UCT Prague was visited by prof. HUI-MIN DAVID WANG from the partner National Chung Hsing University [NCHU] (Taiwan). UCT has been cooperating with NCHU since 2011, when the memorandum of cooperation for student exchange was signed. At the meeting with prof. Wang current information about the possibilities of student mobility and areas of scientific cooperation between UCT Prague and NCHU were outlined and discussed.

A Six-Month Internship Position with the Egli Laboratory at Columbia University in New York City

Announcement Summary:

A unique opportunity for a PhD student (ideally, an individual in the early stages of his/her doctoral studies)
to actively participate in cutting-edge stem cell research projects in Dieter Egli’s laboratory at Columbia
University. The selected candidate will join Columbia University as a J-1 visa fellow for a six-month period.
During the internship, the fellow will work on selected research projects under the direct supervision
of the principal investigator and a senior researcher (see his contact information below). If the knowledge
that the fellow generates is used in a scientific publication, the fellow will be included in the list of authors.

Principal Investigator:

Dietrich M. Egli, PhD, Maimonides Assistant Professor of Developmental Cell Biology
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics

Research Overview:

The Egli lab focuses on stem cells, epigenetic reprogramming, disease modeling, genome stability,
and early human development. Two ongoing projects are especially relevant to this announcement.
A. The precise and efficient correction of disease-causing mutations in early human embryos
This research project aims to: (i) deepen our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms in early human
embryos and (ii) evaluate the potential of novel genome-editing tools (e.g., prime editors) for the precise
and efficient correction of pathogenic mutations soon after fertilization. The Egli lab is one of only a few
laboratories in the world that have both the legal and ethical approval required to conduct this research.
Our recent references include Zuccaro et al., Nature. (2018); Zuccaro et al., Cell. (2019); Turocy et. al.,
Cell. (2021).

B. Mitigation of replication stress in human preimplantation embryo
The Egli hab is interested in understanding the genome stability during epigenetic reprogramming
and early human development. Aneuploidy is exceedingly common in human embryos and is the most
common cause of pregnancy loss. In the current project, we plan to identify factors that have the capacity
to mitigate the replication stress that is responsible for DNA damage and the decresead developmental
potential of human embryos. Our recent references include Chia et al., Nat Cell Biol. (2017);
Palmerola et al., Cell. (2022) (manuscript accepted for publication).

The Institution:

Established more than 250 years ago as King’s College, Columbia University is a leading research
institution located in New York City. Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university.
To date, its alumni, faculty, and staff have included 99 Nobel laureates. According to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Columbia University is ranked 11th globally.

Contact:

Stepan Jerabek, PhD, Research Scientist, Email: sj3207@cumc.columbia.edu

Please, include your CV and a motivation letter (200-250 words).

*** We look forward to receiving applications from highly motivated young researchers! ***

At UCT Prague love to see new international students at our university and we always want to make their first days in Czechia their best, that’s why they can spend their first days in the Czech Republic with members of ESN UCT Prague by discovering university, Prague or even different places out of Prague!

Orientation Week starts with enrollment day. We always offer our helping hand, and ESN members guide new students during their first steps at our university and are always ready to answer any question. On the first evening of Orientation Week, a Welcome Party is planned, where new students can meet with other international students and get to know them through ice-breaking games. Tuesday means Czech Culture Evening, where students can have a bite of our Czech culture in one hour. Wednesday is about a treasure hunt during which students can discover the Prague city center. Thursday is full of trips and it is up to the students, which one they want to join.

This all wouldn't be full without Integration Weekend, which is called GTK, during which we play team competition games, as well as the small individual ones, with the primary aim included – new students will Get To Know each other during this Weekend well!

We would like to draw your attention to the approaching deadline for submitting scholarships for a one-year study stay in Bavaria. The deadline for submitting scholarship applications for the academic year 2022/23 is December 1, 2021.

The scholarship is intended to finance a follow-up master's or doctoral degree at a Bavarian public university and can be extended for a maximum of 3 years. The scholarship can also be awarded for a one-year study stay in Bavaria as part of a doctoral study at a Czech public university.

More information is available on the website https://www.btha.cz/en/stipendia/studium-v-bavorsku and if you have any questions (in Czech, German or English), you can contact Martin Guttenberger, Scholarship Program Officer (guttenberger@btha.de).