Biography: Originally trained as a physicist, Evgeny received his Master degree in Biophysics in 2008, and as a PhD student joined the laboratory of Dr. Rob Kay in the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Cambridge), where he studied the molecular and biomechanical mechanisms of directed cell migration. After completing his PhD, in 2014 Evgeny joined the laboratory of Prof. Jan Skotheim at Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow. Evgeny combined his mathematical skills and deep knowledge of cell biology to understand how cells make an irreversible decision to progress from G1 into S-phase of the cell cycle, and ultimately, divide. During his postdoctoral work, Evgeny made a seminal discovery that as cell grow larger, they dilute a key cell cycle inhibitor RB (retinoblastoma protein), which ultimately triggers size-dependent cell division. This inhibitor-dilution mechanism ensures that smaller-born cells have more time to grow and reach their target size before committing to cell division. Evgeny now strives to further understand the molecular mechanisms of cell size regulation and reveal why cells tightly control their size.

Potential topics: 

• How does cell size affect cell death and ageing pathways?

• What mechanisms underlie size-dependent gene expression?

• How does cell size modulate cell fate decisions in stem cells?

• ...

The actual research project(s) will be determined jointly by the postdoctoral applicant and the group leader based on specific research interest and skills of the applicant.

Potential topics: 

• What is the role of cell size heterogeneity in cancer progression?

• How does cell size affect drug sensitivity in normal and cancer cells?

• What mechanisms control cell size in embryonic stem cells?

• ...

The actual research project(s) will be determined jointly by the PhD student and the group leader based on specific research interest and skills of the applicant.