NU Step to PhD: Askhat Myngbay, PhD in Biological Sciences

Our next NU Step to PhD rubric guest is Askhat Myngbay, PhD in Biological Sciences. From the very childhood, Askhat dreamed of becoming a doctor or  a scientist. Askhat received his Bachelor’s degree in biomedicine in the UK, graduated with  a Master’s degree from ENU, and in 2016, he started his doctoral studies at NU. Askhat is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow in cancer diagnostics research.

Askhat, please tell us about your research?

My PhD research focused on finding a potential marker for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. I was looking at the protein CTHRC1, and preliminary data from mouse model studies showed a high concentration of this protein in the knee joints. Therefore, we began our experiments on human biomaterials, which we collected from patients with diagnoses such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and reactive arthritis. We also studied healthy volunteers. As a result of our research, we published two scientific articles and one review article in Q1 journals. We also proved that the protein in question is one of the key agents in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. So, it can serve as a marker for both diagnosis and monitoring of the course of the disease. I have completed my task, but research on this topic needs to be continued; the mechanism of interaction of this protein at the cellular level should be studied.

How can your research help rheumatism patients?

This work is important because it can provide a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, and consequently,  improve the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the future, I would like to apply for a grant to continue this work. I plan to do so in the near future.

Who was helping you with your research?

I would like to express my deep gratitude to my first supervisor – Professor Vyacheslav Adarichev. He gave me a lot of useful advice, he taught me a lot. I am also grateful to the School, which financed my trip to the UK. This  allowed me to do a part of my project in one of the leading pharmaceutical companies – GSK (GlaxoSmithKline).

What are you working on now?

I am now a postdoctoral fellow at Nazarbayev University. Together with Professor Ivan Vorobyev, we are working on a project that will speed up the process of cancer diagnostics,lymphoma  in particular. Hopefully after the successful completion of the project, I can think about my project.

What advice would you give to future doctoral students?

I would recommend prospective doctoral students to pursue scientific research and always remain curious. I would like to say that life is short. Become a scientist, so that millions of people can benefit from your work. And this is something that can help you to leave your footprint.