Darya Safavian

Post-doctoral Fellow

Current Project:  She is studying the role of septins in cytokinesis and ciliogenesis. She is also interested in studying the role of septins in bacterial entry into host cells.

Education:   She completed her PhD at the University of Toronto where she focused on the role of membrane transport mechanisms in plant cell in response to external stimuli.  Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), she elucidated the necessity of polarized vesicle secretion for plant fertilization and seed production.  Applying transgenic RNAi approaches, she demonstrated that the secretory activity in plant cell is mediated by the multi-subunit exocyst protein complex.  This discovery is the first evidence for the involvement of the entire exocyst complex in exocytosis in plants.  She also uncovered the presence of autophagy during the rejection of incompatible pollen grain which was previously unknown.

Activities:  She enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling around the globe and experiencing new cultures.

Favourite Quote:  “What you seek is seeking you.” – Rumi