Dmitry Ovchinnikov

Molecular genetics of human pluripotent stem cells

Dmitry Ovchinnikov's research interests revolve around genetic and epigenetic regulation of normal pluripotent stem cell maintenance and differentiation as well as mechanisms of development and progression of human genetically-based diseases (syndromes) and cancer. In particular, Dmitry has been involved in development of numerous transgenic human ES/iPS tools facilitating studies of both maintenance of pluripotency and directed differentiation, with particular focus on neural and cardiac cell development. He's also creating platform technologies allowing for both up- and down-modulation of the function of single and groups of genes. Those include inducible gene overexpression systems and regulatable system for generation of pre-determined genomic alterations in pluripotent stem cells.

Dmitry A. Ovchinnikov is currently a Research Fellow in the Wolvetang Cell Engineering Group at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland. His main research interests lie in the genetic manipulation of human pluripotent stem cells for investigations into the stem cell biology and mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, e.g. Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. He is utilizing both gene knockdown and overexpression approaches to dissect the roles of various signalling pathways and specific genes in the aetiologies of these conditions. Previously, he led the Transgenic subgroup in the laboratory of Professor David Hume at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Biosciences, where he generated a number of transgenic mouse lines, some of which are widely used for investigations into macrophage function, and other in vivo studies.

Dmitry received his Diploma in Biochemistry (Masters equivalent) from the M.V. Lomonosov’s Moscow State University in 1993. He completed his PhD studies in the laboratory of Professor Richard R. Behringer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was involved in the development of transgenic resources and performed some of the first conditional knockout studies in mice utilising the Cre/loxP system, addressing the roles of BMP signalling in mouse embryogenesis, from cartlage development to patterning of the developing limb.​

Industry Engagement and Collaborations

​Dmitry holds an international patent on epigenetic screening for cancers, which is currently in negotiations with major clinical diagnotics companies

Patent: KITS AND METHODS FOR DIAGNOSIS, SCREENING, TREATMENT AND DISEASE MONITORING (WO2015048852)

​Dmitry is involved in collaborative projects with labs of Prof. Martin Pera, Patrick Tam, Justin Cooper-White and StemCARE UQ Centre

Funding

​NHMRC Project grant 2017-2019 (with CIs Tam, Wolvetang Cooper-White) (Re)wiring a stem cell: Deciphering the molecular mechanism underpinning lineage propensity

Key Publications

1. Journal Article: Generation of footprint-free induced pluripotent stem cells from human fibroblasts using episomal plasmid vectors Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Sun, Jane and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2015) Generation of footprint-free induced pluripotent stem cells from human fibroblasts using episomal plasmid vectors. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1330 37-45. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2848-4_4
2. Journal Article: Variability of Gene Expression Identifies Transcriptional Regulators of Early Human Embryonic Development Hasegawa, Yu., Taylor, Deanne., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Wolvetang, Ernst J., de Torrente, Laurence. and Mar, Jessica C. (2015) Variability of Gene Expression Identifies Transcriptional Regulators of Early Human Embryonic Development. PLoS Genetics, 11 8: . doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005428
3. Journal Article: Transcribed enhancers lead waves of coordinated transcription in transitioning mammalian cells Arner, Erik, Beckhouse, Anthony, Briggs, James, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry, Wolvetang, Ernst, Wells, Christine and FANTOM Consortium (2015) Transcribed enhancers lead waves of coordinated transcription in transitioning mammalian cells. Science, 347 6225: 1010-1014. doi:10.1126/science.1259418
4. Journal Article: Opportunities and limitations of modelling Alzheimer’s disease with induced pluripotent stem cells Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2014) Opportunities and limitations of modelling Alzheimer’s disease with induced pluripotent stem cells. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 3 4: 1357-1372. doi:10.3390/jcm3041357
5. Journal Article: Isolation of contractile cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyogenic cultures using a human NCX1-EGFP reporter Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A.,, Hidalgo, Alejandro, Yang, Seung-Kwon, Zhang, Xinli, Hudson, James, Mazzone, Stuart B., Chen, Chen, Cooper-White, Justin J. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2014) Isolation of contractile cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyogenic cultures using a human NCX1-EGFP reporter. Stem Cells and Development, 24 1: 11-20. doi:10.1089/scd.2014.019
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