Katarzyna Szczepańska

e-mail: katarzyna.szczepanska@if-pan.edu.pl

phone: +48 12 66 23 319

Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MRKsxaYAAAAJ&hl=pl

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6110-9400

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katarzyna-Szczepanska

Research interests:

  • Drug design & development
  • Medicinal chemistry
  • Multi-target drug design
  • Histamine H3 receptor pharmacology
  • Sigma-1 receptor biology
  • µ-opioid receptor pharmacology
  • GPCR pharmacology
  • Chronic pain therapeutics
  • Organic synthesis
  • Molecular biology
  • In vivo pharmacology

Scientific career:

2024 Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Habilitation in Pharmaceutical Sciences

2024–present Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Associate Professor

2021–present Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chair of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Research Scientist

2020–2024 Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Postdoctoral Researcher

2020–2021 Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Research Specialist

2020 Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, thesis: The Search for Novel Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands in the Group of Piperazine Derivatives; supervisor: Prof. Katarzyna Kieć-Kononowicz

2018–2020 Jagiellonian University, Jagiellonian Interdisciplinary PhD Programme (English-language doctoral training programme)

2014 Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy

Publications:

  1. Kaczor AA, Zięba A, Karcz T, Jastrzębski MK, Szczepańska K, Laitinen T, Castro M, Kędzierska E. SERAAK2 as a Serotonin Receptor Ligand: Structural and Pharmacological In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation. Molecules. 2025 Dec 2;30(23):4633. doi: 10.3390/molecules30234633.
  2. Degutis M, Łażewska D, Barut J, Białoń M, Latacz G, Szczepańska K, Pietruś W, Werner T, Karcz T, Stark H, Kreiner G, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Starowicz K, Popiolek-Barczyk K. Histamine H3 receptor blockade alleviates neuropathic pain through the regulation of glial cells activation. Biomed Pharmacother. 2025 Feb;183:117850. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.117850.
  3. Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Mogilski S, Moroz A, Olejarz-Maciej A, Humphrys LJ, Pockes S, Siwek A, Dubiel K, Staszewski M, Calmels T, Waczyński K, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Guanidine Derivative ADS1017, a Potent Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist with Promising Analgesic Activity and Satisfactory Safety Profile. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2024 Dec 18;15(24):4441-4457. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00480.
  4. Stasiak A, Honkisz-Orzechowska E, Gajda Z, Wagner W, Popiołek-Barczyk K, Kuder KJ, Latacz G, Juszczak M, Woźniak K, Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Jóźwiak-Bębenista M, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Łażewska D. AR71, Histamine H3 Receptor Ligand-In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation (Anti-Inflammatory Activity, Metabolic Stability, Toxicity, and Analgesic Action). Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jul 23;25(15):8035. doi: 10.3390/ijms25158035.
  5. Kotańska M, Zadrożna M, Kubacka M, Mika K, Szczepańska K, Nowak B, Alesci A, Miller A, Lauriano ER, Kieć-Kononowicz K. The Effect of KSK-94, a Dual Histamine H3 and Sigma-2 Receptor Ligand, on Adipose Tissue in a Rat Model of Developing Obesity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Jul 1;17(7):858. doi: 10.3390/ph17070858.
  6. Stępnicki P, Gwarda RŁ, Bartyzel A, Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Wróbel TM, Kaczor AA. Thermal behavior and determination of physicochemical properties of novel candidates for antipsychotic drugs. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2024;149:9315–9332. doi: 10.1007/s10973-024-13382-3.
  7. Michalska B, Dzięgielewski M, Godyń J, Werner T, Bajda M, Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Stark H, Więckowska A, Walczyński K, Staszewski M. 4-Oxypiperidine Ethers as Multiple Targeting Ligands at Histamine H3 Receptors and Cholinesterases. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2024 Mar 20;15(6):1206-1218. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00800.
  8. Mogilski S, Kubacka M, Świerczek A, Wyska E, Szczepańska K, Sapa J, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Łażewska D. Efficacy of the Multi-Target Compound E153 in Relieving Pain and Pruritus of Different Origins. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Oct 17;16(10):1481. doi: 10.3390/ph16101481.
  9. Szczepańska K, Bojarski AJ, Popik P, Malikowska-Racia N. Novel object recognition test as an alternative approach to assessing the pharmacological profile of sigma-1 receptor ligands. Pharmacol Rep. 2023 Oct;75(5):1291-1298. doi: 10.1007/s43440-023-00516-x.
  10. Chałupnik P, Vialko A, Pickering DS, Nielsen B, Bay Y, Skov Kristensen A, Hinkkanen M, Szczepańska K, Karcz T, Latacz G, Johansen TN, Szymańska E. Structure-Activity Relationship and Solubility Studies of N1-Substituted Quinoxaline-2,3-diones as Kainate Receptor Antagonists. ChemMedChem. 2023 Sep 15;18(18):e202300278. doi: 10.1002/cmdc.202300278.
  11. Szczepańska K, Karcz T, Dichiara M, Mogilski S, Kalinowska-Tłuścik J, Pilarski B, Leniak A, Pietruś W, Podlewska S, Popiołek-Barczyk K, Humphrys LJ, Ruiz-Cantero MC, Reiner-Link D, Leitzbach L, Łażewska D, Pockes S, Górka M, Zmysłowski A, Calmels T, Cobos EJ, Marrazzo A, Stark H, Bojarski AJ, Amata E, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Dual Piperidine-Based Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands in the Treatment of Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain. J Med Chem. 2023 Jul 27;66(14):9658-9683. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00430.
  12. Mika K, Szafarz M, Bednarski M, Siwek A, Szczepańska K, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Kotańska M. Evaluation of Some Safety Parameters of Dual Histamine H3 and Sigma-2 Receptor Ligands with Anti-Obesity Potential. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 19;24(8):7499. doi: 10.3390/ijms24087499.
  13. Stępnicki P, Targowska-Duda KM, Martínez AL, Zięba A, Wronikowska-Denysiuk O, Wróbel MZ, Bartyzel A, Trzpil A, Wróbel TM, Chodkowski A, Mirecka K, Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Loza MI, Budzyńska B, Turło J, Handzlik J, Fornal E, Poleszak E, Castro M, Kaczor AA. Discovery of novel arylpiperazine-based DA/5-HT modulators as potential antipsychotic agents – Design, synthesis, structural studies and pharmacological profiling. Eur J Med Chem. 2023 Apr 5;252:115285. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115285.
  14. Bartuzi D, Kędzierska E, Targowska-Duda KM, Koszła O, Wróbel TM, Jademyr S, Karcz T, Szczepańska K, Stępnicki P, Wronikowska-Denysiuk O, Biała G, Handzlik J, Kristensen JL, Poso A, Kaczor AA. Funnel metadynamics and behavioral studies reveal complex effect of D2AAK1 ligand on anxiety-like processes. Sci Rep. 2022 Dec 7;12(1):21192. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25478-7.
  15. Mika K, Szafarz M, Zadrożna M, Nowak B, Bednarski M, Szczepańska K, Pociecha K, Kubacka M, Nicosia N, Juda I, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Kotańska M. KSK-74: Dual Histamine H3 and Sigma-2 Receptor Ligand with Anti-Obesity Potential. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jun 24;23(13):7011. doi: 10.3390/ijms23137011.
  16. Szczepańska K, Podlewska S, Dichiara M, Gentile D, Patamia V, Rosier N, Mönnich D, Ruiz Cantero MC, Karcz T, Łażewska D, Siwek A, Pockes S, Cobos EJ, Marrazzo A, Stark H, Rescifina A, Bojarski AJ, Amata E, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Structural and Molecular Insight into Piperazine and Piperidine Derivatives as Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Antagonists with Promising Antinociceptive Properties. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2022 Jan 5;13(1):1-15. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00435.
  17. Mika K, Szafarz M, Bednarski M, Latacz G, Sudoł S, Handzlik J, Pociecha K, Knutelska J, Nicosia N, Szczepańska K, Kuder KJ, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Kotańska M. Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands-KSK-59 and KSK-73-Reduce Body Weight Gain in a Rat Model of Excessive Eating. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Oct 25;14(11):1080. doi: 10.3390/ph14111080.
  18. Mika K, Szafarz M, Bednarski M, Kuder K, Szczepańska K, Pociecha K, Pomierny B, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Sapa J, Kotańska M. Metabolic benefits of novel histamine H3 receptor ligands in the model of excessive eating: The importance of intrinsic activity and pharmacokinetic properties. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Oct;142:111952. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111952.
  19. Kuder KJ, Kotańska M, Szczepańska K, Mika K, Reiner-Link D, Stark H, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Discovery of Potential, Dual-Active Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands with Combined Antioxidant Properties. Molecules. 2021 Apr 15;26(8):2300. doi: 10.3390/molecules26082300.
  20. Szczepańska K, Pockes S, Podlewska S, Höring C, Mika K, Latacz G, Bednarski M, Siwek A, Karcz T, Nagl M, Bresinsky M, Mönnich D, Seibel U, Kuder KJ, Kotańska M, Stark H, Elz S, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Structural modifications in the distal, regulatory region of histamine H3 receptor antagonists leading to the identification of a potent anti-obesity agent. Eur J Med Chem. 2021 Mar 5;213:113041. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113041.
  21. Szczepańska K, Kuder KJ, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Dual-targeting Approach on Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands as Promising Pharmacological Tools in the Treatment of CNS-linked Disorders. Curr Med Chem. 2021;28(15):2974-2995. doi: 10.2174/0929867327666200806103144.
  22. Szczepańska K, Kincses A, Vincze K, Szymańska E, Latacz G, Kuder KJ, Stark H, Spengler G, Handzlik J, Kieć-Kononowicz K. N-Substituted piperazine derivatives as potential multitarget agents acting on histamine H3 receptor and cancer resistance proteins. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2020 Nov 15;30(22):127522. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127522.
  23. Kotańska M, Mika K, Reguła K, Szczepańska K, Szafarz M, Bednarski M, Olejarz-Maciej A, Nowak K, Latacz G, Mogilski S, Kuder KJ, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Sapa J. KSK19 – Novel histamine H3 receptor ligand reduces body weight in diet induced obese mice. Biochem Pharmacol. 2019 Oct;168:193-203. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.07.006.
  24. Szczepańska K, Karcz T, Siwek A, Kuder KJ, Latacz G, Bednarski M, Szafarz M, Hagenow S, Lubelska A, Olejarz-Maciej A, Sobolewski M, Mika K, Kotańska M, Stark H, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Structural modifications and in vitro pharmacological evaluation of 4-pyridyl-piperazine derivatives as an active and selective histamine H3 receptor ligands. Bioorg Chem. 2019 Oct;91:103071. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103071.
  25. Szczepańska K, Karcz T, Kotańska M, Siwek A, Kuder KJ, Latacz G, Mogilski S, Hagenow S, Lubelska A, Sobolewski M, Stark H, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Optimization and preclinical evaluation of novel histamine H3receptor ligands: Acetyl and propionyl phenoxyalkyl piperazine derivatives. Bioorg Med Chem. 2018 Dec 15;26(23-24):6056-6066. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.11.010.
  26. Kotańska M, Kuder KJ, Szczepańska K, Sapa J, Kieć-Kononowicz K. The histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist pitolisant reduces body weight in obese mice. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2018 Aug;391(8):875-881. doi: 10.1007/s00210-018-1516-2.
  27. Szczepańska K, Karcz T, Mogilski S, Siwek A, Kuder KJ, Latacz G, Kubacka M, Hagenow S, Lubelska A, Olejarz A, Kotańska M, Sadek B, Stark H, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Synthesis and biological activity of novel tert-butyl and tert-pentylphenoxyalkyl piperazine derivatives as histamine H3R ligands. Eur J Med Chem. 2018 May 25;152:223-234. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.04.043.
  28. Szczepańska K, Kuder K, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands in the Group of (Homo)piperazine Derivatives. Curr Med Chem. 2018;25(14):1609-1626. doi: 10.2174/0929867325666171123203550.
  29. Szymańska E, Nielsen B, Johansen TN, Cuñado Moral AM, Pickering DS, Szczepańska K, Mickowska A, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Pharmacological characterization and binding modes of novel racemic and optically active phenylalanine-based antagonists of AMPA receptors. Eur J Med Chem. 2017 Sep 29;138:874-883. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.07.007.
  30. Kuder KJ, Łażewska D, Kaleta M, Latacz G, Kottke T, Olejarz A, Karcz T, Fruziński A, Szczepańska K, Karolak-Wojciechowska J, Stark H, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Synthesis and biological activity of novel tert-amylphenoxyalkyl (homo)piperidine derivatives as histamine H3R ligands. Bioorg Med Chem. 2017 May 15;25(10):2701-2712. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.03.031.
  31. Szymańska E, Chałupnik P, Szczepańska K, Cuñado Moral AM, Pickering DS, Nielsen B, Johansen TN, Kieć-Kononowicz K. Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel phenylalanine-based amino acids as kainate receptors ligands. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2016 Nov 15;26(22):5568-5572. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.09.075.

Participation in research projects:

As Principal Investigator:

  • 2023–present – National Science Centre (NCN), OPUS 23 – The role of simultaneous and individual modulation of μ-opioid, sigma-1 and histamine H3 receptors as a novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of nociceptive and neuropathic pain (consortium with Celon Pharma S.A.).
  • 2020–2025 – National Science Centre (NCN), SONATINA 4 – Dual histamine H3 and sigma-1 receptor ligands as novel pharmacological tools in the treatment of central nervous system disorders with the focus on neuropathic pain
  • 2017–2021 – National Science Centre (NCN), PRELUDIUM 12 – Piperazine derivatives as active histamine H3 receptor ligands – molecular modelling, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation
  • 2017–2019 – Ministry of Science and Higher Education – The search for ligands of histamine H3 receptors among N-substituted piperazine derivatives

As Executor:

  • 2025–2026 – Medical Research Agency (ABM) – Optimization of Bioavailability and Validation of the Therapeutic Potential of Tryptamide in Neurological Disorders (Principal Investigator: Prof. Andrzej J. Bojarski)
  • 2017–2018 – National Science Centre (NCN), OPUS – Analysis and evaluation of the anorectic efficacy and safety of novel histamine H3 receptor ligands (Principal Investigator: Prof. Magdalena Kotańska)
  •  2016–2017 – National Science Centre (NCN), MAESTRO – Histamine H3/H4 receptors as attractive targets in the search for biologically active compounds (Principal Investigator: Prof. Katarzyna Kieć-Kononowicz)

Awards:

  • 2024 – Scholarship of the Ministrer of Science for Outstanding Young Researchers (Poland)
  • 2021 – START Scholarship, Foundation for Polish Science (FNP)
  • 2021 – Paul Ehrlich MedChem Euro PhD Award for the doctoral dissertation The Search for Novel Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands in the Group of Piperazine Derivatives
  • 2020 – Award of the Faculty Council of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jagiellonian University, for the outstanding doctoral dissertation
  • 2020 – Polish Intelligent Development Award, Scientist of the Future category

Selected prizes:

  • 2024 – First Place Prize, Oral Presentation, 5th School of Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, Gdańsk, Poland
  • 2018 – First Place Prize, Polish national selection for the 5th EFMC Young Medicinal Chemist Symposium
  • 2018 – Poster Prize, 47th European Histamine Research Society Meeting, Dublin, Ireland

Scientific reports:

Invited lectures:

  • 2025 – When the whole is greater than the sum of its parts: The role of simultaneous modulation of histamine H3 and sigma-1 receptors in the treatment of neuropathic pain, Workshop Cognitive Affective Biases – From Mechanisms to Disease Symptoms, Kraków, Poland
  • 2025 – When the whole is greater than the sum of its parts: The role of simultaneous modulation of histamine H3 and sigma-1 receptors in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Second Polish Pharmacology Days, Jaszowiec, Poland

Oral presentations:

  • 2023 – Dual Piperidine-Based Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands in the Treatment of Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain. The Focus of Polish-Italian Cooperation in the Area of Biomedicine, Rome, Italy
  • 2021 – The Search for Novel Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands in the Group of Piperazine Derivatives. Paul Ehrlich Euro-PhD Network Virtual Meeting
  • 2021 – Dual Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands as Novel Pharmacological Tools in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders with the Focus on Neuropathic Pain. 10th Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, Lublin, Poland
  • 2021 – Dual Histamine H3 and Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands as Novel Pharmacological Tools in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders with the Focus on Neuropathic Pain. EHRS Festive Virtual Poster Event Focused on Neuronal Histamine
  • 2019 – Structural Modifications and Pharmacological Evaluation of 4-Pyridylpiperazine Derivatives as Active and Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands. 48th Meeting of the European Histamine Research Society, Kraków, Poland
  • 2018 – Piperazine Derivatives as a Novel, Active Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands. 5th EFMC Young Medicinal Chemist Symposium, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 2018 – Step Forward in Search for Novel Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands: 4-Pyridyl-Piperazine Derivatives with Promising Multidirectional Pharmacological Activity. 9th Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, Lublin, Poland
  • 2018 – Piperazine Derivatives as a Novel, Active Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands. 9th Summer School „Medicinal Chemistry”, Regensburg, Germany
  • 2018 – Step Forward in Search for Novel Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands: 4-Pyridyl-Piperazine Derivatives with Promising Multidirectional Pharmacological Activity. XVII Conference of the Polish Histamine Research Society, Łódź, Poland
  • 2017 – Piperazine Derivatives as a Novel Potent Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands. VII Meeting of the Paul Ehrlich Euro-PhD Network, Vienna, Austria

Experience gained abroad:

2024 – Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom – Research fellowship (4 months).

2022 – University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA – Research fellowship (3 months).

2019 – University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany – Research fellowship (2 months).

Other activities:

  • Management Committee Member, COST Action CA23156 – European Network for Sigma-1 Receptor as a Therapeutic Opportunity (SIGMA-1EUROPE)
  • Member, Histamine Research Society Europe (HRSE)
  • Member, Polish Medicinal Chemistry Society