Marianna Iliadou graduated in Biology from the
University of Patras (Greece) and continued in the post-graduate program of
Biomedical Sciences of the same University specializing in Stem Cells and
Regenerative Medicine. She conducted both her Bachelor and Master Thesis in
Prof. Stavros Taraviras’ laboratory at the Medical School of University of
Patras studying the molecular mechanisms governing the early steps of
corticogenesis. During her Master, she performed an internship in Prof. Argyris
Papantonis’ laboratory in Center for Molecular Medicine in Cologne (Germany).
Later on, she continued with a second internship in the laboratory of Dr.
Álvaro Rada-Iglesias in the Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria
(Spain) where she is currently pursuing her PhD focusing on the regulatory
mechanisms of enhancer-promoter communication.
Transcriptional regulation in development and congenital disease
Research lines
The major interest of our laboratory is to uncover the main genetic and epigenetic factors that allow the deployment of specific gene expression profiles as vertebrate developmental programs unroll. Our goal is to provide a deep mechanistic understanding of the non-coding genomic space that is dynamically and specifically used during mammalian embryogenesis, which is fundamental to reveal the molecular basis of human congenital diseases. More specifically, by functionally and mechanistically characterizing developmental enhancers, my laboratory aims at:
- Uncovering transcriptional regulatory principles orchestrating mammalian embryogenesis.
- Elucidating the genetic and epigenetic basis of human congenital diseases.
Funding
- "Transcriptional Regulation during vertebrate Embryonic Patterning: from genomics to mechanism" – STAR2 Programme (Universidad de Cantabria; Banco Santander) - 2018/2023 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Embo Young Investigator Program (YIP)" – EMBO – 2018/2020 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Mechanistic characterization of poised enhancer function during the induction of major anterior neural regulatory loci" - German Research Foundation (DFG) - 2017/2020 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Identification and characterization of major stem cell regulators within the epidermis" - German Research Foundation (DFG) – 2017/2021 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "A novel etiological mechanism for Branchio-Oculo-Facial Syndrome (BOFS) with implications for the current understanding of human neurocristopathies" - Else Kroner Fresenius Foundation - 2017/2019 - IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Functional and mechanistic characterization of Foxd3 during mouse peri-implantation transitions" – German Research Foundation (DFG) - 2016/2019 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "A systems biology approach to characterize non-coding genetic variants associated with human disease" – University of Cologne Excellence Program – 2014/2017 - IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Bioinformatic and molecular characterization of non-coding genetic variants associated with craniofacial abnormalities" - Fritz Thyssen Foundation – 2014/2015 - IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
- "Molecular mechanisms and functional relevance of poised developmental enhancers during embryonic stem cell differentiation" - German Research Foundation (DFG) – 2013/2016 – IP: Alvaro Rada Iglesias
