Role
Dr Ugun-Klusek is a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology and is part of the Biochemistry teaching team at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Dr Ugun-Klusek is module lead for Biology Year 3 tutorial module, co-lead for Undergraduate research project module and she is involved as a lecturer in other modules (eg cell signalling and cancer, cell culture and antibody technology, genetics and immunology). She is a member of Biosciences team and her research aligns with the Health and Wellbeing strategic theme at NTU.
Career overview
2016-2021: Independent Research Fellow (Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Human Disease)
2016: Lecturer in Biochemistry, ŷ
2008-2016: Research Fellow, ŷ
2007-2008: Technical assistant in proteomics, ŷ
2008: PhD in ‘The role of 5-Hydroxytryptamine in Pre-eclampsia’, ŷ
2003: MSc in Applied Biosciences, ŷ
Research areas
Dr Ugun-Klusek’s research focuses on investigating the biochemical and molecular events that drive neurodegeneration and currently she is exploring the role of Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) in this process. MAOs are mitochondrial enzymes that play a key role in maintaining neurotransmitter levels in the brain but also important in redox homeostasis because they generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a catalytic by-product. ROS can chemically modify proteins and alter their biological functions. If not cleared, oxidatively damaged proteins may become cytotoxic. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to ROS and mitochondrial dysfunction due to their high energy demand. Dr Ugun-Klusek’s current research is focusing on investigating the effect of MAO-A generated ROS on mitochondrial health and protein degradation signalling in the context of neurodegeneration. The long-term aim is to identify molecular pathways that control mitochondrial function and neuronal health/survival.
Dr Ugun-Klusek also interested in investigating the role of MAO-A in other pathological conditions such as cancers and the application of proteomics techniques to study disease mechanisms.
Current Research Areas:
- Role of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) in the control of protein degradation and neuronal cell death
- Mitochondrial function and signalling in neuronal death
- A study of secretome using a cellular oxidative stress model
- A study of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) interaction mapping
If you are interested in carrying out a PhD in the research areas listed above or any related areas, please feel free to contact (aslihan.ugun-klusek@ntu.ac.uk) for further information. A programme of fully-funded PhD studentships at NTU is now open for application until the 14 January 2022.
Project titles:
Why neurons die? The role of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) in selective vulnerability of brain cells
Healthy brain ageing- The Role of Flavonoids in the Modulation of Monoamine Oxidases (MAOs)
Opportunities arise to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website /research/research-degrees-at-ntu.
External activity
Member of Biochemical society
Invited member of The Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM)
Reviewer for Free Radical Biology & Medicine, Diabetologia, Brain Research Bulletin, Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Cancers
Sponsors and collaborators
Current and recent research is being conducted with the collaboration of:
- Dr Miquel Àngel Pujana, ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Dr J Fitzgerald, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
- Dr Florence Burte, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, UK
- Dr Patrick Yu-Wai-Ma, MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit and Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, UK
Current and past Sponsors include:
- ŷ Independent Research Fellowship Scheme (2016-2021)
- NTU Short Summer Studentships (2014, 2016 and 2017)
- Biochemical Society Early Career Member Bursary (2017)
- Queen’s Anniversary Award, PhD Studentship ‘New molecular pathways linking the mitochondrial enzyme monoamine oxidase to neuronal cell death or survival’ (2017-2021) (supervisor)
- Neuroscience Support Group at the Queen's Medical Centre, Funding for a PhD ‘Investigating the role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disease’ (2017-2021) (collaborator)
Publications
Herranz C, Mateo F, Baiges A, Ruiz de Garibay G, Junza A, Johnson SR, Miller S, García N, Capellades J, Gómez A, Vidal A, Palomero L, Espín R, Extremera AI, Blommaert E, Revilla-López E, Saez B, Gómez-Ollés S, Ancochea J, Valenzuela C, Alonso T, Ussetti P, Laporta R, Xaubet A, Rodríguez-Portal JA, Montes-Worboys A, Machahua C, Bordas J, Menendez JA, Cruzado JM, Guiteras R, Bontoux C, La Motta C, Noguera-Castells A, Mancino M, Lastra E, Rigo-Bonnin R, Perales JC, Viñals F, Lahiguera A, Zhang X, Cuadras D, van Moorsel CHM, van der Vis JJ, Quanjel MJR, Filippakis H, Hakem R, Gorrini C, Ferrer M, Ugun-Klusek A, Billett E, Radzikowska E, Casanova Á, Molina-Molina M, Roman A, Yanes O, Pujana MA. EMBO Mol Med. 2021, 13(9):e13929. doi: 10.15252/emmm.202113929.
Santos L, Ugun-Klusek A, Coveney C, Boocock DJ. NPJ Regen Med. 2021, 6(1):32. doi: 10.1038/s41536-021-00141-3.
Lestón Pinilla L, Ugun-Klusek A, Rutella S, De Girolamo LA. . Biology (Basel). 2021,10(8):723. doi: 10.3390/biology10080723.
Bus C, Zizmare L, Feldkaemper M, Geisler S, Zarani M, Schaedler A, Klose F, Admard J, Mageean CJ, Arena G, Fallier-Becker P, Ugun-Klusek A, Maruszczak KK, Kapolou K, Schmid B, Rapaport D, Ueffing M, Casadei N, Krüger R, Gasser T, Vogt Weisenhorn DM, Kahle PJ, Trautwein C, Gloeckner CJ, Fitzgerald JC. iScience, 2020, 23(12):101797. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101797.
Ugun-Klusek A, Theodosi TS, Fitzgerald JC, Burté F, Ufer C, Boocock DJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Bedford L, Billett EE. Redox Biology, 2019, 20,167-181. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2018.10.003
Geiszler PC, Ugun-Klusek A, Lawler K, Pardon MC, Yuchun D, Bai L, Daykin CA, Auer DP, Bedford L. Sci Rep, 2018, 8(1), 4833. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23155-2.
Ugun-Klusek A, Tatham MH, Elkharaz J, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Lawler K, Mohamed H, Paine SM, Anderson G, John Mayer R, Lowe J, Ellen Billett E, Bedford L. Cell Death Dis, 2017, 8(1):e2531. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2016.443.
Wang CC, Man GC, Chu CY, Borchert A, Ugun-Klusek A, Billett EE, Kühn H, Ufer C. J Biol Chem, 2014, 289 (12), 8252-63. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.522094.
Fitzgerald JC, Ugun-Klusek A, Allen G, De Girolamo LA, Hargreaves I, Ufer C, Abramov AY and Billett EE, The FASEB Journal, 2014, 28(1):218-29. doi: 10.1096/fj.13-235481
Elkharaz J, Ugun-Klusek A, Constantin-Teodosiu T, Lawler K, Mayer RJ, Billett E, Lowe J, Bedford L, Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013, 1832 (12), 1930-1938. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.07.002.
Ugun-Klusek A, Tamang A, Loughna P, Billett E, Buckley G and Sivasubramaniam S, Vascular Pharmacology, 2011, 55 (5-6), 157-162. doi: 10.1016/j.vph.2011.07.006
Wang CC, Borchert A, Ugun-Klusek A, Tang LY, Lui WT, Chu CY, Billett E, Kuhn H and Ufer C, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011, 286 (32), 28322–28330. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.241422.