Dr Kacper Rogala is a TSC researcher focused on developing new treatments and therapies for the condition. Dr Rogala is based at the Whitehead Institute MIT (Boston Massachusetts, USA). Dr Rogala’s work into TSC is part-funded by the TSA.
We spoke to Dr Rogala all about his passions and interests in TSC research, which Kacper was also happy to record to film:
What was your background before becoming a TSC researcher?
“When studying at the University of Edinburgh, I came across the field of science called protein crystallography. I was drawn to it because, apart from sounding really cool, it was a very visual field of science where you can discover what proteins look like in three-dimensions (3D). Following this, my research master’s degree at University College London was focused on mapping changes in human proteins.
My PhD at Oxford University looked at how structures inside our cells (called ‘centrosomes’) assemble from hundreds of individual proteins into a sophisticated molecular machine that makes sure our genetic material is divided equally between growing cells.”
What was your motivation for getting involved in TSC research?
“I feel that my involvement in TSC research was a progression that happened very naturally, out of my own curiosity of discovering how things work. My studies at Oxford sparked my fascination into how cells control the growth in the body. Mutations in the process of cell growth can lead to conditions like TSC.
At the moment, we have a broad understanding of how cell growth is controlled, but the details are missing. What motivates me as a TSC researcher is that my abilities to unearth detailed information about proteins is really useful in TSC. I feel like I can make a real difference to people living with TSC, which gives me a sense of purpose as a scientist.”
Why is your current TSA-funded research so important?
“Our cells have a sophisticated programme that controls whether it should grow or not. Information about the environment is sent to a decision-making protein called mTOR, and this information on the environment is used by the mTOR to decide whether to grow or not.
In TSC patients, the communication line between sensors, the environment and mTOR doesn’t work as it should. This means that cells in TSC patients are more likely to grow when they shouldn’t. To help with the treatment and management of TSC, we need to figure out how to fix the communication line between the body’s environment sensors and mTOR. The tricky part is that we don’t know how this communication between the environment sensors and mTOR works in the first place. This is where I come in as a protein chemist.
I’m working towards discovering the details of how mTOR receives the information from sensors. I do this by visualising proteins in 3D. Our goal is to create a medicine, that’s safer and more effective than current therapies, which stops mTOR growing larger when there’s a broken communication line between it and the environment sensors. This can only be achieved by first knowing how mTOR works and how it communicates with those sensors in the first place.”
What are your passions outside of research, in your spare time?
“I’m a certified ocean yacht master and I’ve been sailing since the age of 10. I sailed from Poland to Edinburgh, and then we crossed the North Sea, all the way to Norway – it was a real adventure! I’ve directed a number of short and full feature films, some of which were displayed in local cinemas in Krakow, Poland. For one of the short films produced in Scotland, we were nominated for a Bafta New Talent Award.
I also used to be an active handball player, including winning the UK National Championship in University Handball with Oxford, two years in a row.”
If you weren’t a researcher, what do you think you’d be doing?
“There was a short period of time when I was actually seriously considering dropping everything and moving to Los Angeles in pursuit of a proper film-making career, so if I wasn’t a scientist I’d be making movies.”
What do you hope we’ll see in TSC research in years to come?
“I’d love to see a better understanding of what TSC genes are doing beyond their communication with mTOR. People with TSC experience many symptoms, which cannot be simply explained by faulty growth control alone. I’d love to see more researchers trying to figure this out.”
What’s in store for you in the next couple of years?
“I’ll be setting-up my own laboratory at Stanford University in California. This couldn’t have happened without the generous support of the TSA and I’m forever thankful for the trust they’ve given me to carry out this project and develop it into something bigger.”
What do you hope we’ll see in TSC research in years to come?
“I’d love to see a better understanding of what TSC genes are doing beyond their communication with mTOR. People with TSC experience many symptoms, which cannot be simply explained by faulty growth control alone. I’d love to see more researchers trying to figure this out.”
What’s in store for you in the next couple of years?
“I’ll be setting-up my own laboratory at Stanford University in California. This couldn’t have happened without the generous support of the TSA and I’m forever thankful for the trust they’ve given me to carry out this project and develop it into something bigger.”
Do you have anything you’d like to say directly to the TSC community?
“You have a fierce ally in us scientists. We’re a team of dedicated and passionate people, working hard behind the scenes, trying to materialise treatment ideas into a reality. We realise that time is precious which is why we strongly believe that by innovating, and by approaching the same problem from different angles, we have a better chance of succeeding at finding a cure for TSC. Thank you for supporting basic, fundamental research and discovery in TSC.”