We are delighted to welcome Aidana Baltabekova and Alina Mayorga Cárdenas to our team as PhD students in the GLYCOCALYX MSCA network.
We selected Aidana and Alina from nearly 300 applicants in a highly competitive international call to join the programme and pursue their doctoral research with our group. Both bring outstanding academic backgrounds, interdisciplinary expertise, and a shared ambition to deepen our understanding of viral dynamics and virus-host interactions while developing into the next generation of virologists.
Meet Aidana Baltabekova
Aidana is a biologist with a strong background in advanced imaging technologies. She earned her BSc in Biological Sciences from Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan and her MSc in Microbiology from Université Grenoble Alpes, France.
One common thread across the three main research positions Aidana has held, has been the development of her skills in imaging techniques, starting with her first environmental biology project, where she used high-throughput imaging flow cytometry, and continuing with antitumor drug characterization using fluorescence confocal microscopy. In pursuit of more advanced training, she later joined the MICA group of Dr. Irina Gutsche at IBS, Grenoble, to work on the in situ localization of an underexplored bacterial protein system using super-resolution dSTORM microscopy. In parallel, she was also trained in cryo-EM data processing on an exciting new viral protein, which turned out to be a very rewarding analytical endeavour. This whole journey reinforced her wish to continue working at a similar level of rigorous data processing while using her familiar fluorescence approach, which ultimately led her to this PhD position in the Bally group.
As part of her PhD, Aidana will explore how viral particles diffuse through the glycocalyx, a complex yet often overlooked structure that plays a crucial role in host-pathogen interactions. She is particularly excited to expand her expertise in 3D microscopy, computational analysis, and virology.
Looking ahead, Aidana said:
“I am very much intrigued to delve into the world of viral particle diffusion through the glycocalyx. I plan to grow my expertise in 3D microscopy and computation and become a true virologist while being part of this extremely exciting GLYCOCALYX MSCA network. Very grateful to become part of the team!”
Outside the lab, Aidana enjoys hiking in the mountains that surround her hometown of Almaty, traveling, hybrid training, and reading mystery novels.
Meet Alina Mayorga Cárdenas
Alina joins us from Mexico, bringing a unique perspective shaped by her background in physics and biophysics. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Physics at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico City before pursuing a Master’s degree at Université Paris-Saclay in France.
During her master studies, Alina became increasingly interested in living systems. She had the opportunity to work with Dr. Carine Douarche (Laboratoire FAST) on bacterial bioconvection and the effects of surface tension gradients and evaporation on these systems. She approached the project through a combination of experimental and numerical methods, including video and fluorescence microscopy, modelling, and rheology. Towards the end of her master’s studies, she was certain that she wanted to continue studying living systems, but she also felt compelled to be part of a project with greater potential to contribute to public health. She then came across the proposal for her current PhD project, degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx during viral diseases. Her PhD project will focus on how PUUV and SARS-CoV-2 cause endothelial glycocalyx degradation and how this may be linked to cardiovascular complications associated with diseases such as COVID-19 and HFRS. She will be working closely with Anne-Marie Fors Connolly, our collaborator and part of the MSCA network.
Speaking about her PhD project, Alina said:
“I wanted to continue studying living systems, but I also felt compelled to be part of a project with greater potential to contribute to public health. I am excited to investigate how viral infections affect the endothelial glycocalyx and how these changes may contribute to disease.”
Beyond her scientific research, Alina is deeply interested in science policy and the role of large-scale international collaborations in shaping global knowledge equity. She hopes to contribute to this field alongside her work in biophysics research.
We are thrilled to have Aidana and Alina join the team and look forward to supporting them as they begin their PhD journeys.
Welcome to the Bally group and the GLYCOCALYX network! 🎉
At pen: Fouzia, Aidana and Alina