Helen Elizabeth Foster

Helen Elizabeth Foster is a Research Fellow affiliated with the Pigino Group, where she conducted postdoctoral research from 2022 to 2024 under a Post-doctoral EMBO fellowship. Her work focuses on the structural and mechanistic aspects of intraflagellar transport (IFT), particularly the assembly and function of IFT-A/B protein complexes in cilia maintenance and assembly.

Her research interests center on understanding the molecular architecture of IFT trains and their role in ciliary signaling and structural integrity. This involves studying protein complex interactions and their polymerization into functional transport units.

Helen’s publications, including work in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and bioRxiv, highlight her contributions to elucidating the structural basis of IFT processes. These studies aim to bridge gaps in understanding how IFT complexes enable cargo delivery within cilia.

She has been recognized through the EMBO fellowship, underscoring the significance of her research in cellular and molecular biology.