Contact

julia.nguyen@pwr.edu.pl  
L-1, room 28
LinkedIn 

Research

I develop chemical tools such as probes and inhibitors to explore protease activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). My work integrates peptide chemistry and organic synthesis (supported by analytical techniques such as LC-MS, HPLC, and enzyme kinetic assays) to design and create fluorescent and metal-tagged probes for proteases. These tools are then validated and applied in cancer cell lines and patient-derived samples, including primary cells, bone marrow, and leukapheresis material. To investigate protease activity and their potential roles in cellular processes, I employ advanced analytical and cellular techniques such as mass cytometry (CyTOF) including the design of custom antibody panels for immunophenotyping B- and T-cell leukemia and a range of cellular assays (real-time live-cell imaging (IncuCyte), western blotting). Ultimately, my research aims to identify the proteases that are active in leukemic blasts and to define their functional roles in the mechanisms underlying drug resistance.

Scientific collaborations

Actively involved in a translational research project in collaboration with Prof. Vishva Dixit (Genentech, South San Francisco, California, USA), focused on the interface between fundamental cell death research and therapeutic development.

Participating in a research collaboration with Dr. Lisa Bouchier-Hayes (Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA), focused on the development and mechanistic evaluation of selective caspase-2 inhibitors in the context of hematologic cancers.

Contributor to a research project with Dr. Małgorzata Firczuk (Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences), focused on identifying protease-based biomarkers to assess CAR-T cell antitumor activity using mass cytometry and protease-selective chemical probes.

Collaborating with the group of Prof. Boris Turk (Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia) on a project focused on the development of selective cathepsin inhibitors.

Education 

2023 - to date  PhD in Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland. Analysis of proteolytic activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia using metal-tagged chemical probes

2022-2023 MSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland, Application of chemical markers to analyze the activity of proteolytic enzymes by mass cytometry.

2018-2022 BSc in Biotechnology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland, Synthesis of villin analogues with potential inhibitory activity against the interaction of SARS-Cov-2 S protein and human ACE2.

Conferences

Nguyen J., Ćwilichowska-Puślecka N., Łęcka M., Majchrzak M., Kotowska K. ,Al Mamun A., Firczuk M., Kałwak K., Mielcarek M., Poręba M., Profiling protease activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia with chemical probes. The 13^th General Meeting of the International Proteolysis Society, Buzios Brazil, 10/2025. (Best poster award)

Nguyen J., Ćwilichowska-Puślecka N., Poręba M.  The analysis of proteases in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia  with chemical probes. 42nd Winter School on Proteinases and Inhibitors, Tiers Italy, 03/2025

Nguyen J., Ćwilichowska-Puślecka N., Poręba M. 65 Zjazd Naukowy Polskiego Towarzystwa Chemicznego, Toruń Poland, 09/2023

Nguyen J., Groborz K., Salvesen , Poręba M.  Sondy chemiczne znakowane metalami do analizy aktywności enzymów proteolitycznych za pomocą cytometrii masowej. XIX Ogólnopolskie Seminarium Doktorantów i Studentów „Na pograniczu chemii i biologii”, Trzebieszowice Poland, 06/2023

Nguyen J., Groborz K., Salvesen G., Poręba M. Metal-labelled chemical probes to visualize proteases activity by mass cytometry. 27th edition of the Dutch Peptide Symposium, Leiden Netherlands, 04/2023

Publications 

J. Nguyen, M. Zabijak and M. Poreba, Chemical probes for enzyme imaging: challenges in design, synthesis and biomedical applications, Chem. Sci., 2025, doi: 10.1039/D5SC05683G

Groborz M.K, Truong E. M., Stowe I., Lee B. , Jones S. R, Plise E., Levy S. E,  Kou P., Lee P. W, Zhang J., Nguyen J., Kalinka M., Drag M., Kayagaki N., Newton K., Poreba M., Dixit M. V,  Delivery of caspase inhibitors through GSDMD pores to inhibit pyroptosis. bioRxiv preprint (2025) doi: 10.1101/2025.02.11.637513