Dr Gernot Walko , Mag. Dr. (Austria) Gernot Walko, FHEA (UK)

Profile

Gernot Walko (Magister rer. nat., Doctor rer. nat) received his undergraduate and postgraduate training in microbiology and molecular biology from the University of Vienna, Austria. He did his PhD in molecular cell biology in the lab of Prof Gerhard Wiche, where his research focused on the roles of cytoskeletal linker proteins in the context of human skin blistering diseases.

Following initial postdoctoral training in Vienna, Dr Walko moved to London in 2013, supported by a prestigious Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship, to join the world-leading stem cell lab of Prof Fiona Watt at King’s College London where his research focused on the molecular mechanisms controlling self-renewal of human epidermal stem cells.

In April 2018, Dr Walko became Lecturer and Principal Investigator in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry (now Department of Life Sciences) at the University of Bath, UK. There, supported by research grants from the BBSRC, Academy of Medical Sciences, Royal Society, and the British Skin Foundation, his research group (https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/gernot-walko) has been studying epidermal stem cells in healthy and diseased skin, with a special focus on the Hippo/YAP/TAZ signalling pathway and its role in skin cancer.

In October 2022, Dr Walko joined the Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine at the Institute of Dentistry as a Barts Charity-funded Senior Lecturer in Squamous Cell Carcinogenesis, to continue his research on squamous cancers at QMUL.

Dr Walko is member of the executive committee of the Barts Centre for Squamous Cancer (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/bcsc/), a cross-faculty research theme funded by the Barts Charity, dedicated to improving detection, treatment, and quality of life for patients with squamous cancer.

Dr Walko is also a member of QMUL’s Epidermolysis Bullosa research hub (https://www.bci.qmul.ac.uk/our-research/epidermolysis-bullosa/).

Teaching

Dr Gernot Walko was awarded the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) by Advance HE in 2021. He brings with him extensive biomedical teaching experience, acquired during previous appointments at the University of Bath (UK) and the University of Vienna (Austria). In his teaching activities, Dr Walko endeavours to transfer his own passion for science in all its facets to his students. Dr Walko teaches cellular signalling and cancer biology (MOE06, MOE07 on Module DIN7021; CP02, CP03, CP05, CP08 on Module DIN7021) on the MSc Experimental Oral Pathology and supervises lab-based research projects. Dr Walko also supervises undergraduate students on BIO604 ‘Structured Research Projects’, which are offered to students on BSc programmes shared between FMD and SBBS.

Research

Research Interests:

The Walko group focuses mostly on the human epidermis which, due to its high turnover and easy accessibility, provides a paradigm for research into squamous epithelia and their stem cells. Cancers originating from epidermal keratinocytes (keratinocyte cancers), including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), are amongst the most frequently diagnosed human cancers world-wide.

Transcriptional addiction in squamous cancers:

Our approach to understanding squamous cancer development and progression is to discover the key components on which dysregulated gene expression programmes depend on in squamous cell carcinoma cells. Our current research focuses on the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ, which have emerged as essential drivers of tumour initiation and progression in various types of SCC. Using state of the art proteomics and transcriptomics approaches and RNA interference and CRISPR technologies in combination with (i) conventional 2D cell culture techniques, (ii) 3D-organotypic SCC equivalents, and (iii) zebrafish xenograft models, we are defining overlapping and non-redundant roles of YAP and TAZ in human SCC initiation and progression and are identifying the different transcriptional binding partners that enable YAP/TAZ to execute their various downstream transcriptional programmes.

Transcriptional control of stem cell functions in squamous epithelia:

Autologous cultures of human keratinocytes have long been used to prepare grafts to permanently restore massive epithelial defects in patients suffering from severe burn wounds or hereditary skin blistering diseases. How squamous epithelial stem cells can be maintained long-term ex vivo to sustain epithelial transplant generation remains a fundamental open question, which we are addressing by genetic and pharmacological screens combined with multi-omics approaches.

Publications

Howard A, Bojko J, Flynn B, Bowen S, Jungwirth U, Walko G. Targeting the Hippo/YAP/TAZ signalling pathway: Novel opportunities for therapeutic interventions into skin cancers. Exp Dermatol. 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.1111/exd.14655. Epub 2022 Aug 12. PMID: 35913427.

Rognoni E, Walko G. The Roles of YAP/TAZ and the Hippo Pathway in Healthy and Diseased Skin. Cells. 2019. May 3;8(5). pii: E411. doi: 10.3390/cells8050411. PMID: 31058846.

Negri VA, Logtenberg MEW, Renz LM, Oules B, Walko G*, Watt FM*. Delta-like 1-mediated cis-inhibition of Jagged1/2 signalling inhibits differentiation of human epidermal cells in culture. Sci Rep. 2019. Jul 25;9(1):10825. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-47232-2, PMID: 31346203 (*joint last authors)

Mobasseri SA, Zijl S, Salameti V, Walko G, Stannard A, Garcia-Manyes S, Watt FM. Patterning of human epidermal stem cells on undulating elastomer substrates reflects differences in cell stiffness. Acta Biomater. 2019. Mar 15;87:256-264. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.01.063. PMID: 30710711.

Mishra A, Oulès B, Pisco AO, Ly T, Liakath-Ali K, Walko G, Viswanathan P, Tihy M, Nijjher J, Dunn SJ, Lamond AI, Watt FM. A protein phosphatase network controls the temporal and spatial dynamics of differentiation commitment in human epidermis. Elife. 2017. Oct 18;6. pii: e27356. doi: 10.7554/eLife.27356. PMID: 29043977.

Walko G*, Woodhouse S*, Pisco AO, Rognoni E, Liakath-Ali K, Lichtenberger BM, Mishra A, Telerman SB, Viswanathan P, Logtenberg M, Renz LM, Donati G, Quist SR, Watt FM. A genome-wide screen identifies YAP/WBP2 interplay conferring growth advantage on human epidermal stem cells. Nat Commun. 2017. Mar 23;8:14744. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14744. PMID: 28332498. (*equal contribution)