Interaction of receptor tyrosine kinases with primary cilia

Supervisor: Mgr. Pavel Krejci, PhD.

Institution: Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University

Field of Study: Medical Biology

About my project

The project aims to be a systematic study focused on identification of signaling molecules functioning in the primary cilia, and the biological relevance of such localization. The focus would be on one group of the signaling molecules – the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) – and their association with primary cilia in health and disease. Out of 58 existing members of the RTK family, only two members have been systematically studied and their signaling tightly linked with primary cilia. Consequently, the evidence associating RTKs with cilia is virtually missing, despite its high potential in addressing many human diseases.

The research project is mainly my own, therefore currently I am designing and executing the experiments under the supervision of both my consultant and supervisor, following by collecting and analyzing the data.

Where I see myself in my career in 10 years

I plan to finish my PhD in 3 years’ time and to further advance in my career by securing post-doctoral fellowships so that in 10 years I would like to be making an impact in my field.

What I like most about Brno

 Brno is a charming city, with a rich history and full of life.