Research Description

The Neginskaya Laboratory investigates how mitochondria respond to stress and, in turn, determine whether cells survive or die. The laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial inner membrane permeability, an essential determinant of mitochondrial function and cellular energy production. Dysregulation of these mechanisms is a major contributor to tissue injury in stroke and myocardial infarction.

The research program challenges the long-standing view that pathological mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) is mediated by a single pore. Instead, the laboratory investigates multiple permeability pathways within the inner mitochondrial membrane, identifies the proteins and molecular interactions that regulate these pathways, and determines how they contribute to mitochondrial physiology and disease. By combining functional, structural, and molecular approaches, the research aims to redefine our understanding of a fundamental mechanism underlying cell injury.

The laboratory integrates biochemical, structural, electrophysiological, and advanced live-cell and label-free imaging approaches to connect protein structure, molecular interactions, and mitochondrial function in living systems. Students have the opportunity to gain interdisciplinary training in biochemistry, structural biology, mitochondrial physiology, cell biology, and biophysics while learning state-of-the-art approaches to investigate protein function in experimental models of heart and brain injury.

Ultimately, the goal is to discover new mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction and identify therapeutic strategies that preserve mitochondrial function and protect tissues from injury.