My scientific education took root during my undergraduate studies at the Jagiellonian University, an experience enriched by a transformative internship at Cambridge University (UK), where I gained intensive training in protein biochemistry. This further ignited my passion for the life sciences and set me on the path of advanced research. I subsequently pursued my PhD at Ruprecht Karls University in Heidelberg, Germany, where I focused on deciphering the molecular architecture of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) – a large macromolecular machine responsible for the selective transport of molecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. This project resulted with my lead-author publication in a high-impact journal (Gaik et al., JCB).
I joined the Max Planck Research Group in Poland, where I set my research focus at molecular medicine and structural biology. I secured funding through POLONEZ NCN grant for researchers returning to Poland and SONATA BIS 14 NCN grant (2025-2029). My first independent project focused on understanding how mRNA molecules and their associated RNA-binding proteins coordinate protein synthesis during stem cell differentiation – a process whose dysregulation has been linked to diseases such as cancer and infertility. Driven by curiosity about the role of RNA modifications in cellular function, I subsequently investigated the Elongator (ELP) complex – responsible for modifying uridine at position 34 of several tRNAs – and its connection to neurodevelopment. Focusing on clinically relevant, patient-derived mutations in the ELP456 subcomplex, I applied cryo-EM technique and biochemical assays to assess their structural and functional impact. Collaborative efforts enabled me to establish the first clinical link between defects in the ELP456 subcomplex with neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by an inability to reach cognitive and motor milestones. By determining the cryo-EM structures of human and murine Elp456 subcomplexes, I pinpointed critical mutated residues, thereby providing novel insights into how altered tRNA modifications can impair protein production and neural function (Gaik et al., EMBO Mol Med). By applying the crystallographic fragment screening, I am currently developing novel research tools that can eventually be transformed into pro-drugs for RNA modopathies, thereby paving the way for new therapeutic strategies against previously incurable diseases. I embrace an interdisciplinary perspective that is committed not only to understanding fundamental biological processes but also to converting these discoveries into clinical applications.