Mark Van Breugel

Dr. Mark Van Breugel is a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences and the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology. His research focuses on centriole biology, centrosomes, primary cilia, and their roles in cell division and disease. He employs structural biology, biochemistry, and cell biological approaches to study centriole assembly, ciliogenesis, and their links to cancer and ciliopathies.

Dr. Van Breugel teaches modules including 'Essential Skills for Biochemists,' 'Molecular Basis of Disease,' and 'AI and Data Science in Biology.' His lab investigates how centriole components assemble, their roles in disease, and the structural basis of ciliary dysfunction. Recent work includes studies on Spd-2/CEP192 domains, centrosome proteomics, and AlphaFold2 validation.

His research has been funded by grants such as the BBSRC award on cilia membrane remodelling. Past supervisees include PhD student Deepak Barnabas and MSc student Hannah Tomkinson. The lab collaborates with other institutions and utilizes advanced techniques like X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy.

Dr. Van Breugel’s group currently includes Post-doc Dr. Ifeanyi Enekwa and has engaged in collaborative projects on ciliopathies and cancer mechanisms. His work bridges structural insights with cellular function, contributing to understanding fundamental biological processes and their clinical implications.