September 23, 2019
Oleh Khalimonchuk to present Anatomy and Physiology Seminar
Oleh Khalimonchuk, associate professor of biochemistry in the Redox Biology Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the featured speaker for the Sept. 24 Anatomy and Physiology Seminar. He will present "Proteolytic regulation of mitochondrial shape, function and metabolism" at 4 p.m. in 407 Trotter Hall.
Khalimonchuk has a broad background and proven track record in the areas of yeast genetics, cell biology, and protein biochemistry with a focus on gaining a fundamental understanding of how the complex mitochondrial proteome is established and maintained. His interest in mitochondrial biology stems from his graduate and postdoctoral work, in which he laid the groundwork for the proposed research by identifying the mechanisms that his laboratory currently studies. Khlimonchuk's work has resulted in several seminal discoveries and has been influential in defining the early stages of cytochrome c oxidase biogenesis and the molecular basis of diseases such as Leigh syndrome, infantile cardiomyopathy, and hereditary paraganglioma. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he has established a successful NIH-funded research program that uses yeast, roundworm and mammalian cell culture models to: 1) determine the mechanisms of mitochondrial heme trafficking in health and disease; 2) determine why mitochondrial quality control proteases are essential for mitochondrial homeostasis; and 3) delineate the proteases’ contribution to aging-associated complex diseases in humans. Collectively, these studies have contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate mitochondrial fidelity, function, and integrity and how failure of these mechanisms drives clinical manifestations.