Přehled

Doctoral study program: Biomedical Sciences

Form: doctoral (present)

Department: Department of Histology and Embryology, MF MU

Supervisor: Victorio Pozo Devoto, PhD

Ph.D. position: Myosin-dependent regulation of axonal transport and neuronal excitability in
Alzheimer’s Disease.

Annotation:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive synaptic dysfunction and neuronal
loss, tightly linked to aberrant processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the formation
of tau neurofibrillary tangles. Underlying these hallmarks, early signs of axonal transport
dysfunction and electrophysiological alterations have been observed. This PhD project aims to
modulate axonal transport and neuronal electrophysiology by controlling the activity of nonmuscle
myosin II (NMII)—an axonal force-generating protein—to delay or restore functional
impairments caused by AD-associated mutations.
The project will leverage human iPSC-derived neurons harboring AD-causative mutations (APP,
PSEN1, and SORL1). These models recapitulate early endosomal dysfunction, impaired APP
trafficking, and axonal transport defects that precede overt neurodegeneration. Using live-cell
imaging, microfluidic systems, and quantitative transport assays, the student will analyze how
disease-associated mutations alter axonal transport of endosomes, APP- and synaptic vesicles,
and mitochondria. In parallel, the electrophysiological profiles associated with these mutations
will be characterized using multi-electrode array recordings. A central objective of this project
is to define the role of NMII in coordinating axonal caliber and cargo motility. NMII-dependent
regulation of axonal diameter is expected to directly influence organelle and vesicle transport
dynamics, action potential propagation, and neuronal excitability. By combining
pharmacological and genetic approaches to modulate NMII activity, the student will test a
mechanistic framework integrating cytoskeleton, transport and electrical activity regulation, to
counteract AD-associated phenotype.

Funding of the research:
The PhD position will be funded by grant: Dissecting the Role of Axonal Transport and Neuronal
Excitability in Neurodegeneration. GACR, 2026-2028. 26-23399S.

Information on funding PGS positions:

The program requires that all PhD students have some means of financial support of min. 25 000 CZK
per month. This is often a combination of various sources (grants, scholarship etc.)

Requirements for the student according to the Doctoral Board:

The student’s minimum publication activity within the course of study is one first-author publication with
an IF value above the median in the field or 2 first-author publications in journals with an IF value in the
3rd quartile in the field (Q3). A condition for successful completion of the studies is also a foreign
internship of at least 1 month, which is an inseparable part of the studies. As part of their studies, students will also participate in the teaching.

Information about supervisor:

I am a neuroscientist with a consolidated research trajectory focused on axon biology and mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease. I have authored 18 peer-reviewed publications (7 as first author; h-index 12, 485 citations, Web of Science).

Publications relevant to this project
–
Unraveling Axonal Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury. Pozo Devoto, et al. 2022. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 10, 140.
–
The Alzheimer’s-Associated SORL1 p.Y1816C Variant Impairs APP Sorting, Axonal Trafficking, and Neuronal Activity in iPSC-Derived Brain Models. Raska et al., under revision.
–
Mitochondrial behavior when things go wrong in the axon. Pozo Devoto et al., 2022. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 16:959598.
–
Swedish Alzheimer’s disease variant perturbs activity of retrograde molecular motors and causes widespread derangement of axonal transport pathways. Feole et al., 2024. Journal of Biological Chemistry 107137.
–
Tau isoforms imbalance impairs the axonal transport of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in human neurons. Lacovich et al., 2017. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(1).
Past and Present Students
–
Consultant of Ms. Tamara Jankovičová Bachelor’s thesis, Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic (2023-2024).
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Fellow student mentorship at CTM, FNUSA-ICRC, Brno, Czech Republic Ms. Annalisa Wilson from Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA. (2018)
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Fellow student mentorship at CTM, FNUSA-ICRC, Brno, Czech Republic. Ms. Vida Mask, Erasmus (+) Internship. (2015-2016).
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Director of Ms. Tamara Jankovičová’s Diploma Thesis, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic (2024-present).
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Director of Ms. Natálie Lungová‘s Diploma Thesis, Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic (2024-present).
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Director of Ms. Aneta Vajdíková’s Bachelor thesis. Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic (2025-present).