Individuals of the same species can differ widely in size
but their organs have reproducible proportions and patterns of cell types. This requires coordination between tissue growth and the generation of diverse cell types during development. The Kicheva group studies how this coordination is achieved in the vertebrate neural tube
the embryonic precursor of the spinal cord and brain. Neural tube development is controlled by signaling molecules called morphogens
which are produced at the opposite poles of the tissue and spread to form gradients of concentration. Cells interpret morphogen signaling to determine their position and cell fate within the neural tube. Morphogens also control tissue growth by influencing the decisions of cells to divide or exit the cell cycle
but the exact mechanisms are unknown. The Kicheva group is aiming to better understand how morphogen gradients form in a growing tissue
how morphogen signaling is interpreted by cells to regulate tissue growth and how this is coordinated with the formation of tissue pattern. The group studies these questions by focusing on neural tube development in mouse and chick and combining in vivo assays with in vitro differentiation of mouse stem cells and organoids. They use mathematical modeling to relate their experiments to theoretical frameworks. How are the correct sizes and shapes of developing organs established? Our research focuses on understanding this question in the context of spinal cord development. The early developing spinal cord is an epithelial tissue composed of multiple neural progenitor subtypes organized in a precise spatial pattern. This pattern forms in response to signaling molecules called morphogens
which are produced at the opposite poles of the tissue and form gradients of activity across the tissue. Morphogens also control tissue growth
yet the precise mechanisms are poorly understood. We study the mechanisms of tissue growth control in the neural tube
focusing on the role of morphogens. We are also interested in the feedbacks between tissue growth
pattern formation and morphogenesis. Our research integrates a range of approaches: imaging and quantitative analysis and of in vivo development in mouse and chick; in vitro systems
including organoids
to study self-organization and test principles; biophysical modeling.Skills & Qualifications • Ability to work independently and efficiently. • Strong organizational and task prioritization skills. • Excellent communication skills and proficiency in performing administrative and clerical tasks. • Proficient in general laboratory procedures
techniques
and documentation. • Willingness to learn and adapt to new techniques and technologies. • Fluent in English
Spanish
French
and Catalan. • Proficient in statistical analysis and software such as SPSS
MATLAB
and Python. • Proficient in using various software programs
including Microsoft Office Suite (Word
Excel
PowerPoint). • Advanced knowledge and experience in 3D cell culture techniques. • Skilled in protein isolation
Western Blot
PCR
rt-qPCR
toxicity testing
IHC
Northern Blot
and ELISA. • Proficient in anatomical dissection studies for medical and veterinary purposes. • Experienced in static analysis of behavioral data and microarray data. • Familiarity with electrophysiology
imaging
protein purification
and optical and electron microscopy techniques. • Advanced level proficiency in conducting animal experiments
behavioral experiments
anatomical dissection
and molecular analysis. Education Uskudar University
M.Sc. September 2019-June
2022 Istanbul
Turkey Cumulative GPA:3.78 High Honor Student Master Science in Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience Sciences Thesis: Investigation of TopoII ß Gene Expression in LPS-Induced HMC3 Microglia Cell Line Pamukkale University
B.Sc. September2015-June 2019 Denizli
Turkey Cumulative GPA: 3.0 Honour Student Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Universitat de Barcelona September2018- June 2019 Barcelona
Spain International Student ERASMUS Study Abroad Program My interest in the research methods has been fuelled by the fact that your lab takes a holistic approach by studying neuronal plasticity through various techniques such as optogenetics
chemogenetics
calcium imaging and electrophysiology. I am also excited by your interest in topics such as dopamine and adult neurogenesis and how your research on these topics integrates with the overall goals of your lab. I started my education in the field of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and gained various clinical experiences. In the same period
I worked as an assistant in the anatomy laboratory to increase my academic experience and to earn my own living
thus increasing my dissection and animal experimentation skills
at the same time
I successfully completed my school as an honour student by establishing a work-life-school balance. During my undergraduate education
I had the opportunity to work and study in Spain and Australia thanks to the ERASMUS+ Project
and I had the opportunity to meet new cultures
new working disciplines and researchers
and to carry out projects. Although I started my master's degree at King's College London
I returned to Turkey due to economic insufficiencies and completed my master's degree by receiving a scholarship and working as a lab manager
and my master's thesis was awarded an honour award. I have more than 2 years of experience in both laboratory experience
clinical experience and academic research environments. Two of the projects I wrote in my master's degree were funded by the Turkish Science and Technology Council and I completed my projects by colabration with teams from different universities in Istanbul. I had the opportunity to work on various research projects
gaining hands-on experience in laboratory operations
data collection
analysis and presentation. My experience has also enabled me to develop strong organisational and time management skills
enabling me to prioritise tasks effectively and meet deadlines. During my master's thesis period
I worked on neuroimmunological mechanisms in Parkinson's disease. I worked very enthusiastically and motivatedly on my project
in which I used both histology and animal experiments
especially stem cell and molecular biology techniques
and I graduated as a high honours student
despite the fact that it coincided with the covid 19 pandemic period and I was diagnosed with cancer. After graduation
while continuing my cancer treatment
we unfortunately lost our house because there was a huge earthquake in Turkey. I had to provide for my father because my mother passed away when I was young. Since I was the first generation in my family to study at university
I worked part-time as a part-time researcher and part-time physiotherapist
so unfortunately I could not start my doctorate yet. All the difficulties I have experienced have made me a kind
patient and hardworking person and taught me to learn everything from scratch
to be able to balance work and life
and to be disciplined. RESEARCH Individuals of the same species can differ widely in size
but their organs have reproducible proportions and patterns of cell types. We are interested in the mechanisms that control tissue growth and pattern formation and ensure reproducible developmental outcomes. We study these mechanisms in the developing vertebrate neural tube. The questions about size
reproducibility
patterns and dynamics that we ask are inherently quantitative
hence in our work we aim to obtain quantitative and dynamic data. To combine these data with mathematical modelling and theoretical descriptions
we have a mix of experimentalists and theorists in the group and we work in close collaboration with biophysicists. Morphogen gradients and pattern formation Our focus is on secreted signalling molecules
called morphogens. Morphogens forms gradients of activity across the tissue and influence both the specification of diverse cell types
and tissue growth. We found that in the neural tube
cells integrate information from the opposing morphogen gradients of Shh and BMP and this maximizes the precision of pattern formation (Zagorski et al
2017). In our current work
we are investigating further how is the dynamics of signalling gradients controlled
is there any cross-talk between the signalling gradients
how do cells interpret combinations of signalling inputs. We use mouse and chick to address these questions
as well as in vitro organoid systems. opposing gradients 2 A) A section through a mouse neural tube
expressing a Shh signalling reporter (green) and stained for pSmad1/5/8
a readout of BMP signalling (red). B) A set of signalling profiles that have been quantified from such images. C) Decoding map of the response to BMP and Shh in neural progenitors. The positional identities from ventral (blue) to dorsal (red) that cells adopt when exposed to different levels of BMP and Shh signaling are color coded. Size and shape of the neural tube The early stages of neural tube development are remarkable in that they involve rapid growth and profound morphogenetic changes in which the neural plate bends closes to form a neural tube. We found that during these early stages
the neural epithelium is in a fluid-like state and undergoes substantial cell rearrangements (Bocanegra et al
2023). We also found that the declining growth rate over time leads to a decrease in the cell rearrangements. These changes in growth rate also affect the anisotropy of tissue growth (Guerrero et al
2019) and thereby the shape of the tissue. In our current work
we are investigating what are the mechanisms that control the growth rate
what is the role of morphogen signalling as well as mechanical forces in growth control.