antioxidant content in human milk. She is also a co-author of studies on alpha-tocopherol levels in patients with uterine fibroids.
In her academic work, she teaches biochemistry to medical and dentistry students in both Polish and English.
PhD STUDENTS:
-
MSc Tomasz Szostek
Tomasz Szostek is a Master of Pharmacy and a PhD student at the Medical University of Warsaw, working in the field of medicinal chemistry, drug design, and modern computational methods supporting the discovery of biologically active compounds. He has also completed postgraduate studies in bioinformatics.
His research focuses on combining classical organic synthesis with in silico approaches, including predictive modeling, generative AI tools, structure–activity relationship analysis (QSAR), molecular docking, and interpretable models supporting drug candidate design.
His work develops an interdisciplinary approach combining medicinal chemistry, bioinformatics, and experimental validation. His goal is to create practical, scalable, and interpretable tools that accelerate the discovery of new anticancer therapies and improve the efficiency of modern drug discovery.