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Welcome New Academic Staff: Dr Katja Burk and Dr Martina Yordanova
We are delighted to welcome two new Academic staff, Dr Katja Burk and Dr Martina Yordanova to the School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology both of whom have been appointed as Lecturers.
Dr Katja Burk
Dr Katja Burk studied biology at the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart) and did her diploma thesis at the Max-Planck-Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried, Munich. She then moved to Cardiff, UK to obtain her PhD in developmental neurobiology, followed by two postdoctoral positions at the IBDML in Marseille, Luminy, France. In 2014, Katja returned to Germany for another postdoctoral position at the European Neuroscience Institute (ENI) in Göttingen. Since 2017, Katja was a group leader within the department of Neurology at the University Medical Centre Göttingen.
The main focus of Katja’s research is in the area of Receptor Dynamics in Development and Disease. The Burk Lab investigates and specializes at the interface of receptor trafficking and signalling as well as the integrity of the cytoskeleton—and how one affects the other. In this context, the Burk Lab are especially interested in spatio-temporal regulation and diversification. Therefore, the general approach to answer scientific research questions is non-linear, investigating mechanisms in parallel and not as single, isolated units. The Burk Lab studies these mechanisms during development and apply their findings translationally to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.
Katja’s office (2.08) and research lab (2.26) are located on the second floor of the Biosciences Institute.
Dr Martina Yordanova
Dr Martina Yordanova completed a BSc in Molecular Biology (2008) at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Bulgaria. She then moved to UCC to obtain her PhD in Biochemistry (2016), followed by two postdoctoral positions in the School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, UCC. In 2020, Martina was appointed as a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher and in 2021 was appointed as a visiting Assistant Research Professor at University of Hiroshima, Japan.
Martina will now establish her research laboratory with a focus on characterizing the mechanisms of regulation of mRNA translation, and in particular those employing non-canonical translation for their use to benefit the Society through application of the gained knowledge in technologies such as mRNA therapeutics.
Martina’s office (3.97) and research lab (3.131 WGB) are located on the third floor of the Western Gateway Building.