Michal K. Stachowiak

Dr. Michal K. Stachowiak is a Professor and Director of the Molecular and Structural Neurobiology Program at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He also leads the Gene Therapy Program and Stem Cell SCEF within the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences. His work focuses on genomic regulation during neurodevelopment, schizophrenia pathophysiology, and translational applications of stem cells and optogenetics.

Research interests include: bioinformatics applications in neurobiology, epigenetic mechanisms in cell development, gene therapy strategies, and the role of nuclear FGFR1 signaling in neuronal programming. He pioneered cerebral organoid models to study neurodevelopmental disorders and developed optogenomic interfaces merging light-based control with genomic networks.

Recent work emphasizes phase-zero clinical platforms using organoid models for disease modeling, and nanotechnology-based approaches for precise stem cell regulation. His interdisciplinary studies bridge molecular biology, engineering, and clinical translation - highlighted by innovations in neuroengineering optical theranostics and systems genome analysis.

Key contributions include identifying TNFα's role in schizophrenia-like organoid abnormalities, demonstrating genome architecture's dependence on nuclear FGFR1, and creating optogenetic tools for neuronal network control. His lab's technologies include ORMosil nanoparticles for gene delivery and Vis/NIR spectroscopy-based diagnostic platforms for organoid assays.