Profile

Contact Details

Email: magda.ratajska@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position

Research Fellow

Department

Department of Pathology (Dunedin)

Qualifications

MSc PhD DSc

Research summary

Cancer genetics

Teaching

I hold a postgraduate diploma in pedagogy; Technical University of Gdansk, Poland. At Otago I have taught ELM 2 and ELM 3.

Memberships

Gynaecological Cancer League (GCL), New Zealand
New Zealand Society for Oncology
Maurice Wilkins Centre Affiliate Investigator, New Zealand
MelNet- Melanoma Network of New Zealand
Polish Society of Human Genetics
Scientific Society of Gdansk, Poland

Research

Since the beginning of my career, I have been involved in breast/ovarian cancer research. I was fortunate to be guided by exceptional mentors who supported my growth as a scientist.

My main focus of interest are:

Role of pathogenic variants in moderate and low-penetrant genes in predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer
Role of alternative mRNA splicing and alternative isoforms in the pathogenesis of breast and ovarian cancer (including a role of the BARD1 gene in the pathobiology of triple-negative breast cancer)
Application of liquid biopsies (cell-free tumour DNA; ctDNA) in clinical diagnostic (targeted therapies in solid tumours) and the identification of potential prognostic markers
combining knowledge of genetic and epigenetic alterations and their impact on cancer progression and therapy resistance and understanding further cancer biology

Career achievements

Being a woman and a scientist in the early 2000s was challenging. Still, I successfully managed a full-time position as an Assistant Research Fellow while also carrying out my doctoral training at the Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. A major outcome from my PhD was the development of the 1-line diagnostic assay for BRCA1 screening, which has since helped diagnose approximately 8000 women at high risk of cancer.

During my PhD and post-doctoral research, I have developed considerable experience in analysing moderate/low penetrant genes linked to breast/ovarian cancer predisposition (resulting in one of the first articles indicating the BARD1 gene as a possible risk factor).

Moving to New Zealand and starting my appointment at the University of Otago (2019) raised my awareness of nationwide inequality in breast and ovarian cancer management, especially among Maori and Pacifica women. In addition, while working at the Otago, I received extensive training in epigenetic analyses and have applied this knowledge to better understand breast and ovarian cancer pathogenesis. I have established strong national and international linkages with genetic experts (scientific and clinical) and key policy advocates (e.g. Te Ahu o Te Kahu). From this position, I will seek to translate new discoveries from genomics research into clinical care.

Publications

Jasiak, A., Anderson, L., Neumann, S., Wasag, B., Weeks, R., Walker, L., Cunliffe, H., & Ratajska, M. (2023, September). Adaptive homeostasis as a possible non-genetic regulator of BRCA1/2 splicing in ovarian cancer. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference, Napier, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Ratajska, M., Sette, C., & Cunliffe, H. E. (2023). 365 days of progress in cancer genetics. Frontiers in Oncology, 13. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1270902 Journal - Research Other

Jasiak, A., Koczkowska, M., Stukan, M., Wydra, D., Biernat, W., Izycka-Swieszewska, E., … Eccles, M. R., Walker, L., … Ratajska, M. (2023). Analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 alternative splicing in predisposition to ovarian cancer. Experimental & Molecular Pathology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2023.104856 Journal - Research Article

Suszynska, M., Ratajska, M., Ryszkowska, A., Debniak, J., Wydra, D., Cybulski, C., … Kozlowski, P. (2022). Analysis of BARD1, PRDM9, RCC1, and RECQL in patients with ovarian cancer by targeted next-generation sequencing of DNA pools. European Journal of Human Genetics, 30(Suppl. 1), (pp. 418). doi: 10.1038/s41431-021-01026-1 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Suszynska, M., Ratajska, M., Galka-Marciniak, P., Ryszkowska, A., Wydra, D., Debniak, J., … Kozlowski, P. (2022). Variant identification in BARD1, PRDM9, RCC1, and RECQL in patients with ovarian cancer by targeted next-generation sequencing of DNA pools. Cancer Prevention Research, 15(3), 151-160. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-21-0295 Journal - Research Article

2023

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Ratajska, M., Sette, C., & Cunliffe, H. E. (2023). 365 days of progress in cancer genetics. Frontiers in Oncology, 13. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1270902

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

2022

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2021

Journal - Research Article

Łukasiewicz, M., Pastuszak, K., Łapińska-Szumczyk, S., Różański, R., In 't Veld, S. G. J. G., Bieńkowski, M., … Ratajska, M., … Jassem, J. (2021). Diagnostic accuracy of liquid biopsy in endometrial cancer. Cancers, 13, 5731. doi: 10.3390/cancers13225731

Pilyugin, M., Ratajska, M., Stukan, M., Concin, N., Zeillinger, R., & Irminger-Finger, I. (2021). BARD1 autoantibody blood test for early detection of ovarian cancer. Genes, 12, 969. doi: 10.3390/genes12070969

Golden, E., Rashwan, R., Woodward, E. A., Sgro, A., Wang, E., Sorolla, A., … Ratajska, M., … Blancafort, P. (2021). The oncogene AAMDC links P13K-AKT-mTOR signaling with metabolic reprograming in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Nature Communications, 12, 1920. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22101-7

McDougall, L. I., Powell, R. M., Ratajska, M., Lynch-Sutherland, C. F., Hossain, S. M., Wiggins, G. A. R., … Motwani, J., Macaulay, E. C., Reid, G., Walker, L. C., … Eccles, M. R. (2021). Differential expression of BARD1 isoforms in melanoma. Genes, 12(2), 320. doi: 10.3390/genes12020320

2020

Journal - Research Article

Suszynska, M., Ratajska, M., & Kozlowski, P. (2020). BRIP1, RAD51C, and RAD51D mutations are associated with high susceptibility to ovarian cancer: Mutation prevalence and precise risk estimates based on a pooled analysis of ~30,000 cases. Journal of Ovarian Research, 13(1), 50. doi: 10.1186/s13048-020-00654-3

2019

Journal - Research Article

Wiczling, P., Daghir-Wojtkowiak, E., Kaliszan, R., Markuszewski, M. J., Limon, J., Koczkowska, M., … Ratajska, M. (2019). Bayesian multilevel model of micro RNA levels in ovarian-cancer and healthy subjects. PLoS ONE, 14(8), e0221764. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221764

Suszynska, M., Kluzniak, W., Wokolorczyk, D., Jakubowska, A., Huzarski, T., Gronwald, J., … Ratajska, M., … Kozlowski, P. (2019). BARD1 is a low/moderate breast cancer risk gene: Evidence based on an association study of the Central European p.Q564x recurrent mutation. Cancers, 11(6), 740. doi: 10.3390/cancers11060740

2018

Journal - Research Article

Koczkowska, M., Krawczynska, N., Stukan, M., Kuzniacka, A., Brozek, I., Sniadecki, M., … Ratajska, M. (2018). Spectrum and prevalence of pathogenic variants in ovarian cancer susceptibility genes in a group of 333 patients. Cancers, 10(11), 442. doi: 10.3390/cancers10110442

2017

Journal - Research Article

Szutowicz-Kielińska, E., Konopa, K., Kowalczyk, A., Suszko-Każarnowicz, M., Duchnowska, R., Szczęsna, A., Ratajska, M., … Dziadziuszko, R. (2017). An open label phase II study evaluating first-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib in non-small cell lung cancer patients with tumors showing high EGFR gene copy number. Oncotarget, 8(10), 17270-17278. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.13793

Ratajska, M., Koczkowska, M., Żuk, M., Gorczyński, A., Kuźniacka, A., Stukan, M., … Wasąg, B. (2017). Detection of BRCA1/2 mutations in circulating tumor DNA from patients with ovarian cancer. Oncotarget, 8(60), 101325-101332. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.20722

Pilyugin, M., André, P.-A., Ratajska, M., Kuzniacka, A., Limon, J., Tournier, B. B., … Irminger-Finger, I. (2017). Antagonizing functions of BARD1 and its alternatively spliced variant BARD1δ in telomere stability. Oncotarget, 8(6), 9339-9353. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14068

Klonowska, K., Kluzniak, W., Rusak, B., Jakubowska, A., Ratajska, M., Krawczynska, N., … Kozlowski, P. (2017). The 30 kb deletion in the APOBEC3 cluster decreases APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B expression and creates a transcriptionally active hybrid gene but does not associate with breast cancer in the European population. Oncotarget, 8(44), 76357-76374. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.19400

2016

Journal - Research Article

Koczkowska, M., Zuk, M., Gorczynski, A., Ratajska, M., Lewandowska, M., Biernat, W., … Wasag, B. (2016). Detection of somatic BRCA1/2 mutations in ovarian cancer: Next-generation sequencing analysis of 100 cases. Cancer Medicine, 5(7), 1640-1646. doi: 10.1002/cam4.748

Journal - Research Other

Irminger-Finger, I., Ratajska, M., & Pilyugin, M. (2016). New concepts on BARD1: Regulator of BRCA pathways and beyond. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 72, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2015.12.008

2015

Journal - Research Article

Klonowska, K., Ratajska, M., Czubak, K., Kuzniacka, A., Brozek, I., Koczkowska, M., … Kozlowski, P. (2015). Analysis of large mutations in BARD1 in patients with breast and/or ovarian cancer: The Polish population as an example. Scientific Reports, 5, 10424. doi: 10.1038/srep10424

Kreimann, E. L., Ratajska, M., Kuzniacka, A., Demacopulo, B., Stukan, M., & Limon, J. (2015). A novel splicing mutation in the SLC9A3R1 gene in tumors from ovarian cancer patients. Oncology Letters, 10(6), 3722-3726. doi: 10.3892/ol.2015.3796

Ratajska, M., Krygier, M., Stukan, M., Kuźniacka, A., Koczkowska, M., Dudziak, M., … Wasąg, B. (2015). Mutational analysis of BRCA1/2 in a group of 134 consecutive ovarian cancer patients. Novel and recurrent BRCA1/2 alterations detected by next generation sequencing. Journal of Applied Genetics, 56(2), 193-198. doi: 10.1007/s13353-014-0254-5

Ronowicz, A., Janaszak-Jasiecka, A., Skokowski, J., Madanecki, P., Bartoszewski, R., Bałut, M., … Ratajska, M., … Piotrowski, A. (2015). Concurrent DNA copy-number alterations and mutations in genes related to maintenance of genome stability in uninvolved mammary glandular tissue from breast cancer patients. Human Mutation, 36(11), 1088-1099. doi: 10.1002/humu.22845

Ratajska, M., Matusiak, M., Kuzniacka, A., Wasag, B., Brozek, I., Biernat, W., … Irminger-Finger, I. (2015). Cancer predisposing BARD1 mutations affect exon skipping and are associated with overexpression of specific BARD1 isoforms. Oncology Reports, 34(5), 2609-2617. doi: 10.3892/or.2015.4235

Journal - Research Other

Bogdanova, N., Togo, A. V., Ratajska, M., Kluźniak, W., Takhirova, Z., Tarp, T., … Dörk, T. (2015). Prevalence of the BLM nonsense mutation, p.Q548X, in ovarian cancer patients from Central and Eastern Europe [Short communication]. Familial Cancer, 14(1), 145-149. doi: 10.1007/s10689-014-9748-x

2013

Journal - Research Article

Kuzniacka, A., Wierzba, J., Ratajska, M., Lipska, B. S., Koczkowska, M., Malinowska, M., & Limon, J. (2013). Spectrum of NIPBL gene mutations in Polish patients with Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Journal of Applied Genetics, 54(1), 27-33. doi: 10.1007/s13353-012-0126-9

2012

Journal - Research Article

Brozek, I., Ratajska, M., Piatkowska, M., Kluska, A., Balabas, A., Dabrowska, M., … Limon, J. (2012). Limited significance of family history for presence of BRCA1 gene mutation in Polish breast and ovarian cancer cases. Familial Cancer, 11(3), 351-354. doi: 10.1007/s10689-012-9519-5

Ratajska, M., Antoszewska, E., Piskorz, A., Brozek, I., Borg, Å., Kusmierek, H., … Limon, J. (2012). Cancer predisposing BARD1 mutations in breast-ovarian cancer families. Breast Cancer Research & Treatment, 131(1), 89-97. doi: 10.1007/s10549-011-1403-8

2011

Journal - Research Article

Brozek, I., Cybulska, C., Ratajska, M., Piatkowska, M., Kluska, A., Balabas, A., … Limon, J. (2011). Prevalence of the most frequent BRCA1 mutations in Polish population. Journal of Applied Genetics, 52(3), 325-330. doi: 10.1007/s13353-011-0040-6

Journal - Research Other

Wierzba, J., Kuzniacka, A., Ratajska, M., Lipska, B. S., Kardas, I., Iliszko, M., & Limon, J. (2011). Cornelia de Lange syndrome associated with a de-novo novel NIPBL splice-site mutation and a coincidental inherited translocation t(3;5)(p13;q11). Clinical Dysmorphology, 20(4), 222-224. doi: 10.1097/MCD.0b013e3283455175

2010

Journal - Research Article

Ratajska, M., Wierzba, J., Pehlivan, D., Xia, Z., Brundage, E. K., Cheung, S. W., … Limon, J. (2010). Cornelia de Lange syndrome case due to genomic rearrangements including NIPBL. European Journal of Medical Genetics, 53(6), 378-382. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2010.08.002

Niedoszytko, M., Ratajska, M., Chelmińska, M., Makowiecki, M., Malek, E., Siemińska, A., … Jassem, E. (2010). The angiotensinogen AGT p.M235T gene polymorphism may be responsible for the development of severe anaphylactic reactions to insect venom allergens. International Archives of Allergy & Immunology, 153(2), 166-172. doi: 10.1159/000312634

2009

Journal - Research Article

Brożek, I., Ochman, K., Dębniak, J., Morzuch, L., Ratajska, M., Stepnowska, M., … Limon, J. (2009). Loss of heterozygosity at BRCA1/2 loci in hereditary and sporadic ovarian cancers. Journal of Applied Genetics, 50(4), 379-384. doi: 10.1007/BF03195697

2008

Journal - Research Article

Brozek, I., Ochman, K., Debnik, J., Morzuch, L., Ratajska, M., Stepnowska, M., … Limon, J. (2008). High frequency of BRCA1/2 germline mutations in consecutive ovarian cancer patients in Poland. Gynecologic Oncology, 108(2), 433-437. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2007.09.035

Ratajska, M., Brozek, I., Senkus-Konefka, E., Jassem, J., Stepnowska, M., Palomba, G., … Limon, J. (2008). BRCA1 and BRCA2 point mutations and large rearrangements in breast and ovarian cancer families in Northern Poland. Oncology Reports, 19(1), 263-268. doi: 10.3892/or.19.1.263

2006

Journal - Research Article

Brożek, I., Kardaś, I., Ochman, K., Dębniak, J., Stukan, M., Ratajska, M., … Limon, J. (2006). HER2 amplification has no prognostic value in sporadic and hereditary ovarian tumours. Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice, 4(1), 39-42. doi: 10.1186/1897-4287-4-1-39

2005

Journal - Research Article

Majdak, E. J., De Bock, G. H., Brozek, I., Perkowska, M., Ochman, K., Debniak, J., … Devilee, P. (2005). Prevalence and clinical correlations of BRCA1/BRCA2 unclassified variant carriers among unselected primary ovarian cancer cases: Preliminary report. European Journal of Cancer, 41(1), 143-150. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2004.10.011

2003

Journal - Research Article

Menkiszak, J., Gronwald, J., Górski, B., Jakubowska, A., Huzarski, T., Byrski, T., … Perkowska, M., … Lubiński, J. (2003). Hereditary ovarian cancer in Poland. International Journal of Cancer, 106(6), 942-945. doi: 10.1002/ijc.11338

Journal - Research Other

Perkowska, M., Brozek, I., Wysocka, B., Haraldsson, K., Sandberg, T., Johansson, U., … Limon, J. (2003). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation analysis in breast-ovarian cancer families from northeastern Poland. Human Mutation, 21(5), 553-554. doi: 10.1002/humu.9139

2001

Journal - Research Article

Perkowska, M., Szczygieł, M., & Woźniak, A. (2001). Influence of diethylenetriamine (DETA) and sodium nitroprusside (NaNP) on sister chromatid exchange frequency and cell kinetics in cultured human lymphocytes. Journal of Applied Genetics, 42(2), 233-235.