Visitor of the Week: Daria Romanovskaia

Meet Daria Romanovskaia! The Russian national is a graduate student at the Center for Molecular Medicine in Vienna, Austria! She is a member of the Medical Epigenomics Laboratory led by Christoph Bock. Daria is taking part in the virtual 2020 Biology of Genomes meeting which also happens to be her first CSHL meeting.

Tell us about your research.
I am interested in using the power of computational biology to understand the epigenetic heterogeneity of tumors.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
It was a combination of my interest in the field of molecular medicine and in computational methods for data analysis. And it became possible with the rapid development of NGS technologies.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
Curiosity, the wide spectrum of opportunities, and the questions that could be answered every day. More specifically, translational research that can be transferred into clinics and the success stories of making more advanced medicine are what inspire me the most.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
I hope that my research will help further develop the field of precision medicine. Knowing that my results helped at least one person is the best impact I can hope for.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
I love the challenge. I also love the journey involved in searching for a solution to a question (and, sometimes, even the search for the question). The time and effort invested in this search becomes eclipsed when data suddenly makes sense and can be interpreted -- even if it may not be in the way it was hypothesized during the brainstorm phase(s).

What drew you to attend this meeting?
My project is still in its early stages to present at a conference so I joined for the opportunity to listen in and get an overview of the field of computational biology. It is really inspiring. :)

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
I have some new tools and concepts I want to try out but the motivation and inspiration from the talks are my key takeaways. This conference is an amazing place to discuss any questions that one can have, and I look forward to coming back as a presenter one day.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
Stay focused and don’t be shy to talk to people! (Or, as is the case for this year’s meeting, message them!)

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
Taking part in the Meet the Speakers. I joined two sessions and my experience resulted with great career advice as well as this one line that is helpful for all researchers to know and be reminded of: Be excited about your research!

Thank you to Daria for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Image provided by Daria Romanovskaia

Visitor of the Week: Paula Agudelo Garcia

Meet Paula Agudelo Garcia of the University of Pennsylvania! The Colombian national is a postdoctoral fellow in Shelley Berger’s lab who is among the 440+ researchers who virtually attended this year’s Genome Organization & Nuclear Function meeting. This is her first CSHL meeting and she shares all that she’s picked up from her inaugural attendance.

Tell us about your research.
There is a strong connection between metabolic processes and chromatin remodeling. In fact, most chromatin modifying enzymes use metabolic products as cofactors or substrates. Both cancer development and T cell differentiation are processes that rely heavily on both chromatin and metabolic remodeling. My research focuses on the relationship between metabolism and the epigenome in the context of T cell dysfunction and cancer development.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
I have always been interested in how metabolism dictates changes in gene expression through chromatin modification. In my PhD, I explored the role of Histone Acetyltransferase 1 in chromatin assembly and cellular metabolism. I decided to continue with my interests in this area during my postdoc to learn more about how metabolic defects can alter the epigenome during disease development.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
I would say curiosity. The fact that we always want to learn more about what is happening inside the cell or how different process are regulated. Discovering and learning new things keeps us motivated and inspired.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
At the beginning of many projects, we focus on the basic biological questions that later set up the stage for the development of new therapeutic treatments for different diseases or that contribute to a better understanding of the big picture of different biological process. I hope that my research will help to elucidate new mechanisms of how chromatin is influenced by metabolism and will aid to develop therapeutic strategies in the context of cancer immunology.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
Using my creativity to face challenges and solve problems. Learning and discovering new things.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
This meeting is very relevant to my research and I wanted to listen about how different labs are looking at genome structure and nuclear function from different angles and in different systems, and learn about new technologies being developed in the field.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
New techniques and approaches are constantly being developed and it is important to be up to speed so we can use them to answer our own scientific questions. It is also very encouraging to listen to the experts in the field talk of how their labs are incorporating the newest ideas and latest features to learn more about how the genome structure is regulated and influences biological phenomena like cell differentiation, embryonic development, neuronal function among others.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
This meeting is very helpful for all scientists at any stage in their career. The scientific content is very diverse regarding the techniques being used, we saw the implementation of genomic and imaging approaches for example. In addition, there was a wide spectrum of organisms and model systems being used to investigate different aspects regarding genome conformation and nuclear function.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
Definitely the fact that the meeting was done virtually due to the COVID-19 situation, but it was very encouraging to see the effort of the organizers, speakers and attendees to discuss science and generate new ideas to move the field forward.

Thank you to Paula for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Visitor of the Week: Baovi Vo

Meet Baovi “Vi” Vo of the University of Minnesota! A PhD candidate in Kevin Wickman’s lab, Vi took part in her first CSHL meeting – Neuronal Circuits (virtual) – during which she virtually presented a poster titled “Anatomic and cellular mechanisms underlying the apparent anxiolytic efficacy of the direct GIRK channel activator ML297”.  

Tell us about your research.
My research seeks to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the contribution of the G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels to anxiety-related behavior, and examine the therapeutic potential associated with manipulating GIRK channels to treat anxiety-related disorders.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
Anxiety disorders are very common and debilitating; however, current anti-anxiety medications are inconsistently effective and have adverse side effects. I believe a better understanding of mechanisms underlying anxiety can lead to more effective treatments, which will enhance the quality of human life and reduce the economic and personal burden linked to anxiety disorders.

Vi relaxing lakeside with the "membrane excitability" book, a critical concept in her research field.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
My initial interest was cancer research but one day, by chance, I read an article describing a study in which researchers observed mice in stressful environments had significantly higher growth and rate of metastasis of tumor compared to the control mice in regular environments. I was struck by the finding. I then realized the importance of stress responses and how emotion impacts physiology and one’s vulnerability to diseases. My passion is in neuroscience; seeking to understand the neurobiology of anxiety and depression which is a major etiology of several diseases and disorders. I believe one day my findings could fill the knowledge gap and help people with mental health problems or any underlying conditions to live a happier life.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
I love doing science. I believe no discovery is small, no finding is insignificant (even a negative finding has its own value). I take every single step seriously -- experimental design, data collection, data analysis, technical optimization, mentoring, etc -- and have a daily objective that takes me a step closer to reaching my ultimate goal: Improve medicine and help people live a happier life.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
We have the knowledge and the tools to invent knowledge, and that to me is super cool. Since I was a kid, I asked a lot of questions: Why is the sky blue? How do we perceive colors? Why do people say I look like my dad? How does biological inheritance work? As a scientist, I have the ability to design experiments that test my hypothesis and figure out the answer to unanswered questions.

What drew you to attend this meeting?
Its topic of ‘neuronal circuit’ is highly relevant to my research. In addition, I am very interested in the research of several invited speakers, such as Drs. Lisa Giocomo, Georg Keller, and Sandra Kuhlman. The chance to discuss my work, and learn the new findings and techniques used to study neuronal circuits and relevant behaviors  from colleagues was also a big draw. Since this is a small meeting that encourages interactions and discussion, it provides opportunities to expand my professional network with whom I can discuss common research interests and potential collaborations.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
New techniques are developed every day, therefore, it is important to be open to learning new strategies and techniques that will help answer research questions. I don’t have experience in programming or coding, but I am interested in exploring the approaches that utilize deep learning and machine learning to analyze data and find meaningful patterns in large data sets. DeepLabCut is an example. I want to learn more about this program and apply it to my animal tracking experiments and behavioral analysis.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
This meeting is definitely beneficial for all scientists at any career stage. I like that the scientific content presented was not only filled with advanced techniques and interesting research questions in the realm of neuronal circuit, but it was also wide in terms of the model organisms that could be employed to study the circuits. We use mice in our lab, but it is interesting to learn about the neuronal circuits of flies, worms, fishes, etc. Questions from people outside of your specific field are refreshing and can help remind you to take step back and look at your work at a larger scale - a critical step for a scientist who wants to do great science and impactful work.  

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
Due to COVID-19, the meeting was re-organized into a virtual one and this is the first virtual meeting that I have attended. We all are currently going through a very difficult time with the current global pandemic, but I am very impressed by and grateful for all the efforts the meeting organizers and participants put in to make the meeting happen. Currently, several labs cannot conduct certain experiments but this meeting allows us to continue to discuss science, generate new ideas, and make discoveries through discussions and dry lab works. The meeting reminded me that science keeps going despite adversity and challenges.

Thank you to Vi for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Images provided by Baovi Vo.

Visitor of the Week: Shreeta Chakraborty

Meet Shreeta Chakraborty of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The postdoctoral fellow in the Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation led by Pedro Rocha. Shreeta took part in her first CSHL meeting: Systems Biology: Global Regulation of Gene Expression which was, a few weeks before its scheduled start date transformed into, a virtual conference. The first-ever virtual CSHL meeting was attended by 170+ participants and Shreeta shares her experience of the Systems Biology meeting.

Tell us about your research.
My research explores how specific transcription factors, enhancers and promoters interact in the three-dimensional nucleus and coordinate cell fate based upon changes in chromatin architecture during early mammalian development. More specifically my goal is to investigate the functional significance of disruption of CTCF binding in mediating chromatin looping in knock-out mouse models and embryonic stem cells established from them.

How did you decide to focus on this area/project?
One research question that has always astonished me: How does dynamic gene regulation execute a diverse repertoire of high-fidelity response during cell fate decisions at the critical stages of development and differentiation? In my Ph.D., I explored the development of the placenta using molecular biology tools and keeping my research interests in developmental biology aligned I wanted to get trained in the area of genomics and high throughput sequencing. In my postdoc, I am focusing on nuclear organization during embryonic development.

What and/or who is the inspiration behind your scientific journey?
I would say science itself has been my biggest inspiration. The fact that I enjoy every bit of it, understanding and learning new things everyday keeps inspiring me and driving me in this scientific journey.

What impact do you hope to make through your work?
Although doing core research does not have an immediate impact like clinical research, the area of genomics with developing tools in computational technologies is an emerging field that would help us answer long-standing questions in cell fate determination. Despite so much information on complex signaling pathways, there is still a wide gap in our understanding of how cells decide their fate based on stochastic regulation of transcription factors. Evaluation at the level of chromatin remodeling at very early stages of mammalian development will shed some light and bridge this gap.

What do you love most about being a researcher?
I love solving problems! And as a researcher, I face new challenges – both simple and complex – every day, explore and learn new things, bring up ideas, apply my creativity, and discuss my science with the most amazing people. It is not only exciting, but I have a sense of satisfaction in making scientific contributions, however small it may be!

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting; and how do you plan to apply it to your work?
I really enjoyed the talks closest or nearest to the kind of research I am doing -- it is always extremely pleasing to hear from experts in your field. Apart from that, there were many other topics covered in the talks that I was not aware of before. I learnt new arenas that can be applied to my research in near future.

What feedback or advice would you share with someone considering to participate in this meeting?
I would advise all my fellow researchers to consider this meeting, and I am sure a physical visit to CSHL and an opportunity to meet the eminent speakers would have been more rewarding.

What’s the most memorable thing that happened during the Meeting?
I was a bit upset when the meeting was cancelled at the last moment due to the coronavirus outbreak, but I would like to thank the organizers for doing a wonderful job with the virtual meeting! Listening to the talks and enjoying them from the comfort of the lab bench was a different experience altogether.

Thank you to Shreeta for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured researchers - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.

Image provided by Shreeta Chakraborty.

Visitor of the Week: Kazumi Hirano

Meet Kazumi Hirano, a senior researcher at the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. Since March of this year, he joined Dr. Jenny Hsieh’s laboratory and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as a visiting researcher. Along with two fellow labmates, Kazumi spent the better part of this week with us at the 2019 meeting of Development and 3D Modeling of the Human Brain. His first meeting at CSHL was “wonderful and meaningful” that provided him with the “opportunity to talk with wonderful scientists;” many of whom were the speakers who gave him “more motivation and suggestions for [his] work.”

What are your research interests? What are you working on?
I am interested in how the human brain develops into such a beautiful and functional structure composed by region-specific cells. More specifically, I am focusing on the hippocampal development in humans.

The hippocampus is a crucial and unique region in the brain. However, hippocampal development in humans are largely unknown, including how to differentiate and how to introduce the architecture. By elucidating this mechanism using in vitro 3D modeling such as brain organoids/spheroids, I hope to contribute to creating the therapy for several neurological diseases such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.

How did you decide to make this the focus of your research?
My background is in stem cell based on glycobiology and epigenetics. As a graduate student at Soka University (Japan), I studied glycan functions in early developmental stage by using ES/iPS cells in Prof. Shoko Nishihara’s laboratory. I learned how interesting stem cells are. Although the brain is one of the essential organs, human brain development is largely unknown. Therefore when I moved to AIST, I started a new project using human fetal neural stem cells (hfNSCs) with Dr. Masakazu Namihira. Our team established proper culture method of hfNSCs for several analysis and figured out the important role of certain epigenetic factors during neuronal differentiation.

How did your scientific journey begin?
I’ve been curious about regenerative medicine since high school. When I was an undergraduate student, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka discovered iPS cells, which is a novel type of pluripotent stem cell induced from soma cells. At that time, I felt there was huge potential in this field to contribute to regenerative medicine. To date, this passion leads me to study stem cells including ES/iPS cells and NSCs.

Was there something specific about the Development and 3D Modeling of the Human Brain meeting that drew you to attend?
Every topic and poster presentation satisfied my intellectual curiosity. I was very excited because I am struggling with seeking proper organoid conditions for proper analysis.

What is your key takeaway from the Meeting? And how will you apply it to your work?
I was impacted by the first topic of this meeting. Dr. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz mentioned that “self-organization” is one of the key phrases of 3D modeling. Her great work indicated that the communications between embryonic and extra-embryonic tissue are necessary for proper self-organization and polarization during early embryonic development. One of my key takeaways from this meeting is how to induce self-organization. I can apply this point of view to develop my culture conditions of region-specific organoids.

What do you like most about your time at CSHL?
The weather wasn’t conducive to spending time outdoors but I had a lot of opportunity to talk with other researchers during breakfast, lunch and dinner time. We also got a group photo under the rain and snow twice -- I think it’s memorable!!!

Thank you to Kazumi for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured scientists - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course - go here.