Speakers: Nataliya Kibiryeva, MD

Nataliya Kibiryeva, MD

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Science
Kansas City University

 

Dr. Nataliya Kibiryeva is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Science in the College of Biomedical Sciences, Kansas City University (KCU) in Kansas City, Missouri. She teaches bioinformatics, scientific methodology, and scientific communication.
Dr. Kibiryeva earned her Medical Degree from Kharkov State Medical University, Ukraine. After relocating to the United States, she spent 20 years as a Research Scientist at Children’s Mercy Hospital, where she collaborated with physician-scientists across various specialties, analyzing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) data and integrating findings into biomedical research.

Her research interests center on the epigenetic regulation of heart development, with a particular focus on non-coding RNAs and alternative splicing during cardiogenesis. Through her work, she aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying heart formation and contribute to advancements in cardiovascular genetics.

 

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Long Non-Coding RNA Research: Challenges and Data Management Strategies

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of fundamental biological processes, including development, cancer, immune response, and aging. By interacting with proteins, genomic DNA, and other RNA molecules, lncRNAs play a regulatory role at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Despite the explosion in lncRNA-related research, the field remains unclear with controversies, inconsistencies, and classification challenges.

One of the biggest problems in lncRNA research is the difficulty in categorizing their functions based on defining features such as genomic location, copy number, domain structure, subcellular localization, stability, evolution, and expression patterns. A deeper understanding of these characteristics is essential to decode their role in epigenetic regulation.

This presentation will explore the role of specialized lncRNA databases in addressing these challenges. While these databases aim to provide structured insights into lncRNA functions, their accessibility and usability remain significant hurdles—some are outdated or abandoned, while others face geographical restrictions limiting access. By discussing the strengths, limitations, and potential improvements of these data repositories, this talk aims to shed light on how better data management strategies can accelerate discoveries in the field of lncRNA research.