Magdalena Zarowiecki is a genomics scientist, entrepreneur and author whose work spans fundamental biology, clinical genomics and the practical challenge of turning scientific knowledge into better systems for health.
She completed a PhD and postdoctoral research in neglected tropical diseases, where she assembled and annotated the first tapeworm genomes. Her early work also included population genomics and the study of speciation in mosquitoes—using DNA to understand parasites, disease vectors and the evolutionary relationships hidden within living populations.
From genome research to clinical medicine
Magdalena later moved into human and clinical genomics. She worked with precision medicine in cancer, contributed to the work of Genomics England, and worked with clinical genomics services in Sweden. These roles gave her a close view of the distance between a scientific breakthrough and its responsible use in healthcare: the data, infrastructure, interpretation and trust required before genomic knowledge can genuinely help patients.
Building the infrastructure of biology
At EMBL-EBI, one of the world’s leading centres for biological data, Magdalena managed work across three major international biodata resources: WormBase, WormBase ParaSite and the Alliance of Genome Resources. These databases transform vast quantities of genomic research into structured, accessible knowledge used by scientists around the world.
Across direct authorship and contributions to large international research and data-resource collaborations, her work has contributed to more than 100 scientific publications and consortium outputs. It includes foundational genome research, the development of shared biological resources and the long, collaborative work required to make complex data useful beyond a single laboratory.
Building new pathways
She founded Relatix Bio to improve how research and clinical innovation reach neurodivergent people and people living with chronic mental-health conditions. The company helps researchers, clinicians and health innovators define relevant cohorts, shape credible participation opportunities and build partnerships grounded in trust and real participant value.
She also created Helminthix, a science-first platform using artificial intelligence, translational biology and collaboration to accelerate drug development for parasitic worm diseases. It connects researchers, funders, laboratories and drug-discovery partners around diseases that affect millions of people but remain persistently underfunded.
Her work is united by a practical question: how can powerful biological knowledge move from discovery into the world in ways that are useful, fair and worthy of trust?
The Genomic Power Shift brings these experiences together. Written for everyday readers, the book explores what happens when life becomes easier to read, interpret and rewrite—and how that transformation may reshape medicine, identity, food, biodiversity, security and power.