16 January 2024 – Christina Kyrousi’s fascination with the brain began in high school, when a family friend invited her to visit their laboratory. “I still remember the day when I entered the lab for the first time and seeing the intriguing apparatus, the camaraderie and the fascinating questions that scientists were trying to unravel—it immediately felt like home,” says Kyrousi, an assistant professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and affiliated scientist at the University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute, Athens, Greece. “There is arguably no greater scientific puzzle than the brain, and many questions remain unanswered about how it develops and functions. Trying to solve them is very motivating: every time we learn something new, we are one step closer to understanding the bigger picture of what is happening when things go wrong.”
Kyrousi’s group studies the molecular processes that modulate brain development, evolution and disease using a variety of approaches, including animal models and brain organoids. “Work carried out using my EMBO Installation Grant will focus on tiny hair-like structures on the surface of brain cells, called primary cilia,” she explains. “These are sensory organelles that support the cell in detecting environmental cues and play central roles in regulating a cell’s behaviour. We want to understand the function of specific proteins in primary cilia and learn about their effects in the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors affecting brain health and disease.”
Ultimately, Kyrousi hopes that the work will support the development of therapies for neurodevelopmental, neurological and psychiatric disorders. “Being an EMBO Installation Grantee presents my team with superb opportunities to work with scientists across the EMBO communities and to take our research in new directions,” she says. “Leading a team is a huge responsibility, however, it’s also very rewarding. Seeing the passion of young scientists gives me a lot of positive energy: it’s an opportunity to help young people to realize their dreams, and I can’t wait to get started.”
