Prof. Jan Potempa was born in 1955 in Tarnow. A Biochemist and microbiologist. Leads research on bacteria causing periodontal diseases. Since 2005, he has been the head of the Institute of Microbiology of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology Faculty at Jagiellonian University. Additionally, since 2009, he has been a professor at the Department of Oral Health and Rehabilitation at the University of Louisville Dental School (USA).

He received his Master’s degree in 1979 at the Jagiellonian University. It is also at this university that he received his PhD (1982) and postdoctoral (1993) degrees, i.e. habilitation. A professor since 1998.

He headed and continues to lead teams realizing research grants awarded by the American National Institute of Health (NIH), the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education as well as the European Union. He has, during his career, supervised 18 PhD candidates. Author of 278 publications and holder of 11 patents.