Yuri Korchev

Yuri Korchev is a Professor of Biophysics at Imperial College London's Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, part of the Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on biophysical and nanotechnological approaches to study cellular mechanics, ion dynamics, and disease mechanisms. He leads the Nanomedicine Lab at the Hammersmith Campus, specializing in developing advanced electrochemical sensors and scanning ion-conductance microscopy (SICM) techniques for single-cell analysis.

His work spans diverse fields including cancer cell mechanics, neurodegeneration (e.g., Alzheimer's β-amyloid studies), and real-time monitoring of cellular responses to drugs or environmental stressors (e.g., ROS measurements). Recent projects involve nanoscale imaging of microbial structures (Candida parapsilosis), anticancer drug efficacy evaluation, and multiplexed viral antigen detection via nanopore sensors. He collaborates with the Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Network and Pathology Section, bridging clinical and basic science research.

Key innovations include novel nanopipette-based sensors for intracellular metabolite mapping and high-resolution 3D extracellular pH profiling of living cells. His articles emphasize correlative microscopy approaches combining SICM with fluorescent/confocal imaging to study cell surface dynamics and mechanical changes in disease states like cardiac myopathy and neuronal degeneration.