Curriculum vitae

Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy; Viikinkaari 5e, P.O.Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki

                      Tel. (358) 400483660                                                         E-mail: [email protected]

EMPLOYMENT

2013-Present Doctoral student in Pharmacology, University of Helsinki

I work as a part of adjunct prof. Timo Myöhänen’s group researching the role of prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) and alpha synuclein interaction in Parkinson’s disease and role of PRPE inhibitors as possible therapy for treatment of Parkinson’s disease.  

2010–2012 Laboratory Assistant, Pharmacology department at University of Latvia, Latvia

In vivo memory retention and cognition experiments; acute and chronic stress models; Parkinson's and Alzheimer's neurodegeneration models (Passive and Active Avoidance Response; Elevated O maze; Y maze; Open field; Porsolt forced swim test; immobilization tests; apomorphine induced rotations)

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2014 (October-December) Visiting researcher, Optogenetics and Transgenic Technology Core (OTTC), the National Institute of Drug Research of the Intramural Research Program (NIDA IRP), Baltimore, USA

I worked as a part of Dr. Brandon Harvey’s lab where I learned to design and construct plasmids and AAV virus vectors for gene editing.

2011–2013 Health Sciences Master’s Degree in Pharmacy (qualification with distinction), University of Latvia, Latvia

2013 (January-June) ERASMUS exchange concerning Master’s Thesis, University of Helsinki

I visited Department of Pharmacology and worked with in vivo 6-OHDA Parkinson's model in rats, epilepsy model of status epilepticus in rats.

2012 (September) the ABC of Animal Experiments category C competence course for researchers, University of Latvia, Latvia

2011–2012 Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, Uppsala University, Sweden

2009–2010 Volunteer at Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Latvia

2008–2011 Health Sciences Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy (qualification with distinction), University of Latvia, Latvia

PROJECTS

The effects of Prolyl Oligopeptidase (POP) and its inhibition on alpha-synuclein aggregation and Parkinson's disease. Myöhänen, T., Savolainen, M. & Svarcbahs, R. 01/09/2013 → 31/08/2018

Prolyylioligopeptidaasin (POP) tehtävät ja estäminen alfa-synukleiinin kertymisessä ja Parkinsonin taudinmalleissa. Myöhänen, T., Savolainen, M. & Svarcbahs, R. 01/01/2014 → 31/08/2016

Latvian Council of Science Project Nr. Z-6214. Multi Heterocyclic chemistry development to acquire novel biologically active compounds, 2010-2012.

PUBLICATIONS                                                                                                             

Svarcbahs R, Julku UH, Myöhänen TT (2016) Inhibition of Prolyl Oligopeptidase Restores Spontaneous Motor Behavior in the α-Synuclein Virus Vector–Based Parkinson's Disease Mouse Model by Decreasing α-Synuclein Oligomeric Species in Mouse Brain. The Journal of Neuroscience 36:12485-12497.

Antidepressant use in Latvia: national trends, regional differences and pharmacists observations. Medicina (Kaunas) 2011; 47 Suppl 2: 97-104.

CONFERENCES

Prolyl Oligopeptidase (PREP), a novel modulator of PI3K class III regulated autophagy pathway.  Program No. 310.04. 2016 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2016.

Autophagy in Stress, Development & Disease, From the Basics in the Signalling and Molecular Aspect of Autophagy to the Identification of Therapeutic Targets. Prolyl Oligopeptidase (PREP), a novel modulator of PI3K class III regulated autophagy pathway. Gordon Research Conference. 20-25, 2016, Ventura, CA.      

Intracranial chronic administration of prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor, KYP-2047, counters the behavioural effects and alpha-synuclein overexpression after nigral AAV-alpha-synuclein injection. Program No. 132.09. 2015 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Chicago, IL: Society for Neuroscience, 2015. Online.

Prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) is a novel negative regulator of autophagy and small-molecule PREP inhibitor enhances beclin1-mediated autophagy. 4^th Annual Conference Nordic Autophagy Network, pp.48, June 5-7, 2015, Helsinki, Finland.

Prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor increases the formation of autophagosomes. Keystone Symposia, Autophagy: Fundamentals to Disease, May 23-28, 2014, Austin, Texas, USA.

Comparative effects of different compounds on stress–induced behavioural responses. 17^th Multidisciplinary International Conference on Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry “Stress and Behaviour”, pp.27, May 16-19, 2012, St-Petersburg, Russia.

Influence of propargyl- or adamanthyl-group containing 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives on behaviour in old animals. International Conference in Pharmacology. April 20-21, 2012, Riga, Latvia. Abstract OP8.

Influence of mildronate, an aza-butyrobetaine analogue, on the expression of trained-rat hippocampal proteins. 7th International Symposium on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair May 2-5, 2012 Potsdam. Abstract-XCD, PIII-33.

Mildronate, a small molecule, enhances memory and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. Australian Neuroscience Society 31st Annual Meeting, 31 Jan – 3 Feb, 2011, Auckland, New Zealand. Poster POS-WED-108.