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Contact

Email

t.tanaka@dundee.ac.uk

Phone

+44 (0)1382 385814

Biography

Professor Tomo Tanaka is a research scientist and group leader. He has been studying mechanisms of chromosome segregation in mitosis, chromosome organisation in the nucleus, and how errors in these processes lead to diseases. He has been a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (2008-), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2009-), and a Wellcome Trust Investigator (2020-). In the University, he serves as the Academic Lead of Dundee Imaging Facility (2018-) and Deputy Head of the Division for Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology (2022-).

Research

To maintain genetic integrity, a whole set of chromosomes must be inherited by daughter cells when cell division occurs. This process relies on chromosome segregation in mitosis. Errors in chromosome segregation would cause cell death and various human diseases such as congenital disorders and cancers. The research in his group focuses on two major events in early mitosis, by which chromosomes become prepared for segregation– first, chromosome re-organization involving resolution and compaction of sister chromatids; second, interactions between chromosomes and the mitotic spindle, which provide forces for chromosome segregation later in mitosis. His research aims to reveal fundamental mechanisms ensuring chromosome segregation and thus to understand the mechanisms of relevant human diseases. Please find more details of his research at https://tomotanakalab.weebly.com/research-projects.html

People in my Lab

Please find people in his group at https://tomotanakalab.weebly.com/lab-members.html

Selected Publications

Please find a full list of publications at https://tomotanakalab.weebly.com/publication.html 

View full research profile and publications

Teaching

A)  Lectures and tutorials for undergraduate students about chromosome segregation in mitosis - Level 3 (BS31006 Gene Regulation and Expression)

B) Supervisor of Honours degree students - Lab-based projects and literature/data analysis projects

C) Supervisor of PhD students

Media availability

I am available for media commentary on my research.

Mechanisms ensuring proper chromosome segregation in mitosis

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Areas of expertise

  • Cancer

PhD Projects

Principal supervisor

Awards

Award Year
Major Personal Funding Awards / Wellcome Investigator Award 2020
Major Personal Funding Awards / European Research Council Advanced Grant 2013
Personal Fellowships / Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowship 2012
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 2009
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation 2008
National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / The Hooke Medal of the British Society for Cell Biology 2007
Personal Fellowships / Cancer Research UK Senior Cancer Research Fellowship 2007
National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / Lister Research Prize Fellowship 2005
Personal Fellowships / Lister Institute Research Prize Fellowship 2005
International Science Prizes awarded since 1990 / EMBO Young Investigator 2000

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