Medical College of Georgia
Department of Physiology
Administration
Department of The Graduate School
Czepielewski's extensive academic journey began with a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, followed by a productive postdoctoral tenure at Washington University Medical School, St. Louis. Dr. Czepielewski's research is particularly focused on the interplay among chronic inflammation, immune responses, and the lymphatic vascular system, with a keen interest in inflammatory bowel diseases and cancer.
My teaching and research focus on immunology, interstitial fluid dynamics, lymphatic biology, and their roles in health and disease. I lecture in the Vascular Biology Center Graduate Program (Methods in Cardiovascular Biology) and Master in Medical Physiology (Medical Physiology I) on the microcirculation and lymphatic system, while also contributing instruction on imaging approaches and key concepts in immunology in other classes. I mentor graduate students in my research laboratory across the Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Vascular Biology Center graduate programs, and I lead the Immunology Center of Georgia Trainee Research in Progress Seminar series, a weekly trainee-only forum where graduate students and postdoctoral fellows present and critically discuss their ongoing work.
Dr. Rafael Czepielewski's research explores the complex relationship between chronic inflammation, immune responses, and lymphatic vascular systems, specifically in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases and cancer. The Czepielewski lab works in the crosstalk between immune cells, tertiary lymphoid structures, and lymphatic vessels. Utilizing advanced imaging techniques (confocal and intravital microscopy) along with immune profiling tools (spectral flow cytometry and scRNAseq), our group aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms that perpetuate inflammation and cancer progression. The ultimate goal is to leverage these insights to develop innovative therapeutic strategies for these currently unmet medical conditions.
