Erinc Hallacli

Deciphering molecular phenotypes in neurodegenerative diseases

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The Question

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD), heavily burden our rapidly aging society. For effective therapies, we must understand how certain protein aggregates cause toxicity in the neurons. Recently, we discovered that Processing bodies, cytosolic RNA granules, represent a novel pathway in alpha-synuclein-the major protein that aggregates in PD-mediated toxicity. In our lab, we investigate the molecular mechanisms of P-body function in PD and healthy neurons, how RNA granules crosstalk with lipid membranes through a-synuclein and how a-synuclein affects other RNA metabolism related pathways.

The Approach

Our lab will utilize mainly iPSC derived cortical neurons for elucidating P-body (patho)physiology. For large scale high-throughput experiments to elucidate chemogenetic determinants of a-synuclein membrane residents, we will perform CRISPR and flow cytometry based chemical screens in human cell lines with the validation step in human neurons. For discovery of novel RNA related pathways, we will use orfeome wide protein tagging (a perturbation sensor tag) in disease models of human cell lines, followed by verification in human neurons. In addition, our main philosophy will be to learn what is necessary to solve a particular problem.

Erinc Hallacli

Erinc Hallacli received an MS in molecular and cellular biology from Heidelberg University (Germany) and a PhD at the European Molecular Biology Labs (EMBL). He was a postdoc at the Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later a postdoc and instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Boston, US). He was assistant professor of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and has joined the Max Perutz Labs in April 2024.

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Room: 2.120

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Spotlights

Decoding RNA in Parkinson’s: ASAP funding for Erinc Hallacli

Erinc Hallacli has been selected to join the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network (CRN), an international, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional network working to address high-priority research questions about Parkinson's disease. The Hallacli lab will become part of the team led by Anna Krichevsky at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, USA). With $9 million in funding over three years, the team will investigate how RNA-based mechanisms contribute to resilience and vulnerability in the manifestation of Parkinson’s disease.

 

Great collaboration with Yasin Dagdas Lab (GMI) and first paper from the lab! 

Processing bodies (P-bodies) are membraneless RNA-protein granules that regulate mRNA decay and translation. How cells selectively clear them has remained unclear. In this study published in Developmental Cell, Alibek Abdrakhmanov, Yasin Dagdas (GMI), Erinc Hallacli (Max Perutz Labs) and colleagues identify the decapping factors EDC4 and DCP1 as a cooperating selective autophagy receptor pair for P-body turnover in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Strikingly, expressing MpEDC4 in human cells and hiPSC-derived neurons promotes autophagy-dependent degradation of α-synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson's disease, pointing to a starting point for engineering cross-kingdom targeted protein degradation.
Reference: Abdrakhmanov A. et al. (2026). Developmental Cell 61, 744–759. doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2026.01.017
 

Kaylee and Liz awarded prestigious ÖAW DOC Fellowships!!!

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)’s DOC Fellowship program supports outstanding PhD students by funding their innovative research projects. This year, seven talented Perutz PhD students received this highly competitive fellowship: Kathleen Berkun and Elizabeth Ethier (Hallacli lab), María García Gallardo (Buecker lab), Aswini Kumar Panda (Falk lab), Sebastian Platzer and Kavya Shetty (Hein lab), and Mateusz Walter (Querques lab). Their work spans a wide range of topics, from neurodegenerative diseases to fundamental protein biology. Congratulations to all on this remarkable achievement!

 

    Team

    Alibek Abdrakhmanov
    PostDoc
       +43 1 4277 61822
    Room: 2.504

    Rachel Anderson
    PostDoc
       +43 1 4277 61822
    Room: 2.504

    Kathleen Berkun
    PhD Student
       +43 1 4277 61822
    Room: 2.504

    Elizabeth Ethier
    PhD Student
       +43 1 4277 61822
    Room: 2.504

    Erinc Hallacli
    Group Leader
       +43 1 4277 61720
    Room: 2.120

    Joon Ho Lee
    Lab Manager
       +4368120772301
    Room: 2.504

    Marius Moser
    PhD Student
       +43 1 4277 61803
    Room: 2.515

    Open Positions

    PhD Positions

    As a member of Vienna Biocenter (VBC), we only select PhD students through our competitive PhD program. This program is open twice a year. 

    Please have a look at the website. You can find all the information there. 

    https://training.vbc.ac.at/phd-program/

    Selected Publications

    A lineage-specific selective autophagy receptor module mediates P-body turnover.

    2026 Developmental cell
    PMID:  41734762

    Abdrakhmanov Alibek, Ethier Elizabeth, Anisimova Aleksandra S, Grujic Nenad, Papareddy Ranjith K, Clavel Marion, Karagöz G Elif, Hallacli Erinc, Dagdas Yasin

    Rapid iPSC inclusionopathy models shed light on formation, consequence, and molecular subtype of α-synuclein inclusions.

    2025 Neuron
    PMID:  39894019

    Lam Isabel, Ndayisaba Alain, Lewis Amanda J, Fu YuHong, Sagredo Giselle T, Kuzkina Anastasia, Zaccagnini Ludovica, Celikag Meral, Sandoe Jackson, Sanz Ricardo L, Vahdatshoar Aazam, Martin Timothy D, Morshed Nader, Ichihashi Toru, Tripathi Arati, Ramalingam Nagendran, Oettgen-Suazo Charlotte, Bartels Theresa, Boussouf Manel, Schäbinger Max, Hallacli Erinc, Jiang Xin, Verma Amrita, Tea Challana, Wang Zichen, Hakozaki Hiroyuki, Yu Xiao, Hyles Kelly, Park Chansaem, Wang Xinyuan, Theunissen Thorold W, Wang Haoyi, Jaenisch Rudolf, Lindquist Susan, Stevens Beth, Stefanova Nadia, Wenning Gregor, van de Berg Wilma D J, Luk Kelvin C, Sanchez-Pernaute Rosario, Gómez-Esteban Juan Carlos, Felsky Daniel, Kiyota Yasujiro, Sahni Nidhi, Yi S Stephen, Chung Chee Yeun, Stahlberg Henning, Ferrer Isidro, Schöneberg Johannes, Elledge Stephen J, Dettmer Ulf, Halliday Glenda M, Bartels Tim, Khurana Vikram

    Sequential CRISPR screening reveals partial NatB inhibition as a strategy to mitigate alpha-synuclein levels in human neurons.

    2024 Science advances(6)
    PMID:  38335281

    Santhosh Kumar Saranya, Naseri Nima N, Pather Sarshan R, Hallacli Erinc, Ndayisaba Alain, Buenaventura Chris, Acosta Karen, Roof Jennifer, Fazelinia Hossein, Spruce Lynn A, Luk Kelvin, Khurana Vikram, Rhoades Elizabeth, Shalem Ophir

    The Parkinson's disease protein alpha-synuclein is a modulator of processing bodies and mRNA stability.

    2022 Cell(12)
    PMID:  35688132

    Hallacli Erinc, Kayatekin Can, Nazeen Sumaiya, Wang Xiou H, Sheinkopf Zoe, Sathyakumar Shubhangi, Sarkar Souvarish, Jiang Xin, Dong Xianjun, Di Maio Roberto, Wang Wen, Keeney Matthew T, Felsky Daniel, Sandoe Jackson, Vahdatshoar Aazam, Udeshi Namrata D, Mani D R, Carr Steven A, Lindquist Susan, De Jager Philip L, Bartel David P, Myers Chad L, Greenamyre J Timothy, Feany Mel B, Sunyaev Shamil R, Chung Chee Yeun, Khurana Vikram

    Persistent Activation of mRNA Translation by Transient Hsp90 Inhibition.

    2020 Cell reports(10)
    PMID:  32905780

    Tsvetkov Peter, Eisen Timothy J, Heinrich Sven U, Brune Zarina, Hallacli Erinc, Newby Greg A, Kayatekin Can, Pincus David, Lindquist Susan

    Proteome-Scale Mapping of Perturbed Proteostasis in Living Cells.

    2020 Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology(2)
    PMID:  30910772

    Lam Isabel, Hallacli Erinc, Khurana Vikram

    A Genetic Tool to Track Protein Aggregates and Control Prion Inheritance.

    2017 Cell(4)
    PMID:  29056345

    Newby Gregory A, Kiriakov Szilvia, Hallacli Erinc, Kayatekin Can, Tsvetkov Peter, Mancuso Christopher P, Bonner J Maeve, Hesse William R, Chakrabortee Sohini, Manogaran Anita L, Liebman Susan W, Lindquist Susan, Khalil Ahmad S

    View all Publications of Group Hallacli

    Collaborations & Funding

    National Scientific Research Fund (FWF) Project

    Project title: “Significance of RNA Processing Bodies in Parkinson's Disease" (PAT 3469225)”

    Group News

    Our first lab retreat

    After a long summer, we took a day off at Prein an der Rax. We hiked, cooked and sat around a campfire. Thanks a ton to our host Kunst- und Wissenschaftsverein Prein for the beautiful residence. Sure we will come back!

    Goodbye to our wonderful interns, Berenice and Elif!

    It has been an absolute pleasure to have Berenice Arru and Elif Haern in the lab. Both made significant contributions to our science and, just as importantly, have been wonderful lab citizens and colleagues.

    It was bittersweet to say goodbye over some fantastic Korean food (thanks, Joon!). The Hallacli Lab wishes you both enormous success in whatever comes next—and many exciting scientific discoveries along the way.

    We will miss having you in the lab!

    Hallacli lab welcomes Elif Sarah Haern!

    Elif joins us through the Vienna BioCenter Summer School from Rachel Green’s lab at Johns Hopkins University, where she studies ribosome quality control. During her 9 weeks with us, she will explore alpha-synuclein–lipid interactions together with Liz Ethier.

    This is our second summer hosting a VBC Summer School student, and we couldn’t be happier to be part of this fantastic program.We thank all the coordinators of the program at VBC Training center. 

    https://training.vbc.ac.at/summer-school/

    Rachel joins the lab!

    We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rachel Anderson as a postdoctoral fellow in the Hallacli Lab!

    Rachel joins us from Ankur Jain’s lab at MIT and the Whitehead Institute, where she studied RNA processing defects in repeat expansion disorders, including Huntington’s disease. Her work uncovered how repeat expansions can disrupt RNA splicing and generate unexpected translation products.

    In the Hallacli Lab, Rachel will bring her expertise in RNA biology to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease.

    Welcome to Vienna and the lab, Rachel!

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