Lefkimmiatis Konstantinos

Biography

Lefkimmiatis Konstantinos, is currently working as a Researcher in the department of Neuroscience, in the Institute of Neuroscience Italy. 2017-present VIMM Junior Principal Investigator 2017-present Researcher (Tenured) Neuroscience Institute CNR 2013-2016 Intermediate Fellow (University of Oxford) 2010-2013 Instructor (Harvard Medical School) 2006-2010 Postdoc (Harvard Medical School) 2003-2006 Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Evolution (University of Bari) 1993-1999 Master’s degree in Biology (University of Bari). ongoing Project: • Investigating the mechanisms underpinning the creation of distinct cAMP/PKA signalling events at the outer mitochondrial membrane. • Identifying the molecular players through which the cAMP/PKA axis exerts its regulatory effects on mitochondrial dynamics. • Investigating the role of cAMP/PKA in the balance between cell death and survival with particular focus on non-apoptotic programmed cell death.

Research Interest

"3’-5’ cyclic Adenosine MonoPhosphate (cAMP) is a fundamental second messenger that controls numerous cellular tasks spanning from mitochondrial function to cell death and the force of heart contractions. It is not thus a surprise that deregulation of the cAMP pathway has been connected to a number of human diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. The cAMP signalling cascade was long regarded as a linear pathway, however this simplistic model could not explain the functional pleitropy of this second messenger. Indeed, thanks to the development of sophisticated imaging tools, we now know that cyclic AMP (cAMP), organizes its pathway in distinct signalling (microdomains) that enable cAMP rises triggered by various stimuli to be transduced in specific cellular functions. Despite strong evidence supporting the functional significance of cAMP microdomains, the mechanisms underpinning their creation and eventually coupling specific cAMP events to distinct functions are largely unknown. Increasing our understanding of these mechanisms and identifying the molecular plays that are engaged in the generation of cAMP microdomains holds great promise for the treatment of disease where the cAMP/PKA axis is a causal factor."