Shalom Borst Pauwels
Research:
Membrane contact sites are the intracellular regions where organelles come into close proximity to communicate and exchange material. Many biological processes take place at these membrane contact sites, among which lipid trafficking between organelles. Due to their hydrophobic nature, lipids cannot freely move between organelles, necessitating the facilitation of their trafficking. While vesicular transport offers some contribution to lipid trafficking, the majority of lipid trafficking is undertaken by a specialized group of lipid transfer proteins that transport lipids between organelles, often localizing at membrane contact sites. The goal of my PhD project is to investigate the molecular architecture of various membrane contact sites and to unravel many biological events occurring at membrane contact sites, with a particular emphasis on lipid trafficking by lipid transfer proteins.
Curriculum Vitae:
Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree at Radboud University in Nijmegen, I furthered my academic studies at Leiden University where I pursued a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. During the course of my master’s program, I did an internship at the Neefjes group under the guidance of Dr. Birol Cabukusta in which I investigated the dynamics of lipid transfer proteins that regulate sphingomyelin levels. After obtaining my master’s degree in 2022, I returned to the Neefjes group where I am continuing my research endeavors as a PhD candidate.
