Pilar OKENVE Ramos

Postdoctoral Researcher

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I did my PhD at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Barcelona, where I studied developmental biology with a special focus on actin-cytoskeleton and its role in collective cell migration during embryogenesis. Then I moved to the University of Liverpool for my first postdoc where I continued working on cytoskeleton, but this time on microtubules (MTs) and their role on neuronal maintenance. By the study of the deterioration of this MT maintenance, my work focused on characterizing and understanding natural neuronal ageing and pathological neurodegenerative diseases.

I joined the CCR lab in 2019 as a postdoc, where I continue working on maintenance of a MT based structure: the cilium. This is a cell projection with various essential functions, including fluid movement, cell signalling and mechanosensation. Its dysfunction is correlated with several diseases such as microcephaly, sterility or retinopathies.

In my scientific academic I actively participated on meetings, conferences and outreach events, as well as on student’s supervision and lab management, and now on the IGC Postdoctoral Committee, where among other collaborative activities, I try to promote democracy and to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the community, which also includes open science."

 Publications:

- Werner S, Zitouni S, Okenve-Ramos P, Mendonça S, Sporbert A, Spalthoff C, Göpfert MC, Jana SC, Bettencourt-Dias M. IFT88 transports Gucy2d, a guanylyl cyclase, to maintain sensory cilia function in Drosophila. BioRxiV. 12/2021. DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.15.417840.

- Qu Y, Hahn I, Lees M, Parkin J, Voelzmann A, Dorey K, Rathbone A, Friel CT, Allan VJ, Okenve-Ramos P, Sanchez-Soriano N, Prokop A. Efa6 protects axons and regulates their growth and branching by inhibiting microtubule polymerisation at the cortex. eLife. 11/2019. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.50319.

- Voelzmann A, Okenve-Ramos P, Qu Y, Chojnowska-Monga M, Caño-Espinel M, Prokop A, Sanchez-Soriano N. Tau and spectraplakins promote synapse formation and maintenance through Jun kinase and neuronal trafficking. eLife 08/2016;5. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.14694.

- Okenve-Ramos P & Llimargas M. Fascin, may the Forked be with you. Fly. 08/2014. 8(3):157-164. DOI: 10.4161/fly.34368. Cover image of the journal (3rd Issue 2014).

- Okenve-Ramos P & Llimargas M. A role for Fascin in preventing filopodia breakage in Drosophila tracheal cells. Communicative and Integrative Biology. 06/2014. 7(5):1-4. DOI: 10.4161/cib.29741.

- Okenve-Ramos P & Llimargas M. Fascin links Btl/FGFR signalling to actin cytoskeleton during Drosophila tracheal morphogenesis. Development. 02/2014. 141(4):929-39. DOI: 10.1242/dev.103218.

- Cotado-Sampayo M, Okenve Ramos P, Perez RO, Ojha M, Barja F. Specificity of commercial anti-Spectrin antibody in the study of fungal and Oomycete Spectrin: cross-reaction with proteins other than Spectrin. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 07/2008. 45(6):1008-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2008.02.003.

- Interview in "libertad FM", a spanish radio. 

https://www.ivoox.com/en/por-estudiamos-a-mosca-de-audios-mp3_rf_84628006_1.html