6 December 2021 – A fruitful exchange of ideas led EMBO Scientific Exchange Grantee Ankur Gadgil’s research from neurological disorders to cancer, connections he is now exploring at the University of Eastern Finland. “My project is focused on how genetic mutations in FUS proteins affect the function of ribonucleoprotein complex which contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” says Gadgil, who is a PhD student at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. “I met a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Eastern Finland during a poster session. We wondered if similar mechanisms might also contribute to prostate cancer and put together a project proposal.”
Gadgil settled quickly into life in Kuopio, where he is spending three months. “I am in a growing team. If I want to go into industry or start a lab, I will really benefit from my experiences here. I am making a lot of international connections – EMBO does a fantastic service to life sciences. It’s been an amazing opportunity. Apart from my scientific ambitions, another dream is to build a school in India – the Finnish education system is amongst the best in the world and I want to see how they do things and take inspiration.”
