Email
inechipurenko@wpi.edu
Office
Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center 4037
Education
BS Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 2005
Ph.D. Case Western Reserve University 2012
Postdoc Brandeis University 2019

My lab investigates signaling mechanisms of neuronal development. We are particularly interested in studying the role of the primary cilium in this context. Primary cilia are specialized filamentous structures that protrude from the surface of most human cells including neurons and mediate transduction of all major signaling pathways. Due to their central role in signaling, primary cilia are required for development and tissue homeostasis in vertebrates, and cilia defects are causal to a large spectrum of genetic disorders called ciliopathies. One research direction in the lab is centered around identification of novel signaling pathways required for ciliogenesis using two powerful genetic model systems (C. elegans and D. melanogaster) and mammalian cells. A second direction is focused on deciphering how cilia interact with other cellular compartments (e.g. synapses) to shape neuronal properties. To address these questions, we use a combination of experimental approaches that include genetics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and high-resolution imaging.

I feel honored to be a part of the WPI community and to contribute to science education of the younger generations in lab and classroom settings. I am excited to implement hands-on learning approaches championed by WPI in my classroom and to work with graduate and undergraduate students in my lab to drive forward research that is relevant to human health.

Scholarly Work

Nechipurenko IV*, Berciu C*, Sengupta P, and Nicastro D. Centriolar remodeling underlies basal body maturation during ciliogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife April 15; 6. (*equal contributions). PMID: 28411364 2017

Nechipurenko IV, Olivier-Mason A, Kazatskaya A, Kennedy J, McLachlan IG, Heiman MG, Blacque OE, and Sengupta P. A conserved role for Girdin in basal body positioning and ciliogenesis. Developmental Cell 38(5): 493-506. PMID: 27623382 2016

McLaughlin CN, Nechipurenko IV, Liu N, and Broihier HT. A Toll receptor-FoxO pathway represses Pavarotti/MKLP1 to promote microtubule dynamics in motoneurons. Journal of Cell Biology 214(4): 459-474. PMID: 27502486 2016

Nechipurenko IV, Doroquez DB, and Sengupta P. Primary cilia and dendritic spines: different but similar signaling compartments. Molecules and Cells 36(4): 288-303. PMID: 24048681 2013

Olivier-Mason A, Wojtyniak M, Bowie RV, Nechipurenko IV, and Sengupta P. Transmembrane protein OSTA-1 shapes sensory cilia morphology via regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking in C. elegans. Development 140(7): 1560-1572. PMID: 23482491 2013

News

SEE MORE NEWS ABOUT Inna Nechipurenko
Worcester Business Journal
WPI researcher awarded $564K to advance research on cell antennae

Research by professor of biology & biotechnology Inna Nechipurenko was featured in this Worcester Business Journal article. The professor's research focuses on the mysteries of tiny cellular structures and how they affect the development of neurodevelopmental disorders.