krzysztof-czaja
Krzysztof Czaja, PhD, DVM
Associate Professor of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging

College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
Phone: (509) 592-7954
Email: czajak@uga.edu

Education

Degree Year Field of study
Intern 1991-1992 Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland (Neuroscience)
D.V.M. 1993 Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland (Veterinary Medicine)
* 1995 *NCB Specialist: Department of Biological Structures, Functions and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, University “Federico II”, Naples, Italy (Neuroscience)
Ph.D. 1997 Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland (Neuroscience)
** 1997 **Plastination Specialist: The Institute for Plastination and The Anatomical Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany (Plastination methods PEM 27, P 40)
Postdoc 1999,2001, 2003 United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Physiology Research Unit, Athens, Georgia, USA (Trans-synaptic tracing)
Postdoc 2004-2007 Department of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology (VCAPP), Washington State University (WSU), Pullman, WA, USA (Feeding behavior)

Biography

Krzysztof Czaja, Associate Professor at University of Georgia in Athens, received his D.V.M. in 1993 from the Veterinary Medicine College at Academy of Agriculture and Technology in Olsztyn, Poland. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroanatomy from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland in 1997. From 1997-2007 he did postdoctoral work at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland; the Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany and United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Physiology Research Unit, Athens, GA, USA. In 2007, he was appointed to the faculty as an Assistant Professor at Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. In 2015, Dr. Czaja joined the Veterinary Biosciences & Diagnostic Imaging Department at University of Georgia in Athens. He is an author of over 50 peer-reviewed research papers and several book chapters.


Research Interest

  • Obesity
  • Diet
  • Microbiota
  • Vagus nerve
  • Neuroanatomy

Scientific Activities

Professional Experience
1992-1993 Technician: Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland. (Research Associate: 100%)
1993-1997 Research Assistant/Ph.D. Student: Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland. (Research: 60%; Teaching: 40%- Gross Anatomy, Comparative Animal Anatomy, And Clinical Anatomy)
1995-2001 Member: Warmia and Mazury Veterinary Chamber
1997-1998 Postdoc Fellow: Academy of Agriculture and Technology, Olsztyn, Poland. (Research: 50%; Teaching: 50%- Gross Anatomy, Comparative Animal Anatomy, and Clinical Anatomy)
1998-2004 Adjunct Professor: University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland. (Research: 50%; Teaching: 50%- Gross Anatomy, Comparative Animal Anatomy, and Clinical Anatomy)
2002-2004 Public Council of Hospitals:
Voivodeship Representative
Voivodeship Ecological Council– Secretary
2004-2007 Research Assistant Professor: VCAPP Department, WSU, Pullman, WA, USA. (Research: 100%)
2007-2008 Clinical Assistant Professor: VCAPP Department, WSU, Pullman, WA, USA. (Research: 50%; Teaching: 50%- Gross Anatomy)
2008-2014 Assistant Professor: VCAPP Department, WSU, Pullman, WA, USA. (Research: 45%; Teaching: 45%- Gross Anatomy; Service: 10%)
2014-2015 Associate Professor: IPN, WSU, Pullman, WA, USA. (Research: 45%; Teaching: 45%- Gross Anatomy; Service: 10%)
2015-present Associate Professor: VBDI, UGA, Athens, GA, USA. (Research: 45%; Teaching: 45%- Gross Anatomy; Service: 10%)
Honors and Awards
1993 Outstanding Veterinary Medicine Graduate Student, University of Warmia and Mazury Olsztyn, Poland
1998 Outstanding PhD Thesis, Prime Minister of Poland
1999 Award of Olsztyn Science Forum, President of City of Olsztyn, Poland
1999 USDA Award for Polish-American Science Promotion, Athens, GA, USA
2000 Presidential Award, University of Warmia and Mazury Olsztyn, Poland
2009 Awarded the WSU Honors College Faculty Thesis Advisor of the Year 2009
2009 Nominated the WSU 2009 Mentor of the Year Awards Program
2012 Award of Excellence for Outstanding Performance and Lasting Contributions as a Faculty Advisor, GPSA, WSU (Fall 2011)
2014 Jerry Newbrey Teaching Scholar

Publications

  1. AC Vaughn, EM Cooper, PM DiLorenzo, LJ O’Loughlin, ME Konkel, JH Peters, A Hajnal, T Sen, SH Lee, CB de La Serre, K Czaja (2017) Energy‑dense diet triggerschanges in gutmicrobiota, reorganization of gut‑brainvagalcommunication and increases body fataccumulation. ActaNeurobExp77: 18–30.
  2. T Sen, CR Cawthon, BT Ihde, A Hajnal, PM DiLorenzo, B Claire, K Czaja (2017) Diet-driven microbiota dysbiosis isassociated with vagalremodeling and obesity. Physiology & Behavior 173, 305-317.
  3. Ballsmider LA, Vaughn AC, David M, Hajnal A, Di Lorenzo PM, Czaja K (2015) Sleevegastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass alter the gut-braincommunication. NeuralPlast 2015:601985.
  4. Gallaher ZR, Johnston ST, Czaja K (2014) Neuralproliferation in the dorsalrootganglia of the adult rat followingcapsaicin-inducedneuronaldeath. J CompNeurol 522:3295-3307.
  5. Peters JH, Gallaher ZR, Ryu V, Czaja K (2013) Withdrawal and restoration of central vagalafferentswithin the dorsalvagalcomplexfollowing subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. J CompNeurol 521:3584-3599.
  6. Campos CA, Wright JS, Czaja K, Ritter RC (2012) CCK-InducedReduction of Food Intake and Hindbrain MAPK SignalingAreMediated by NMDA Receptor Activation. Endocrinology 153:2633-2646.
  7. Czaja K, Fornaro M, Geuna S (2012) Neurogenesis in the adultperipheralnervous system. NeuralRegenerationResearch 7:1047-1054.
  8. Czaja K (2012) The neuralbutterflyeffect The injury to peripheralnerveschanges the brain. NeuralRegenerationResearch 7:1045-1046.
  9. Gallaher ZR, Ryu V, Herzog T, Ritter RC, Czaja K (2012) Changes in microglialactivationwithin the hindbrain, nodose ganglia, and the spinalcordfollowing subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. NeurosciLett 513:31-36.
  10. Johnston S, Gallaher Z, Czaja K (2012) Exogenousreferencegenenormalization for real-timereversetranscription-polymerasechainreactionanalysisunderdynamicendogenoustranscription. NeuralRegenerationResearch 7:1064-1072.
  11. Ronchi G, Ryu V, Fornaro M, Czaja K (2012) Hippocampalplasticityafter a vagus nerveinjury in the rat. NeuralRegenerationResearch 7:1055-1063.
  12. Winters BD, Kruger JM, Huang X, Gallaher ZR, Ishikawa M, Czaja K, Krueger JM, Huang YH, Schluter OM, Dong Y (2012) Cannabinoid receptor 1-expressing neurons in the nucleusaccumbens. Proc NatlAcadSci U S A 109:2717-2725.
  13. Gallaher ZR, Ryu V, Larios RM, Sprunger LK, Czaja K (2011) Neuralproliferation and restoration of neurochemicalphenotypes and compromisedfunctionsfollowingcapsaicin-inducedneuronaldamage in the nodose ganglion of the adult rat. Front Neurosci 5:12.
  14. Czaja K, Czaja W.E., Giacobini-Robecchi M, Geuna S, Fornaro M (2011) Injury-induced DNA replication and neuralproliferation in the adultmammaliannervous system. DNA Replication and Related Cellular Processes. Intech, pp. 259-282.
  15. Wright J, Campos C, Herzog T, Covasa M, Czaja K, Ritter RC (2011) Reduction of food intake by cholecystokininrequiresactivation of hindbrain NMDA-typeglutamatereceptors. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory Integrative and ComparativePhysiology301:R448-R455.
  16. Brown TE, Lee BR, Ryu V, Herzog T, Czaja K, Dong Y (2010) ReducingHippocampal Cell Proliferation in the Adult Rat Does Not Prevent the Acquisition of Cocaine-inducedConditioned Place Preference. NeurosciLett 481:41-46.
  17. Gallaher ZR, Larios RM, Ryu V, Sprunger LK, Czaja K (2010) Recovery of viscerosensoryinnervation from the dorsalrootganglia of the adult rat followingcapsaicin-inducedinjury. J CompNeurol 518:3529-3540.
  18. Ryu V, Gallaher Z, Czaja K (2010) Plasticity of nodose ganglion neuronsaftercapsaicin- and vagotomy-inducednervedamage in adultrats. Neuroscience 167:1227-1238.
  19. Geuna S, Raimondo S, Ronchi G, Di SF, Tos P, Czaja K, Fornaro M (2009) Chapter 3 histology of the peripheralnerve and changesoccurringduringnerveregeneration. IntRevNeurobiol 87:27-46.
  20. Czaja K, Burns GA, Ritter RC (2008) Capsaicin-inducedneuronaldeath and proliferation of the primary sensory neuronslocated in the nodose ganglia of adultrats. Neuroscience 154:621-630.
  21. Czaja K, Barb CR, Kraeling RR (2007) Hypothalamicneuronsinnervatingfattissue in the pig express leptin receptor immunoreactivity. NeurosciLett 425:6-11.
  22. Czaja K, Burns GA, Ritter RC (2007) Hindbrainglutamatergiccontrol of mealsize: Evidence for participation of specific N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) phenotypes on myelinatedvagalafferentneurons. Appetite 49:285.
  23. Czaja K (2006) Transsynapticconnectionsbetween the hypothalamus and adiposetissue: relationship to reproduction. SocReprodFertilSuppl 62:45-53.
  24. Czaja K, Ritter RC, Burns GA (2006) N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunitphenotypes of vagalafferentneurons in nodose ganglia of the rat. J CompNeurol 496:877-885.
  25. Czaja K, Ritter RC, Burns GA (2006) Vagalafferentneuronsprojecting to the stomach and small intestineexhibitmultiple N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunitphenotypes. Brain Res 1119:86-93.
  26. Czaja K, Kaleczyc J, Sienkiewicz W, Lakomy M (2005) The influence of experimentalileitis on the neuropeptidecoding of entericneurons in the pig. Pol J Vet Sci 8:155-163.
  27. Barb CR, Hausman GJ, Czaja K (2005) Leptin: A metabolicsignalaffecting central regulation of reproduction in the pig. Domest Anim Endocrinol 29:186-192.
  28. Klimczuk M, Kaleczyc J, Franke-Radowiecka A, Czaja K, Podlasz P, Lakomy M (2005) Immunohistochemicalcharacterisation of cholinergicnervefibressupplyingaccessorygenitalglands in the pig. VeterinarniMedicina 50:119-130.
  29. Sienkiewicz W, Kaleczyc J, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2004) Adrenergic, nitrergic and peptidergicinnervation of the urethralmuscle in the boar. Folia HistochemCytobiol 42:89-94.
  30. Czaja K, Kraeling RR, Barb CR (2003) Arehypothalamicneuronstranssynapticallyconnected to porcineadiposetissue? BiochemBiophys Res Commun 311:482-485.
  31. Kaleczyc J, Sienkiewicz W, Klimczuk M, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2003) Differences in the chemicalcoding of nervefibressupplying major populations of neuronsbetween the caudalmesenteric ganglion and anteriorpelvic ganglion in the malepig. Folia HistochemCytobiol 41:201-211.
  32. Kaleczyc J, Wasowicz K, Klimczuk M, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2003) Immunohistochemicalcharacterisation of cholinergicneurons in the anteriorpelvic ganglion of the malepig. Folia HistochemCytobiol 41:65-72.
  33. Pidsudko Z, Wasowicz K, Sienkiewicz W, Kaleczyc J, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2003) The influence of inflammation on the expression of neuropeptides in the ileum-projectingprimary sensory neurones in the pig. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 62:235-237.
  34. Wojtarowicz A, Podlasz P, Czaja K (2003) Adrenergic and cholinergicinnervation of pulmonarytissue in the pig. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 62:215-218.
  35. Czaja K, Kraeling R, Klimczuk M, Franke-Radowiecka A, Sienkiewicz W, Lakomy M (2002) Distribution of ganglionicsympatheticneuronssupplying the subcutaneous, perirenal and mesenteryfattissuedepots in the pig. Acta NeurobiolExp (Wars ) 62:227-234.
  36. Czaja K (2002) Immunohistochemicalcharacterization of efferentneuronsinnervating the oviduct in the piglocated in the sympatheticchainganglia. VeterinarniMedicina 47:85-91.
  37. Czaja K, Lakomy M, Kaleczyc J, Barb CR, Rampacek GB, Kraeling RR (2002) Leptinreceptors, NPY, and tyrosinehydroxylase in autonomicneuronssupplyingfatdepots in a pig. BiochemBiophys Res Commun 293:1138-1144.
  38. Czaja K, Lakomy M, Sienkiewicz W, Kaleczyc J, Pidsudko Z, Barb CR, Rampacek GB, Kraeling RR (2002) Distribution of neuronscontainingleptinreceptors in the hypothalamus of the pig. BiochemBiophys Res Commun 298:333-337.
  39. Lakomy M, Kaleczyc J, Wasowicz K, Czaja K (2002) Immunohistochemicalstudy of the otic ganglion in the pig. Pol J Vet Sci 5:257-262.
  40. Wasowicz K, Podlasz P, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2002) Uterus-innervatingneurones of paracervical ganglion in the pig: immunohistochemicalcharacteristics. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 61:15-20.
  41. Majewski M, Kaleczyc J, Sienkiewicz W, Wasowicz W, Pidsudko Z, Czaja K, Lakomy M (2001) Immunocastration-inducedchanges in the pattern of the porcineseminalvesicleinnervation. Polish J Vet Sci 4:205-216.
  42. Czaja K, Wasowicz K, Klimczuk M, Podlasz P, Lakomy M (2001) Distribution and immunohistochemicalcharacterisation of paracervicalneuronsinnervating the oviduct in the pig. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 60:205-211.
  43. Czaja K, Kaleczyc J, Pidsudko Z, Franke-Radowiecka A, Lakomy M (2001) Distribution of efferentneuronesinnervating the oviduct in the pig. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 60:243-248.
  44. Sowinska J, Brzostowski H, Tanski Z, Czaja K (2001) The weaningstressresponse in lambs of differentage. Czech Journal of Animal Science 46:465-468.
  45. Wasowicz K, Kaleczyc J, Sienkiewicz W, Czaja K, Zivcik A, Lakomy M (2001) Influence of activeimmunizationagainstGnRH on VIP- and NPY-positiveinnervation of the porcinetestis. Folia HistochemCytobiol 39:269-274.
  46. Czaja K (2000) Distribution of primaryafferentneuronsinnervating the porcineoviduct and theirimmunohistochemicalcharacterization. CellsTissuesOrgans 166:275-282.
  47. Czaja K, Sienkiewicz W, Kaleczyc J, Wasowicz K, Majewski M, Lakomy M (2000) Innervation of the prostategland in the pigafterhormonalcastration. PolishJournal of VeterinarySciences 3:161-170.
  48. Czaja K, Kaleczyc J, Sienkiewicz W, Majewski M, Lakomy M (1996) Peptidergicinnervation of the porcineoviductstudied by double-labellingimmunohistochemistry. Folia HistochemCytobiol 34:141-150.
  49. Czaja K, Sienkiewicz W, Vittoria A, Costagliola A, Cecio A (1996) Neuroendocrinecells in the femaleurogenitaltract of the pig, and theirimmunohistochemicalcharacterization. Acta Anat (Basel) 157:11-19.
  50. Majewski M, Sienkiewicz W, Kaleczyc J, Mayer B, Czaja K, Lakomy M (1995) The distribution and co-localization of immunoreactivity to nitricoxidesynthase, vasoactiveintestinalpolypeptide and substance P withinnervefibressupplyingbovine and porcinefemalegenitalorgans. Cell Tissue Res 281:445-464.
  51. Czaja K, Majewski M, Klinkosz B, Kaleczyc J (1993) Adrenergic and acetylcholinesterase-positiveinnervation of the bovineoviduct. Folia Morphol (Warsz ) 52:151-159.

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