Dr. Azra Bahadori

Biography

Azra Bahadori is a guest researcher at the Center for Healthy Ageing at the University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on understanding how chromosomal instability impacts human diseases. Specifically, she studies mutations in human cell genes that lead to defective genome maintenance, resulting in high rates of cancer, neurodegeneration, and infertility. In recent years, Bahadori has concentrated on common fragile sites as a model to comprehend 'difficult-to-replicate' regions of the human genome and their effects on the propagation of the genome during successive cell divisions. In her studies, she has identified ultra-fine anaphase bridges (UFBs), which are DNA thread-like structures that connect separating sister chromatids during anaphase of mitosis. Traditionally, UFBs are invisible during human cell division due to a lack of staining with DNA dyes. By coating them with specific proteins such as the SNF2 family protein PICH and BLM helicase, which is mutated in Bloom's syndrome (a cancer predisposition disorder), she has enabled their detection using specific antibodies. Bahadori combines protein biochemistry with molecular and cell biology, utilizing high-resolution imaging techniques in human cells. Recently, she has been developing tools to exploit advancements in microfluidics and single-molecule biophysical techniques to reconstitute defined steps of DNA metabolism in vitro.

Research Interests

Experience

Patents