Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Katia Monastyrskaya

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. med. Fiona C. Burkhard

Group Leader

Dr. Ali Hashemi Gheinani

Senior Research Associate
Group Leader

Michelle von Siebenthal

PHD Student

From 2011-2017 Michelle completed the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Health Science and Technology with specialization in Neuroscience at ETH Zurich. Following a technician position at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Fribourg, she started her PhD studies in Cell Biology in the Functional Urology Group, University of Bern, in 2018. Michelle has developed innovative methodology for urodynamic examination in live unanesthetized mice, in agreement with the 3R principles of animal experimentation. She has also established protocols for EMG measurements of urethral sphincter activity in mice. Her PhD thesis dealing with the mouse models of bladder outlet obstruction and spinal cord injury-induced neurogenic LUTD is well underway.

Akshay

PhD student

Akshay is a dedicated bioinformatician with a strong academic background and a passion for deciphering complex biological data. His expertise lies in software development, Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), and analyzing various omics datasets, including bulk/scRNA-Seq, scATAC-Seq, Spatial Transcriptomics, and more.
With a Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics from Panjab University, India, and a Master's degree in Bioinformatics from the University of Saarland, Germany, Akshay is currently pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. His research focuses on understanding molecular drivers of bladder remodeling in Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction (LUTD) through integrated analysis of omics data from patient biopsies and animal models, using advanced statistical and ML methods.
In addition to his research, Akshay has contributed to the field by developing various bioinformatics tools, such as Mlme, MLcps, SpheroScan, ShinyMultiome.UiO and ShinyArchr.UiO reflecting his commitment to advancing scientific research.
His current focus involves employing state-of-the-art bioinformatics and ML/DL techniques for multi-omics data integration to identify potential LUTD biomarkers.

Chaimae Bahou

PHD Student

Chaimae earned a Master's degree in Life Sciences Engineering with a specialization in cellular and molecular biology in 2023, and a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences Engineering in 2020, both from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. She has experience working as a full-time trainee at AC Immune in Switzerland, where she collaborated with chemists and various teams to profile SME compounds based on their in vitro ADME properties. She also worked as a full-time intern at the Laboratory of Professor Hilal A. Lashuel, where she developed and characterized antibodies used in assessing neuronal models of Parkinson's Disease. In addition, Chaimae conducted protein analysis research for her Bachelor's project in the UPSIM Laboratory at EPFL, focusing on intracellular signaling involved in P-bodies in S.pombe. Chaimae has joined the lab as a PhD student and pursue research in exploring the detrusor overactivity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Pragya Nagar

PHD Student

Pragya holds a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Basel in Switzerland, where she focused on generating and characterizing a new screening platform for deorphanization of G-protein coupled receptors for her thesis project (2020- 2023). Pragya also earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Biotechnology from Delhi Technological University in India (2015- 2019). Pragya has additional research experience as a Student Assistant at ETH Zürich's Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering in Basel, Switzerland. Her work included screening for orphan G-protein coupled receptors with CRISPR perturbations, involving skills such as molecular cloning, qPCR, siRNA knockdown, luminescence assay, animal cell culture, and transfection. She joined the Functional Urology Group, University of Bern, in 2023 for her PhD studies. Pragya will research Detrusor Overactivity (DO) following Spinal Cord Injury in mice and humans. She will investigate the potential link between mitochondrial damage, increased Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, PARP-1 signaling activation, and NAD+ depletion in different cell types of the bladder wall. Her research will contribute to understanding of the triggers of DO and developing targeted therapies to prevent bladder overactivity.

Mustafa Besic

Lab Technician

Mustafa’s current position as Biomedical Scientist in our research group implies working closely with the other group members and independent performance of experiments. His areas of expertise are molecular biology techniques (real-time quantitative PCR, molecular cloning, protein and nucleic acid analysis), cell culture and tissue histology. Additionally, Mustafa is an expert of exosome isolation and nanoparticle tracking analysis. He is in charge of the NanoSight NS300 instrument in the FCS facility of DBMR. Since 2020 he holds LTK1 animal experimentation license and is involved in animal experiments including surgery and post-op care of mice. In his function as laboratory manager, he additionally takes care of all the organization tasks including ordering, repairs and maintenances of the lab equipment.

Blenda Gashi

Medi trainee student

Blenda is a medi student training to become a biomedical scientist. The medi school students study the analytic methodologies in the different specialties of laboratory medicine such as hematology, microbiology, histology, chemistry etc. Currently Blenda is working in our lab and writes her diploma thesis, in which she focuses on morphological changes of mouse bladders after a spinal cord injury.

Latest Projects


Molecular drivers of bladder remodelling in lower urinary tract dysfunction identified through integrated data analysis of patients’ biopsies and animal models

Our Functional Urology Group investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional and morphological changes in the bladder during LUTD. Our comprehensive transcriptome sequencing, the first of its kind, of human bladder biopsy samples from patients with benign prostatic obstruction revealed activation of immune response and proliferative signalling pathways... Read More

Targeting PARP-1 Signalling: a novel therapeutic approach for detrusor overactivity

Prerequisite for normal storage and voiding functions of the urinary bladder is a coordinated interaction between the muscle components of the bladder wall (detrusor) and its outlet (urethra and sphincter). Lower urinary tract dysfunction can be caused by bladder outlet obstruction and neurological diseases including spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. Detrusor (bladder muscle) overactivity (DO) often constitutes a part of an overactive bladder syndrome, greatly reducing the patients’ quality of life... Read More

A novel mouse urodynamic model for repeated detrusor pressure and external urethral sphincter activity measurements to study obstructed and neurogenic bladder dysfunction

Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) can develop as the result of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and in neurological diseases including spinal cord injury (SCI). A dangerous and potentially life threatening form of neurogenic LUTD is detrusor sphincter dyssynergia, where the detrusor and sphincter muscle contractions are uncoordinated, leading to high pressure voiding, detrusor overactivity and development of residual urine... Read More

Comparative transcriptome and proteome analysis of SCI-induced neurogenic LUTD in humans and rats

Our Functional Urology Group investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional and morphological changes in the bladder during LUTD. Our comprehensive transcriptome sequencing, the first of its kind, of human bladder biopsy samples from patients with benign prostatic obstruction revealed activation of immune response and proliferative signalling pathways... Read More

Urinary exosome characterization and miRNA profiling in LUT dysfunction

Bladder outlet obstruction is characterized by an increased outlet resistance leading to an elevated detrusor pressure and decreased urinary flow during voiding. Urodynamic examination remains the gold standard procedure for the diagnosis of obstruction-induced LUTD, but it is an invasive procedure, associated with risks of haematuria and urinary tract infection... Read More

Regulatory potential of miRNAs to mitigate the TNF-alpha-induced bladder dysfunction

Our comprehensive transcriptome analysis showed that TNF-α signalling contributes to the loss of contractility during Benign Prostatic Obstruction (BPO). We hypothesised that a compensatory up-regulation of miRNAs, targeting important hubs of TNF-α signalling pathways might mitigate this process in order to prevent bladder decompensation... Read More

Grants

Publications

Hashemi Gheinani, A., Köck, I., Vasquez, E., Baumgartner, U., Bigger-Allen, A., Sack, B., Burkhard, F.C., Adam, R.M., Monastyrskaya, K.* (2018) Concordant miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in humans and mice with bladder outlet obstruction Am J Clin Exp Urol. 6(6):219-233

20th December 2018

Koeck I., Hashemi Gheinani A., Baumgartner U., Vassella E., Bruggmann R., Burkhard F.C., Monastyrskaya K*. (2018) TNF- initiates miRNA-mRNA signaling cascades in obstruction-induced bladder dysfunction. Am J Pathol. Aug;188(8):1847-1864. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.05.008. Epub 2018 Jun 18. PMID: 29920227

August 2018

Baumgartner U., Berger F., Hashemi Gheinani A., Burgener SS., Monastyrskaya K., Vassella E. (2018) miR-19b enhances proliferation and apoptosis resistance via the EGFR signaling pathway by targeting PP2A and BIM in non-small cell lung cancer. Mol Cancer 19;17(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12943-018-0781-5. PMID: 29455644

19th February 2018

Monastyrskaya K*. (2018) Functional Association between Regulatory RNAs and the Annexins. Int J Mol Sci. 16;19(2). pii: E591. doi: 10.3390/ijms19020591

16th February 2018

Gheinani AH., Vögeli M., Baumgartner U, Vassella E., Draeger A., Burkhard FC., Monastyrskaya K*. (2018) Improved isolation strategies to increase the yield and purity of human urinary exosomes for biomarker discovery. Sci Rep. 2;8(1):3945. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22142-x. PMID: 29500443

2nd March 2018

Monastyrskaya K*., Burkhard F.C. (2017) Urinary Biomarkers for Bladder Outlet Obstruction. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep. doi: 10.1007/s11884-017-0418-3

28th March 2017

Vasquez E., Cristofaro V., Lukianov S., Burkhard F.C., Gheinani A.H., Monastyrskaya K., Bielenberg D.R., Sullivan M.P., Adam R.M. (2017) Deletion of neuropilin 2 enhances detrusor contractility following bladder outlet obstruction. JCI Insight 2(3):e90617. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.90617

9th February 2017

Gheinani A.H., Kiss B., Moltzahn F., Keller I., Bruggmann R., Rehrauer H., Fournier C.A., Burkhard F.C., Monastyrskaya K*. (2017) Characterization of miRNA-regulated networks, hubs of signaling, and biomarkers in obstruction-induced bladder dysfunction. JCI Insight 2(2):e89560. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.89560

26th January 2017

Koeck I., Burkhard F.C., Monastyrskaya K*. (2016) Activation of common signaling pathways during remodeling of the heart and the bladder. Biochem Pharmacol. 15;102:7-19

15th February 2016

Hashemi Gheinani A., Burkhard F.C., Rehrauer H., Aquino Fournier C., Monastyrskaya K *. (2015) MicroRNA miR-199a-5p regulates smooth muscle cell proliferation and morphology by targeting Wnt2 signaling pathway. J. Biol. Chem. 290(11):7067-86

13th March 2015

Hashemi Gheinani, A., Burkhard F.C., Monastyrskaya K*. (2013) Deciphering microRNA code in pain and inflammation – lessons from Bladder Pain Syndrome. Cell. Mol. Life Sci., 70(20): 3773-89

5th March 2013

Monastyrskaya K*., Sanchez-Freire V., Hashemi Gheinani, A., Klumpp, D.J., Babiychuk E.B., Draeger A., Burkhard F.C. (2013) miR-199a-5p regulates urothelial permeability and may play a role in bladder pain syndrome. Am. J. Pathol. 182(2):431-48

Fabruary 2013

Monastyrskaya, K*., Burkhard, F.C. (2011) Annexins in lower urinary tract: more than just a marker. Leading Opinions 3, 18-21

2011

Sánchez-Freire, V., Blanchard, M., Burkhard, F.C., Kessler, T.M., Kellenberger, S., and Monastyrskaya, K*. (2011) Acid-sensing channels in human bladder: expression, function and alterations during bladder pain syndrome. J. Urol. 186(4):1509-16

1st October 2011

Sanchez-Freire, V., Burkhard, F.C., Schmitz, A., Kessler, T.M., and Monastyrskaya, K*. (2011) The structural differences between the bladder dome and trigone revealed my mRNA expression analysis of cold cut biopsies. BJU Int, 108 (2 Pt 2):E126-35

18th January 2011

Monastyrskaya, K., Burkhard, F.C. (2010) Leaky urothelium in BPS/IC: myth or reality – molecular insights into disease pathogenesis. Eur. Urology Today, 22-5, 6

2010

Sanchez-Freire, V., Burkhard, F.C., Kessler, T.M., Kuhn, A., Draeger A., and Monastyrskaya, K*. (2010) MicroRNAs may mediate the down-regulation of neurokinin-1 receptor in chronic bladder pain syndrome. Am. J. Pathol., 176, 288-303

1st January 2010

Burkhard, F.C., Monastyrskaya, K., Studer, U.E., and Draeger, A. (2005) Smooth muscle membrane organization in the normal and dysfunctional human urinary bladder: A structural analysis. Neurourol. Urodyn. 24(2):128-135

2nd Fabruary 2005