Sylwia Dominika Tyrkalska

I undertook my undergraduate studies at Jagiellonian University in Cracow (Poland), where I was awarded a scholarship for academic merit and obtained an MSc in Biotechnology (grade 9.5 out of 10). During this stage I joined the laboratories of Prof. M. Dziedzicka-Wasylewska (2009) and Prof. H. Rokita (2010-2011) as undergraduate assistant, where I had the opportunity to learn basic methods in molecular biology and to work on the characterization of the role of the MCPIP1 in neuroblastoma (Oncology Reports). Moreover, in 2010 I got an Erasmus Fellowship to visit the laboratory of Prof. G. Braus at Georg-August University in Goettingen, Germany. In 2012 I obtained a contract from the Marie Curie ITN “FishForPharma” (European Commission) to develop my PhD in the laboratory of Prof. V. Mulero at University of Murcia, Spain. There I obtained a second MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (grade 8.98 out of 10) and started my experience working with zebrafish models to study human diseases. During my PhD (09/2012-08/2015) I focused on using zebrafish to identify new inflammasome components and characterize their roles in response to infection, resulting in the identification of Gbp4 and Caiap (Nature Communications, Frontiers in Immunology). My PhD Thesis, titled “Molecular and functional characterization of zebrafish Gbp4: a new inflammasome component”, was defended in 2015 obtaining the maximum score and the mentions “Cum Laude” and “International PhD”. Later, I continued working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Mulero Lab (2015-2016), resulting this stage in the identification of Wdr90 as a new inflammasome component (Developmental & Comparative Immunology, DCI) and, more important, in the relevant finding that inflammasome regulates hematopoiesis by processing the transcription factor Gata1 (Immunity scientific article and an international patent). Moreover, during my work in Mulero Lab I had the opportunity to go for research internships in prestigious international laboratories, such as Prof. A. Meijer Lab at Leiden University, Prof. S. Renshaw Lab at University of Sheffield, and Prof. L. Zon Lab at Harvard University. This, together with the multiple scientific workshops/courses I attended thanks to the FishForPharma Network, enriched my scientific development and gave me a broader view of science in the context of zebrafish as a model to study human diseases. Next, I obtained the prestigious postdoctoral contracts Brain Fellowship (Guarantors of the Brain, 2016) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (European Commission, 2017) to join the laboratory of Prof. D. Rubinsztein at University of Cambridge, UK. There I focused on developing zebrafish models of Huntington`s Disease and role of proteasome and autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases (PNAS, Autophagy). In 2021, I have been granted the postdoctoral fellowship Juan de la Cierva - Incorporación to rejoin the lab of Prof. V. Mulero at University of Murcia, Spain. Due to my extensive experience in the field of innate immunity and, the knowledge acquired about the modelling human diseases in zebrafish in my previous international postdoctoral position, I have established here new zebrafish models to study COVID-19 (Science Advances, DCI, FEMS Microbiology Reviews) and Silicosis (DCI) as well as I have worked on the nasopharyngeal microbiome studies in COVID-19 from human patients (Emerging Microbes & Infections). Moreover, I have participated in 12 scientific projects, in 5 as a PI, during my career. My work explained above and my international collaborations have resulted in 19 publications in high impact factor journals such as Science Advances, Nature Communications, Immunity, FEMS Microbiology Reviews and Emerging Microbes & Infections, 10 of them as first author with 363 citations (H index = 9), over 30 communications to international scientific meetings. Moreover, I directed and supervised 5 bachelor, 1 master and 3 doctoral theses and I have been member of PhD thesis committee boards since 2018; I conducted practicals and lectures with students at University of Cambridge and University of Murcia; I am a scientific reviewer in several journals such as Frontiers in Immunology, DCI, Cells, Molecules, Vaccines, Viruses, Life, and I am an EU international expert evaluator for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships Projects. Thanks to several international internships, attendance to many international conferences and participation in European Projects, I have established a wide network of international collaborations which will help me in my future scientific career as an independent researcher. Lastly, I have big experience in dissemination of my research not only within scientific but also general public.