How cilia are built, how they function, and what happens when they go awry

Barbara Tanos

Dr. Barbara Tanos has made significant contributions to cancer and cell biology research. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Buenos Aires and her PhD in Molecular Cancer Biology from Duke University. While working in Dr. Ann Marie Pendergast’s lab, she discovered a novel role for Abl tyrosine kinases in regulating the internalization of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

In her postdoctoral work at Weill Cornell Medical College with Dr. Enrique Rodriguez-Boulan, Dr. Tanos explored how cancer cells hijack epithelial polarity signals to remodel tumor architecture, identifying a crucial role for the scaffold protein IQGAP1 in this process. Her interest in centriole and cilia biology led her to further research with Dr. Bryan Tsou, where she identified a group of centriole distal appendage proteins essential for cilia formation, revealed the hierarchy of DAP recruitment to centrioles and uncovered the molecular mechanisms of centriole docking to the plasma membrane. This work that has become a hallmark in the field.

Now leading a research lab at Brunel University, Dr. Tanos research focuses on the regulation of centriole distal appendage proteins and their recruitment to centrioles, how this regulates primary cilia assembly and the role of cilia as signaling platforms. Understanding the role of centrioles and cilia in disease will identify novel therapeutic strategies for ciliopathies, kidney illnesses and cancer.