GEE SEMINAR SERIES. Dr Anna Czarkwiani

The speaker for the GEE Seminar on the 18th of March will be Dr Anna Czarkwiani with a talk entitled ‘From brittle stars to axolotls: biomineralization, gravity sensing and regeneration’.

Host: Prof. Paola Oliveri
Please email Paola if you would to meet one to one with Anna or join them for drinks from 5pm in the Housman.

Location: Room 04, Tottenham Court Road (188)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ucl.zoom.us/j/94623214671?pwd=qMfj4qKTYYRbKib3PJJlSkTMpGA0Q9.1

Meeting ID: 946 2321 4671
Passcode: 573480

This seminar is open to all regardless of career stage. Please share details with colleagues, wider networks and those who may be interested.
 

Abstract

My research focuses on developmental and regeneration biology in unconventional animal models. During my PhD I compared the development and regeneration of the biomineralized skeleton in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. During my postdoc I worked on understanding whole organ regeneration of the thymus in the Mexican axolotl. In my lab I will combine my expertise in biomineralization, gene regulatory network analysis and using the axolotl as a regenerative system to probe the biology of our sense of gravity. I plan to use the axolotl to investigate the link between development, regeneration and degeneration of the biocrystal in the vertebrate inner ear using a combination of approaches to investigate this process at the structural, genetic, cellular and organismal level. This research will not only have implications for our basic understanding of gravity sensation but also for developing putative therapies for balance disorders.