Oleg V. Evgrafov

Oleg V. Evgrafov is a Professor of Cell Biology at Downstate Medical Center, specializing in the molecular genetics of schizophrenia. His research focuses on elucidating the gene expression mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders using a unique cellular model derived from olfactory neuroepithelium (CNON).

• Primary Affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Downstate Medical Center
• Research Collaborations: Involved in the BrainSpan Consortium, ENCODE project, and PsychENCODE Developmental Subgroup

Research Interests:

• Investigating how non-coding genomic variants contribute to schizophrenia through altered transcript expression
• Developing and applying single-cell transcriptomics and spatial sequencing technologies
• Studying Wnt signaling pathway disruptions in neural progenitor cells
• Creating cellular models to "turn back the clock" on brain development

Technical Expertise: Pioneered single-cell RNA sequencing methods and RNA amplification techniques, enabling high-resolution transcriptomic analyses of neural cells.

Laboratory Impact: The Evgrafov lab has generated data from over 300 schizophrenia patient-derived CNON cultures, identifying a potential molecular subtype linked to Wnt signaling dysregulation.