Aleksandra Kuzmanov, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Lawrence Technological University. After earning her M.D. from the University of Belgrade (Serbia) and practicing as a primary care physician for three years, Dr. Kuzmanov transitioned to research, motivated by a desire to contribute to medical advancements on a broader scale. She holds an M.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences from the University of Wyoming, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of California, Davis. Her research utilizes the C. elegans model to evaluate the health risks of environmental toxins. Currently, her lab focuses on the reproductive toxicity of bisphenol analogs used in consumer plastics and food packaging, seeking to understand the broader implications of these everyday chemical exposures on human health.

Education

M.D., University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia

M.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Wyoming

Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, University of Wyoming

» Research Interests

• Environmental Toxicology
• BPA Analogs & Plastic Additives
• Reproductive & Developmental Biology
• C. elegans Model System
• Human Health Risk Assessment

» Courses and Teaching

• BIO1213 Biology 1
• BIO1221 Biology 1 Laboratory
• BIO4813 Cell Biology
• BIO4812 Cell Biology Laboratory
• BIO3433 Developmental Biology
• BIO2133 Nutrition
• PSC3002 Leadership in Scientific Research

» Selected Publications

• Higley CM, Waligora KD, Burke I, Clore JR, Timmons SC, Kuzmanov A. Effects of Bisphenol A, Bisphenol S and Tetramethyl Bisphenol F on Male Fertility in Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicology and Industrial Health. 2025;41(1):11-19. doi: 10.1177/07482337241287967. Epub 2024 Sep 30. PMID: 39344986.
• Roberts A, Bowen JE, Zhou X, Burke I, Wenaas MH, Blake TA, Timmons SC and Kuzmanov A. Synthesis and Reproductive Toxicity of BPA Analogs with Cyclic Side Chains in Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicology and Industrial Health. 2022;38(10), 665–674. doi: 10.1177/07482337221117357. PMID: 36062628.
• Kelley M, Yochem J, Krieg M, Calixto A, Heiman MG, Kuzmanov A, V Meli, Chalfie M, Goodman MB, Shaham S, Frand A, Fay DS. FBN-1, a Fibrillin-Related Protein, Is Required for Resistance of the Epidermis to Mechanical Deformation During C. elegans Embryogenesis. Elife. 2015;4:e06565. doi: 10.7554/eLife.06565. PMID: 25798732; PMCID: PMC4395870.
• Kuzmanov A, Yochem J and Fay DS. Analysis of PHA-1 Reveals a Limited Role in Pharyngeal Development and Novel Functions in Other Tissues. Genetics 2014;198(1):259-68. doi: 10.1534/genetics.114.166876. PMID: 25009149; PMCID: PMC4174937.
• Kuzmanov A, Karina EI, Kirienko NV, and Fay DS. The Conserved PBAF Nucleosome Remodeling Complex Mediates the Response to Stress in C. elegans. Molecular and Cellular Biology. 2014;34(6):1121-35. doi: 10.1128/MCB.01502-13. PMID: 24421384; PMCID: PMC3958046.
• Polley SRG, Kuzmanov A, Kuang J, Karpel J, Lažetić V, Karina EI, Veo BL, and Fay DS. Implicating SCF Complexes in Organogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 2014;196(1):211-23. doi: 10.1534/genetics.113.158485. PMID: 24214340; PMCID: PMC3872186.
• Fay DS, Polley SRG, Kuang J, Kuzmanov A, Hazel JW, Mani K, Veo BL, and Yochem J. A Regulatory Module Controlling Pharyngeal Development and Function in C. elegans. Genetics. 2012;191(3):827-43. doi: 10.1534/genetics.112.140814. PMID: 22542967; PMCID: PMC3389978.