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Current lab members
Stephen Matthews
Senior Postdoctoral researcher
I joined the lab in October 2016 and am investigating in the regulation of T cell activation by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers.
I graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc. In Biochemistry and moved to Imperial College London to study mechanisms of lung pathology during respiratory virus infections for my PhD studies under Prof. Peter Openshaw. Subsequently I undertook postdoctoral training in the lab of Prof. Colin Watts at the University of Dundee where I investigated various aspects of lysosomal function in immune cells.
Senior Postdoctoral researcher
I joined the lab in October 2016 and am investigating in the regulation of T cell activation by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers.
I graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc. In Biochemistry and moved to Imperial College London to study mechanisms of lung pathology during respiratory virus infections for my PhD studies under Prof. Peter Openshaw. Subsequently I undertook postdoctoral training in the lab of Prof. Colin Watts at the University of Dundee where I investigated various aspects of lysosomal function in immune cells.
Matthew McFarland
Postdoctoral Researcher
I graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2012, followed by a PhD studying the mRNA translation system of baker’s yeast in 2016. I moved to the University of Nottingham in 2017, where I researched the translational control of embryogenesis in fruit flies, before joining the Kulathu lab in early 2019 and have since been investigating DUB biology in yeast and mammalian systems.
Outside of the lab, I am a keen(ish) runner, occasional hill walker, and aficionado of video games and TTRPGs.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2012, followed by a PhD studying the mRNA translation system of baker’s yeast in 2016. I moved to the University of Nottingham in 2017, where I researched the translational control of embryogenesis in fruit flies, before joining the Kulathu lab in early 2019 and have since been investigating DUB biology in yeast and mammalian systems.
Outside of the lab, I am a keen(ish) runner, occasional hill walker, and aficionado of video games and TTRPGs.
Joshua Peter
Postdoctoral Researcher
I graduated with a B.tech degree from MEPCO Schlenk Engineering College, India and joined IIT Guwahati as a Junior Research Fellow to work on CRISPR/Cas system. In 2014, I moved to CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology to work with Dr. Kausik Chakraborty and Dr. Koyeli Mapa, on conformational dynamics of molecular chaperones using Single Molecule Spectroscopy. I joined the Kulathu lab as a PhD student in Jan 2017 and am interested in understanding how proteins are UFMylated.
Postdoctoral Researcher
I graduated with a B.tech degree from MEPCO Schlenk Engineering College, India and joined IIT Guwahati as a Junior Research Fellow to work on CRISPR/Cas system. In 2014, I moved to CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology to work with Dr. Kausik Chakraborty and Dr. Koyeli Mapa, on conformational dynamics of molecular chaperones using Single Molecule Spectroscopy. I joined the Kulathu lab as a PhD student in Jan 2017 and am interested in understanding how proteins are UFMylated.
David Milrine
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-
I completed doctoral and post-doctoral training at Osaka and Cardiff University, respectively, where I worked on Cytokine biology. I joined the Kulathu lab in 2020 to research ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins and my work has been focussed on the UFM1 system, specifically looking at the roles of UFSP1 and UFSP2 in regulating UFMylation.
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-
I completed doctoral and post-doctoral training at Osaka and Cardiff University, respectively, where I worked on Cytokine biology. I joined the Kulathu lab in 2020 to research ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins and my work has been focussed on the UFM1 system, specifically looking at the roles of UFSP1 and UFSP2 in regulating UFMylation.
Logesvaran Krshnan
Postdoctoral researcher, 2022-
I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Subsequently, I completed my PhD research under the supervision of Associate Professor Matthew Call and Dr. Melissa Call at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia. My PhD thesis was on understanding the spatial organisation of subunits of the T-cell receptor complex. In 2017, I undertook a short postdoctoral training in cell biology at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, researching on mechanisms of intracellular cholesterol transfer via membrane contact sites under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Yasunori Saheki. In May 2018, I joined the lab of Professor Pedro Carvalho at the University of Oxford, where I studied mechanisms of protein quality control of inner nuclear membrane proteins in mammalian cells. Since August 2022, I have joined the Kulathu Lab as a Postdoc with the goal to study biochemical and cell biological aspects of branched ubiquitin chains. Outside of lab, I enjoy discovering places, cultures and food, watching musicals, and cooking.
Postdoctoral researcher, 2022-
I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Subsequently, I completed my PhD research under the supervision of Associate Professor Matthew Call and Dr. Melissa Call at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia. My PhD thesis was on understanding the spatial organisation of subunits of the T-cell receptor complex. In 2017, I undertook a short postdoctoral training in cell biology at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, researching on mechanisms of intracellular cholesterol transfer via membrane contact sites under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Yasunori Saheki. In May 2018, I joined the lab of Professor Pedro Carvalho at the University of Oxford, where I studied mechanisms of protein quality control of inner nuclear membrane proteins in mammalian cells. Since August 2022, I have joined the Kulathu Lab as a Postdoc with the goal to study biochemical and cell biological aspects of branched ubiquitin chains. Outside of lab, I enjoy discovering places, cultures and food, watching musicals, and cooking.
Helge Magnussen
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-
I started my academic education in Hamburg (2010-2013), where I took an undergraduate degree in Chemistry. During the course of my studies I got insight into the world of proteins in a basic course in biochemistry. This fascinated me so much that I decided to continue with a more specialised Master’s degree in protein chemistry, which I undertook at Umeå University, Sweden (2013-2015). After a degree project in the NMR lab of Magnus Wolf-Watz I joined the X-ray crystallography lab of Danny Huang at the CRUK Beatson Institute in Glasgow, where I did my PhD working on the ubiquitin ligase MDM2 (2015-2020). I joined the Kulathu lab in October 2020, where my work focusses on the UFMylation pathway.
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-
I started my academic education in Hamburg (2010-2013), where I took an undergraduate degree in Chemistry. During the course of my studies I got insight into the world of proteins in a basic course in biochemistry. This fascinated me so much that I decided to continue with a more specialised Master’s degree in protein chemistry, which I undertook at Umeå University, Sweden (2013-2015). After a degree project in the NMR lab of Magnus Wolf-Watz I joined the X-ray crystallography lab of Danny Huang at the CRUK Beatson Institute in Glasgow, where I did my PhD working on the ubiquitin ligase MDM2 (2015-2020). I joined the Kulathu lab in October 2020, where my work focusses on the UFMylation pathway.
Alicia Cordova Perez
PhD Student, 2020-
I obtained a BSc in Biologist pharmaceutical chemist from the Autonomous University of Yucatan (Mexico) and an MSc in Manipulation Genetics and Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Sussex. In my master dissertation at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, I worked on the characterisation to two novel mutations of the Topoisomerase 3 from S. cerevisiae. In 2020, I joined Dr Yogesh Kulathu’s research group as a PhD student within the UBIMOTIF training network, my project focuses on the discovery and characterisation of SLiMs that function as substrate recognition motifs in DUBs.
PhD Student, 2020-
I obtained a BSc in Biologist pharmaceutical chemist from the Autonomous University of Yucatan (Mexico) and an MSc in Manipulation Genetics and Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Sussex. In my master dissertation at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, I worked on the characterisation to two novel mutations of the Topoisomerase 3 from S. cerevisiae. In 2020, I joined Dr Yogesh Kulathu’s research group as a PhD student within the UBIMOTIF training network, my project focuses on the discovery and characterisation of SLiMs that function as substrate recognition motifs in DUBs.
Linnan Shen
Lab Manager 2021-
I joined the lab of Dr. Yogesh Kulathu in December 2021 as a senior research technician. I obtained my Ph.D from East China University of Science and Technology. Following my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Centre de Investigaciones Biologicas (Madrid, Spain) to investigate the molecular basis of the Glanzman’s Thrombasthenia (GT). In 2005, I joined Professor Ron Hay’s group at University of Dundee as a post-doc to study SUMO specific proteases (SENPs).
Lab Manager 2021-
I joined the lab of Dr. Yogesh Kulathu in December 2021 as a senior research technician. I obtained my Ph.D from East China University of Science and Technology. Following my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Centre de Investigaciones Biologicas (Madrid, Spain) to investigate the molecular basis of the Glanzman’s Thrombasthenia (GT). In 2005, I joined Professor Ron Hay’s group at University of Dundee as a post-doc to study SUMO specific proteases (SENPs).
Yogesh Kulathu
Group Leader
Yogesh graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2000 from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India, followed by a Masters degree in Biotechnology. He then went on to do a PhD in Immunology under the guidance of Prof. Michael Reth at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and University of Freiburg in Germany, where he worked on B cell antigen receptor signalling and protein tyrosine kinase regulation. To apply structural biology methods to study cell signalling, Yogesh moved to Cambridge in 2009 to work with Dr. David Komander at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
In February 2013, Yogesh relocated to the MRC PPU to establish his research program, focussing on ubiquitin signalling mechanisms. In 2015 Yogesh received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant, and was selected as a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. Yogesh is a recipient of the Lister Prize from the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and in 2021 received an ERC Consolidator Grant.
Group Leader
Yogesh graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2000 from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India, followed by a Masters degree in Biotechnology. He then went on to do a PhD in Immunology under the guidance of Prof. Michael Reth at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and University of Freiburg in Germany, where he worked on B cell antigen receptor signalling and protein tyrosine kinase regulation. To apply structural biology methods to study cell signalling, Yogesh moved to Cambridge in 2009 to work with Dr. David Komander at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
In February 2013, Yogesh relocated to the MRC PPU to establish his research program, focussing on ubiquitin signalling mechanisms. In 2015 Yogesh received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant, and was selected as a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. Yogesh is a recipient of the Lister Prize from the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and in 2021 received an ERC Consolidator Grant.
Alumni
Sven Lange
PhD student 2015-2019
Postdoctoral researcher 2019-2022
Sven is now a postdoc in the Brown Lab at Harvard Medical School
PhD student 2015-2019
Postdoctoral researcher 2019-2022
Sven is now a postdoc in the Brown Lab at Harvard Medical School
Lee Armstrong
PhD Student 2018-2022
Joined Outrun Therapeutics as Research Associate
PhD Student 2018-2022
Joined Outrun Therapeutics as Research Associate
Iona Wallace
Rotation student, 2021-22
PhD student in Kirby Swatek Lab, MRC PPU
Rotation student, 2021-22
PhD student in Kirby Swatek Lab, MRC PPU
Thomas Cummings
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-2022
Joined Trisk Bio
Postdoctoral researcher, 2020-2022
Joined Trisk Bio
Dominika Kwasna
Erasmus studentship and PhD student 2016-2021
Joined the Glatt Lab, Poland for a postdoc
Erasmus studentship and PhD student 2016-2021
Joined the Glatt Lab, Poland for a postdoc
Magda Gorka
Marie Curie ITN, 2018-2021
Marie Curie ITN, 2018-2021
Syed Arif AbdulRehman
Postdoc 2014-2020
Joined the De Cesare Lab, Dundee for a postdoc
Postdoc 2014-2020
Joined the De Cesare Lab, Dundee for a postdoc
SooYoun Choi
Postdoc 2013-2019
Joined the Davies Lab, Birmingham for a second postdoc
Postdoc 2013-2019
Joined the Davies Lab, Birmingham for a second postdoc
Luuk van der Bekerom
Research technician 2018-19
Associate Scientist at Galapagos, Belgium
Research technician 2018-19
Associate Scientist at Galapagos, Belgium
Jayaprakash Natarajan
PhD student 2014-18
Senior Scientist at Stelis Biopharma, India
PhD student 2014-18
Senior Scientist at Stelis Biopharma, India
Deepika Pathak
Postdoc 2016-17
Postdoctoral research associate, University of Nottingham
Postdoc 2016-17
Postdoctoral research associate, University of Nottingham
Pawel Leznicki
Postdoc 2014-17
Senior Scientist at Sygnature Discovery, UK
Postdoc 2014-17
Senior Scientist at Sygnature Discovery, UK
Yosua Kristariyanto
PhD student 2013-2017
PhD student 2013-2017
Internship/Erasmus/Rotation students
Izzy Cole
Internship 2020, 2021
Undergraduate student, University of Warwick
Internship 2020, 2021
Undergraduate student, University of Warwick
Kerry Liney
Internship 2020
Healthcare scientist at GenQA-NHS Lothian
Internship 2020
Healthcare scientist at GenQA-NHS Lothian
Marianna Maddaloni
Internship 2019-20
PhD student Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology
Internship 2019-20
PhD student Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology
Jordan Warner
MRC DTP Rotation student 2019
PhD student Cell Signalling and Immunology, Dundee
MRC DTP Rotation student 2019
PhD student Cell Signalling and Immunology, Dundee
Nikoleta Vavouraki
Internship 2017-18
PhD student University of Reading
Internship 2017-18
PhD student University of Reading
Lambert Montava Garriga
MRC Rotation student 2015
Research Scientist, Astra Zeneca
MRC Rotation student 2015
Research Scientist, Astra Zeneca