20 May 2025 Articles

"Working with Leishmania is not only scientifically rewarding but also socially impactful"

Meet Malgorzata Domagalska, head of ITM’s new Unit of Experimental Parasitology—but she prefers to go by Gosia. In this interview, she shares insights into her research on neglected tropical diseases and how highly adaptable parasites complicate treatment efforts.

Hi Gosia, what inspired you to become a researcher?

GOSIA I have always been fascinated by things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. That’s what first drew me to genetics: how DNA determines the characteristics of all organisms, how cells regulate their growth, and how they interact with their environment. A career as a plant geneticist seemed like a natural choice. Over time, my curiosity expanded to understanding diseases and how medicines work. Unravelling the complexity of biological systems, studying them, and finding explanations is my passion. It's the reason I am here today.

Human macrophage cell lines infected with Leishmania

What sparked your interest in experimental parasitology?

GOSIA My path into parasitology was quite unconventional. I started as a geneticist studying plants, focusing on how they cope with stress, how hormones influence their growth, and how they decide where to form branches. However, I felt I was missing the bigger picture in plant science. Then, I came across a vacancy at ITM for research on the genetics of Leishmania parasites through single-cell genomics. I was immediately intrigued—Leishmania is an incredibly unique organism, making it a fascinating subject for a geneticist like me. So, I took a leap, applied, and was fortunate to be accepted (laughs).

Working with Leishmania is not only scientifically rewarding but also socially impactful, as it causes leishmaniasis in humans. The milder form can lead to severe scarring, which in some communities results in stigma and social exclusion. The more severe form is usually fatal without proper treatment.

"I felt that someone had to take on this role—to study the biology of the parasite—so that new knowledge could enable others to develop effective treatments."

Malgorzata Domagalska

Leishmania parasite

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by the Leishmania parasite, which can be transmitted through the bite of an infected sand fly.
It is the most important parasitic disease after malaria, affecting around 3 million people each year across 88 countries. Yet, it remains classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by WHO.
To date, there is no vaccine and only a limited range of available treatments. The parasite is notorious for adapting to drugs through mutations and drug resistance.
Our researchers have been at the forefront of the fight against this deadly and stigmatising illness for decades, working closely with partners worldwide.

Like mosaics, Leishmania populations are made of cells with different characteristics (colours); this allows the parasite population to survive to the attack of different drugs. © Gabriel H Negreira

What makes Leishmania so unique?

GOSIA Leishmania is a unicellular organism, meaning it exists as a single cell rather than as part of a multicellular organism like humans or plants. It is also a eukaryote, meaning its cells contain a nucleus and organelles—just like human cells.

What truly sets Leishmania apart is its ability to vary the number of chromosomes in its genome, a phenomenon called mosaic aneuploidy. In humans, an abnormal number of chromosomes is usually harmful. But in Leishmania, this genetic flexibility allows the parasite to adapt to different environments and withstand drug treatments. This makes leishmaniasis incredibly difficult to treat.

To make matters worse, leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, meaning it receives little funding for research and drug development. There are only a few new drugs in development, and some of the existing ones are already losing effectiveness in certain regions.

Prof Malgorzata (Gosia) Domagalska

What do you find most intriguing about parasites and their interaction with the host?

GOSIA I am fascinated by their remarkable survival strategies in vastly different environments, from mammalian hosts to insect vectors. For Leishmania, sand flies act as vectors: a bite from an infected sand fly can transmit the parasite to a human, who may then develop leishmaniasis.

Although human and insect bodies are drastically different, Leishmania is so highly adaptable that it can survive and thrive in both. Understanding these survival mechanisms is key to developing better treatments.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

GOSIA One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is contributing to knowledge advancement about Leishmania and other neglected tropical diseases. By studying their biology, we can design better strategies and develop more effective treatments for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.

Another aspect that brings me joy is mentoring students and raising awareness about these under-researched organisms. It’s wonderful to see students become excited about the research and realise the global health impact it can have.

Leishmania promastigotes-the extracellular, flagellated and mobile form of the parasite found in sand flies, which can be easily cultivated in the lab.

Can we call you an ambassador for Leishmania awareness?

GOSIA Well, I am doing my best! (laughs)

What are you currently working on?

GOSIA My research focuses on Leishmania’s adaptability, particularly how the parasite responds to medication and survives in different environments. I also study Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease—another neglected tropical disease that is even less studied than Leishmania.

One key aspect we investigate is genome instability and how it allows these parasites to adapt to stressors like drug exposure.

I am also particularly interested in quiescence, a dormant-like state that helps parasites withstand extreme stress—such as immune responses or drug treatment. In this state, the parasites stop replicating, reduce their metabolism, and essentially hibernate until conditions improve.

GOSIA Another fascinating aspect of Leishmania biology is its heterogeneity (mosaicism) within populations. Even genetically identical cells can display functional differences. For example, a small subset of cells may enter quiescence and survive drug treatment, while the rest are eliminated. This built-in diversity ensures that some parasites always survive and adapt.

I am also investigating the Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) and its impact on treatment outcomes. This "parasite within a parasite" concept is both scientifically fascinating and critical for disease management—as Leishmania infected with LRV responds differently to medication.

Do you collaborate with international teams or other departments at ITM?

GOSIA Of course. My work involves international collaborations, particularly in Latin America, where these diseases are most prevalent.

We are part of the ITM Leishmania centre, a multidisciplinary expert group with five research units across three departments—the largest of its kind. I focus on the parasite level, while colleagues work on patients and populations. We all share our knowledge with one another to achieve meaningful results. We also work with partners in over ten endemic countries spread over three continents.

For Trypanosoma cruzi research, I work with Ecuador, Uruguay, the University of Glasgow, and Warwick University. For Leishmania research, I collaborate with Morocco, Nepal, Peru, India, Kenya, McGill University (Canada), and Institut Pasteur (France), as well as partners in the Czech Republic, Brazil, and again the University of Glasgow.

What are your ambitions for the coming years?

GOSIA In the coming years, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how parasites like Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi adapt to drug pressure. I would like to study and map all the mechanisms of adaptation to stress, and in particular to drug treatment in Leishmania, but also Trypanosoma cruzi. In comparison to other eukaryotic pathogens, we know very little about the strategies that these parasites use to adapt and survive exposure to stress. These parasites are extremely resilient—we need to understand their adaptive mechanisms to develop strategies that target and disrupt them effectively.

Gosia Domagalska

Malgorzata (Gosia) Domagalska is a geneticist and head of ITM’s newly established Unit of Experimental Parasitology since January 2025. With a PhD in Plant Genetics from the Max Planck Institute in Cologne (Germany), she began her career studying plant development and hormones, including as a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of York (UK).

After research positions at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and the University of York (UK), she joined ITM in 2015, shifting her focus to neglected tropical diseases. Here, she focuses on Leishmania single-cell genomics and adaptive strategies.

Follow Gosia's research on: