Andrew V. Oleinikov

Andrew V. Oleinikov, Ph.D., is a full Professor of Biomedical Science at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University. Since 2013 he has held a continuous academic appointment, receiving tenure in 2017 and promotion to full professor in 2019.

Education

• M.S. (hons) in Biophysics, St. Petersburg Polytechnical University, Russia, 1983
• Ph.D. in Biology, Moscow State University, Russia, 1989

Research Focus

Oleinikov’s laboratory integrates molecular parasitology with bioengineering to study Plasmodium falciparum. He investigates how parasite surface proteins—especially the PfEMP1/VAR2CSA family—mediate cytoadherence in placental malaria, aiming to develop vaccines and anti-adhesion drugs. Parallel efforts include building placenta-on-a-chip microfluidic devices and high-throughput screening platforms to accelerate discovery.

Earlier work elucidated the role of the endocytic receptor megalin and its adaptor Dab2 in signal transduction, providing foundational insights into receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Publication Trends

Over the past decade his papers cluster around three themes: (1) functional dissection of PfEMP1 domains and their receptors (ICAM-1, CSA, integrins); (2) translational development of vaccines and small-molecule anti-sequestration agents; and (3) technological innovations—microfluidics, biosensors, and ultra-sensitive molecular diagnostics—for malaria research and placental health.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• FAU Researcher of the Year Award (Associate Professor category), 2018
• FAU Degree of Difference Award for graduate teaching, 2015
• Faculty Research Mentoring Program Award, 2015 & 2016

Grants & Team Mentorship

Oleinikov’s research is continuously funded by NIH (multiple R01, R21, R41) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers, many of whom have garnered FAU GRIP grants, 1st-place conference awards, and College of Medicine Student Research Awards.

Laboratory & Collaborations

He directs an active wet-lab/bioengineering group housed in the Biomedical Science department. Ongoing collaborations include co-investigators in the FAU College of Engineering (Drs. Du and Yi) for microfluidic device fabrication and with international consortia on pregnancy malaria vaccines.