Nicholas Lyssenko

Nicholas Lyssenko is an Assistant Professor at Temple University's Lewis Katz School of Medicine in the Department of Neural Sciences, where he leads research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through the lens of lipid homeostasis disruption. His work focuses on ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCA1/ABCA7), ATP8B4, and chromosome 17p13.2 proteins as key modulators of neurodegenerative risk.

• Education:
  • PhD in Integrative Biosciences (Cell & Developmental Biology) from Pennsylvania State University
  • BS in Cell and Molecular Biology & Genetics from University of Maryland–College Park
  • Postdoctoral training at Cleveland Clinic/Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Lyssenko laboratory employs human brain specimens, mouse models, and immortalized human cells to investigate:

• ABCA7 protein detection in living brains
• ABCA7 cargo lipid identification
• ATP8B4 expression patterns in human/mouse brains
• Chromosome 17p13.2 gene contributions to AD risk
• Therapeutic potential of ABCA7 overexpression in AD models

His 15 most recent publications span 2002-2024, revealing:

• Core lipid metabolism themes (ABCA1/ABCA7 transporters, HDL assembly, phospholipid flipping)
• Neurodegenerative disease connections (Alzheimer's, AMD)
• Methodological breadth (genomic analysis, cell culture, transgenic models)

Scientific achievements include:

• AHA Scientist Development Grant
• NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Multiple AHA predoctoral/predocotoral fellowships
• Huck Institutes of Life Sciences Graduate Fellowship

Current research applications of these findings suggest potential pathways for developing treatments targeting lipidostasis in AD and AMD through transporter modulation.