Maria Krasilnikova

Maria Krasilnikova is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on mechanisms underlying trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases, particularly Friedreich’s Ataxia, and the role of DNA replication stalling in genetic instability.

Her work integrates yeast and mammalian cell models to study how GAA repeats in the frataxin gene disrupt DNA replication, leading to transcript loss and disease progression. Key contributions include identifying replication pausing mechanisms and their link to repeat expansion, as well as analyzing microsatellite mutational biases in human cells.

Publications span topics like DNA replication dynamics, transcription blockage by guanine-rich sequences, and chromosome fragility. Her research bridges basic molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.

Labs and collaborations include studies on ABCG2 transporter effects in lung cancer cells and evolutionary loss of FoxE1 motifs in placental mammals, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to genetic disease research.