Mariusz Z. Ratajczak, M.D., Ph.D, D.Sci d.hc is the Henry and Stella Hoenig Endowed Chair in Cancer Biology and the Director of the Developmental Biology Research Program at the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center. Dr. Ratajczak earned his M.D. at the Pomeranian Medical University and his Ph.D. and D.Sci at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. He also completed fellowships at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is an internationally known investigator in adult stem cell biology.  His 2005 discovery of embryonic-like stem cells in adult tissues could revolutionize regenerative medicine. This discovery provides an avenue to guide the development of new treatments for cancer, heart disease, eye disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Among Dr. Ratajczak’s prestigious awards are the 2014 Karl Landsteiner Award from the German Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immunotherapy, the 2008 President’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creativity from the University of Louisville, the distinguished recipient of the Cancer Researcher Award of the 2008 Year, the 2007 Mosaic Award from Jewish Family and Vocational Service, the 2006 Award in Medicine and Biology from the Foundation for Polish Sciences (highest scientific award in Poland), the 2004 Individual Award from the Polish Ministry of Health for Scientific Achievements and the 2002 Chad Kopple Spirit Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is editor-in-chief of the Stem Cell Reviews and Reports and section editor for Leukemia. He is also a member of the Editorial Boards of other distinguished journals, including the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cells, and Journal of Applied Genetics. He has published numerous books and peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide. Dr. Ratajczak has been elected as a foreign member of the Polish Academy of Art and Sciences and a member of the International Society of Experimental Hematology, the American Society for Cancer Research, and the American Society of Hematology. Most recently, Dr. Ratajczak was honored with the doctor’s honoris causa degree from the Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Dr. Ratajczak published > 650 papers, and numerous grants currently support his work. His Hirsch Factor = 90