Dr. Konstantin Ichtchenko

Biography

Konstantin Ichtchenko is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. His research interests focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms that control exocytosis and endocytosis at nerve terminals. He is involved in designing molecular tools that enable the examination of individual steps and components mediating these processes. Konstantin has a broad background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and neurochemistry, and his past accomplishments include the discovery of neuroligins, a novel class of post-synaptic molecules crucial for synapse formation. This work was performed during his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Südhof at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. His time in Südhof’s lab also led to the publication related to the expression of recombinant alpha-latrotoxin derivatives, which were used to elucidate the mechanism of neurotoxin action. His earlier research in the laboratories of Drs. Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown at UT Southwestern included studying the expression and crystal structure of the LDL receptor at endosomal pH, a classic example of a cell-surface receptor involved in lipid metabolism. Currently, he is concentrating on the mechanisms of clostridial neurotoxin action.

Research Interests

Experience