Joanna Sztuba-Solinska completed her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Virology) at Northern Illinois University, where her doctoral research focused on RNA biology, viral mechanisms, and immune-relevant regulation—an interest in RNA that, for better or worse, has followed her ever since.
She then joined the National Cancer Institute at the NIH, where she spent several years conducting translational research in molecular virology and RNA structure, collaborating across NIH institutes and learning firsthand how complex—and occasionally humbling—biological systems can be. Joanna later became a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Auburn University, where she built and led a multidisciplinary research program in viral immunology and RNA biology. During this time, she also taught virology, a course whose enrollment doubled during the pandemic, suggesting either excellent timing, effective teaching, or a sudden global appreciation for viruses.
Joanna eventually transitioned to industry, where she has held scientific leadership roles at Pfizer and Merck & Co., working across RNA vaccines, immunology, and translational assay development. Along the way, she has led and mentored teams, partnered with AI-enabled biotech collaborators, worked hands-on with next-generation sequencing technologies, and served as a subject matter expert supporting both discovery programs and licensed products. She has published extensively and particularly enjoys building scientific organizations and developing people—sometimes even more than troubleshooting assays.
Joanna looks forward to connecting in person and promises to keep RNA-related enthusiasm to socially acceptable levels. Until then, she can be reached anytime at sztubasolinska@gmail.com