Agnieszka N. Urbanek
Sheffield
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Sheffield
2023.01 - 2025.09
- SITraN, Neuroscience Department.
- Project: Investigating protein aggregation in dementia.
- This project aims to discover how Amyloid-beta aggregation and ApoE impact the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease using iPSC-derived cortical neurons.
Research Assistant
University of Sheffield
2020.01 - 2023.01
- SITraN, Neuroscience Department.
- Project: Developing an AAV-based gene therapy for SPG4 Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.
- This project, in cooperation with SWANBIO, focused on developing an AAV-based gene therapy for HSP caused by mutations in the SPG4 gene using a mouse model.
Senior Research Technician
University of Sheffield
2017.01 - 2019.01
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences.
- Project: Experimental adaptation and speciation in rotifers.
- I developed protocols, coordinated all lab activities, and managed and trained other technicians and people associated with the project.
- I was responsible for health and safety inspections, COOSH and risk assessment, and purchasing lab supplies.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of York
2015.01 - 2017.01
- Biology Department.
- Project: A combinatorial approach to enhance the production of monoclonal antibodies.
- This work focused on enhancing successive steps that are potentially rate-limiting for mAb production, including transgene expression, mRNA translation, intracellular trafficking, post-translational modification, and secretion.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Sheffield
2012.01 - 2015.01
- Biomedical Science Department.
- Project: Defining pathways that ensure unidirectionality of endocytosis.
- I elucidated how the Las17/WASP protein is regulated, so its many interactions take place sequentially, and determined how this mechanism ensures the unidirectionality of endocytosis.
Education
PhD - Cell Biology
University of Sheffield
2008.01 - 2012.01
Master's and an engineer - undefined
West Pomeranian University of Technology (the University of Agriculture)
2001.01 - 2006.01
Skills
- Molecular biology: DNA, plasmid DNA, RNA extraction, restriction digest, PCR, primer design, molecular cloning, mutagenesis, yeast genetics and techniques including recombination, gene knock-outs, gene tagging and mating, sequencing, genotyping
- Biochemistry: HIS-, GST-tagged and untagged protein expression and purification, TAP-tag protein complexes purification, immunoprecipitation, co-immunoprecipitation, cell lysates, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, lipid binding assays, and affinity purification of antibodies
- Cell culture: mouse primary cortical neurons, iPSC-cortical nerons, HEK cells, passaging, cell lysate, cell fractionation, immuno-staining, cell transfection and transduction, microfluidic chambers
- Microscopy: Light microscopy, Fluorescence microscopy, Live cell imaging, Fixed cell imaging, Single particle tracking
Confocal microscopy - Animal work: Home office PIL A, B, C licence, schedule 1 techniques, mouse colony maintenance, Lab Tracks
Prizes and Awards
• 2025 - ARUK pumping grant -The role of Aβ trafficking in synaptic function: £5,907,12
• 2025 – travel grant for ADPD 2025 - £600 Guarantors of Brain Travel grant, £600 – SMPH travel fund
• 2024 – ARUK Yorkshire Network for a travel grant, £500
• 2016 – IBCarb travel fund - Challenges and Opportunities for Optimising Protein Glycosylation, Imperial College London - £100.
• 2014/2015, SURE – Sheffield Undergraduate research experience – £500.14 on reagents,
£2000 scholarship for an undergraduate student on the project awarded by the Wellcome Trust
• 2014 - Learned society travel fund–Dynamic Cell, Cambridge 2014 - £350
• 2011 - FEBS Youth Travel Fund for Actin-Based Motility-from Molecules to Model Organisms conference - £620
• 2009, Bristol, the 1-st prize for poster presentation at the Actin conference - £100.
Publications
- Emily E. Prescott, Jiapeng Wei, Emma F. Garland, Agnieszka Urbanek, Francesco Capriglia, Willem H. Molenkamp, David P Rhodes, Louise Heywood, Aurelie Schwartzentruber, Elezabeth Stephen, Rachel Hughes, Oliver Bandmann, Mark O. Collins, Sara Linse, Axel Abelein, Jan Johansson, Michele Vendruscolo, J Robin Highly, Tuomas P.J. Knowles, Heather Mortiboys, Suman De, Secondary nucleation of α-Synuclein drives Mitochondria dysfunctions and Lewy body formation in Parkinson’s Disease, Molecular Cell, submitted
- Urbanek A, Garland EF, Prescott EE, King MC, Olerinyova A, Wareing HE, et al., Molecular Determinants of Protein Pathogenicity at the Single-Aggregate Level, Adv Sci (Weinh), 2025, 12, 9, e2410229
- Xia Z, Prescott EE, Urbanek A, Wareing HE, King MC, Olerinyova A, et al., Co-aggregation with Apolipoprotein E modulates the function of Amyloid-beta in Alzheimer's disease, Nat Commun, 2024, 15, 1, 4695
- Rzepnikowska W, Flis K, Kaminska J, Grynberg M, Urbanek A, Ayscough KR, Zoladek T., Amino acid substitution equivalent to human chorea-acanthocytosis I2771R in yeast Vps13 protein affects its binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, Hum Mol Genet, 2017, 04/15, 26, 8, 1497-1510
- Kaminska J, Rzepnikowska W, Polak A, Flis K, Soczewka P, Bala K, Sienko M, Grynberg M, Kaliszewski P, Urbanek A, Ayscough K, Zoladek T., Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate regulates response of cells to proteotoxic stress, Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2016, 10, 79, 494-504
- Ellen G. Allwood, Joe J. Tyler, Agnieszka N. Urbanek, Iwona I. Smaczynska-de Rooij, and Kathryn R. Ayscough., Elucidating Key Motifs Required for Arp2/3-Dependent and Independent Actin Nucleation by Las17/WASP, PLoS One, 2016, 11, 9, e0163177
- Weronika Rzepnikowska, Joanna Kaminska, Agnieszka Urbanek, Iwona Smaczynska de-Rojii, Kathryn Ayscough, Teresa Zoladek., Vps13 protein is involved in endocytic internalization and endosomal trafficking events in yeast, Conference paper, 09/2015, 27th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology, Levico Terme, Trentino, Italy, 32
- Urbanek AN, et al., Distinct actin and lipid binding sites in Ysc84 are required during early stages of yeast endocytosis, PLoS One, 2015, 08/27, 10, 8, e0136732
- Urbanek AN, et al., Function and interactions of the Ysc84/SH3yl1 family of actin- and lipid-binding proteins, BST, 2015, 43, 1, 111-116
- Urbanek AN, et al., A novel actin-binding motif in Las17/WASP nucleates actin filaments independently of Arp2/3, Curr Biol, 2013, 23, 3, 196-203
Communications and Presentations
• 2025 - NeuroBioUK – poster presentation
• 2025 – ARUK Northern Alliance – oral presentation
• 2025 – ADPD 2025 – poster presentation
• 2023 – NECB-North of England Cell Biology meeting– poster presentation
• 2014, oral presentation, 30 October, University of Manchester, Cell-Matrix interaction centre, an invited speaker
• 2014, poster presentation, 12 September, NECB-North of England Cell Biology meeting, Leeds
• 2014, selected oral presentation, 4-7 September, Cambridge, Dynamic Cell 2013, oral presentation, 06 December, Bristol, UK, Actin conference.
• 2013, oral presentation, CMIAD, University of Sheffield
• 2011, poster presentation, 16 December, Bristol, UK, Actin conference.
• 2011, poster presentation, 29 October–02 November, Stresa-Lake Maggiore, Italy, Actin-Based Motility - From Molecules to Model Organisms.
• 2011, poster presentation, 3-5 April, Edinburgh, UK, Molecular Mechanisms of Exocytosis and Endocytosis
• 2009, poster presentation, 11 December, Bristol, UK, Actin conference
• The University of Sheffield, Membrane trafficking group meetings since 2008
Professional Skills
• FHEA – Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• Project management, including staff, budget and priority setting.
• Complex problem solving, critical thinking and troubleshooting.
• Skilled in training, managing, supervising and motivating people at different levels
• Mentor at Thesis mentoring programme.
• Science communication, public engagement at primary and secondary school levels, member of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry &Health Research Staff Association (MDHRSA): communication team.
• Mentor at Thesis mentoring programme.
Timeline
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Sheffield
2023.01 - 2025.09
Research Assistant
University of Sheffield
2020.01 - 2023.01
Senior Research Technician
University of Sheffield
2017.01 - 2019.01
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of York
2015.01 - 2017.01
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Sheffield
2012.01 - 2015.01
PhD - Cell Biology
University of Sheffield
2008.01 - 2012.01
Master's and an engineer - undefined
West Pomeranian University of Technology (the University of Agriculture)
2001.01 - 2006.01