Dimitar B. Nikolov

Dimitar B. Nikolov, PhD, is a Researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), leading the Structural Biology Program and affiliated with the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology. His research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell interactions and signal transduction across cell membranes, particularly in neurodevelopment and cancer biology.

• Education: PhD from The Rockefeller University

Dr. Nikolov's work integrates X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and biophysical methods to study ligand-receptor systems such as ephrins/Eph receptors, netrins/DCC/Unc5, and angiopoietins/Ties. Recently, his lab has prioritized developing conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies targeting ADAM proteases and Eph receptors for anti-cancer therapies.

His recent publications highlight advances in understanding ADAM17 inhibition, EphA2 assembly, and receptor activation mechanisms in both neurodevelopment and cancer contexts. Current lab members include Juha Himanen (Senior Research Scientist) and Nayanendu Saha (Senior Research Scientist), while alumni include Maria Minchenko and David Grandy (Graduate Students). The lab collaborates with institutions for translational research and maintains transparency through MSKCC's COI disclosures.