Anna Salowka
Academic and Work Experience Prior to Sept 2022 Programme Start
I read Molecular Genetics at King’s College London at an undergraduate level followed by MRes degree in Biomedical Research specialising in Molecular Basis of Human Disease from Imperial College London. During my postgraduate course I explored the role of microRNAs in regulating pancreatic β-cell functions and contributed towards the generation of a model system for studying the impact of epigenetic changes on serotonin system in vitro.
I then joined Pan3DP Consortium as a research assistant. My primary role was to perform detailed structural characterisation of developing murine pancreas, as well as bioprinted pancreatic organoids using 3D lightsheet microscopy.
PhD Programme- Year 1- MRes and Project Rotations
While navigating the first year of the ATRM programme I prioritised gaining skillsets I considered useful for my anticipated PhD project ahead.
My first rotation project was in Professor Eileen Gentleman lab where I studied the impact of various synthetic hydrogel properties on human intestinal organoids (HIOs) encapsulated within them. Optimisation of such 3D culture conditions could contribute to establishment of a powerful platform for unravelling tissue-microenvironment crosstalk in health and disease as well as for drug screening.
Next, I moved on to work under the supervision of Professor Francesca Ciccarelli. I learned how to employ spatial transcriptomics in exploring cell-cell interactions at the tumour invasive margin in the context of colorectal cancer. Detailed interrogation of such datasets could enhance our understanding of immunotherapy responsiveness heterogeneity among patients and therefore facilitate development of more efficient, personalised treatments.
During my final rotation in Professor Francesca Spagnoli’s group, I focused on exploring lineage tracing tools which could be utilised for following human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) on their journey to a pancreatic fate. I assessed the effect of lentiviral-mediated introduction of transcriptional barcodes on iPSCs viability and ability to acquire endocrine fate in vitro. Barcoding cells over the course of pancreatic differentiation could not only aid detailed insights into the processes governing human pancreatic development, but also contribute to improved generation of insulin-secreting β-cells for replacement therapies for diabetes.
PhD Programme- Years 2 to 4 - Doctoral Studies
My PhD project in Professor Francesca Spagnoli's lab will focus on exploring fate decisions at single cell resolution throughout pancreatic cell identity acquisition in vitro, as well as in human foetal pancreatic tissue. To accomplish this, I plan to continue using barcoding-based lineage tracing on iPSCs differentiating towards β-like cells in vitro and examine heritable alterations in mitochondrial DNA in human tissue. I will then employ single cell RNA sequencing to obtain a detailed transcriptional profile of each cell and uncover true clonal relationships between them.
The success of cell replacement therapies for diabetes requires unlimited supply of robustly functioning human β-cells. Deriving them from iPSCs in vitro appears to be the most reliable source. However, current differentiation strategies yield low quantities of β-like cells which do not yet fully recapitulate native β-cells, alongside with other other relatively uncharacterised cellular populations.
By providing unprecedented characterisation of differentiation outcomes and uncovering new insights in early pancreatogenesis dynamics, my project will hopefully facilitate improvements in β-cell generation thereby bringing cell therapies for diabetes a step closer to the clinic.
