Cellular & Integrative Physiology Seminar - Sila Ultanir, PhD

Sila Ultanir, PhD
Senior Group Leader, Kinases and Brain Development Lab
The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK

Title: “Phosphoproteomics Uncovers CDKL5’s Diverse Roles in Neuronal Development”

Summary: Dr. Ultanir’s research focuses on the roles of kinases in neuronal development and function, with a particular emphasis on the serine/threonine kinase CDKL5, whose loss of function causes a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with epilepsy. Her lab has identified novel physiological substrates of CDKL5 in mouse and human neurons and developed phospho-specific antibodies for these substrates, enabling the detection of CDKL5 activity and aiding preclinical research. Her work has revealed CDKL5's functions, including its roles in microtubule-based transport in neuronal dendrites, synapse formation, regulation of the voltage-gated ion channel Cav2.3, and functional compensation by related kinases. Work from the lab demonstrate that suppressing Cav2.3 activity or enhancing compensatory kinases can be therapeutic approaches for CDKL5 deficiency. Dr. Ultanir's contributions to CDKL5 research have earned her "Lab of the Year" awards from the Loulou Foundation in 2018 and 2023.