Alexander Miller-Michlits, MSc

My name is Alexander Miller-Michlits, and I am currently a PhD student in Neuroscience. I received my academic training in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, which provided me with a solid foundation in genetic analysis and the development of bioinformatic pipelines. In the past, I worked on projects related to SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) detection, primer design, and the development of pipelines for genomic analysis.

Building on this experience, I am now focusing on investigating the genetic underpinnings of brain tumors, with particular emphasis on structural variants and long-range somatic mutations, often spanning several kilobases. These changes can disrupt key regulatory elements or oncogenes involved in gliomagenesis. My goal is to unravel these complex genetic alterations, as they often play a crucial role in tumor development.

A central tool in my research is Nanopore long-read sequencing technology. This method allows for high-resolution mapping of genomic rearrangements that cannot be captured with conventional short-read approaches. Through this technology, I am able to gain deeper insights into the genomic architecture of tumors and identify the alterations that contribute to their development and increasing heterogeneity.

A particularly fascinating and important aspect of my current work is the identification of chromothripsis—a catastrophic mutational event characterized by massive fragmentation and reassembly of chromosomes. This process is often found in aggressive brain tumors and plays a significant role in their rapid progression. By carefully studying this phenomenon, I aim to better understand how such mutational events influence tumor evolution and heterogeneity, and what molecular mechanisms drive malignant transformation in the central nervous system.

With my work, I hope to gain new insights that will significantly expand our understanding of tumor biology and the molecular mechanisms of tumor development in neuro-oncology.