Nadejda Tsankova, MD, PhD
img_Nadejda Tsankova
PROFESSOR | Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine
PROFESSOR | Neuroscience
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Specialties
Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology
Research Topics
Anti-Tumor Therapy, Brain, Cancer Genetics, Cell Transformation, Chromatin, Stem Cells
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Cancer Biology [CAB], Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT), Neuroscience [NEU]

The main research focus of the Tsankova laboratory is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving aberrant glial proliferation and migration in two debilitating CNS disorders – glioblastoma and epilepsy, focusing on the role of epigenetics and the transcriptional machinery in maintaining these dysfunctional glial phenotypes.  Our primary model is human pathological tissue obtained from neurosurgical resections and perpetuated in the form of spheroids or mouse xenografts. Our lab has developed unique techniques for the acute isolation of viable glial/neural populations in such tissues, using novel markers for cell quiescence and activation.  The lab is actively characterizing, both functionally and molecularly, novel populations of cancer stem cells and pathologically remodeled glial progenitors, in order to obtain deeper mechanistic insight into the role of glial proliferation and migration in CNS disease as well as to discover superior new targets for treatment of glioblastoma and drug-resistant epilepsy. We are using various techniques, such as ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, single cell and bulk RNA-seq, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, tissue culture, and orthotopic xenotransplantation, and collaborate with several labs who share our passion for neuro-epigenetics.

MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

PhD, University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center

Fellowship, Neuropathology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Certifications

American Board of Pathology

2022

Permanent member, NIH Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Study Section

NIH

2021

Rubenstein Award

AANP

2016

Friedman Brain Institute Research Scholar

Mount Sinai Hospital

2016

Faculty Idea Prize Winner, Mount Sinai Innovations

Mount Sinai Hospital

2013

Clinical Trials Office Research Pilot Award

Irving Institute

2008

Stembridge Award for Excellence in Pathology

University of Texas

2000

Medical Scientist Training Program Fellowship

1998

Howard Hughes Fellowship for summer research

1998

Presidential Endowed Scholarship

Publications

Selected Publications

Genetic and epigenetic instability as an underlying driver of progression and aggressive behavior in IDH-mutant astrocytoma. Timothy E. Richardson, Jamie M. Walker, Dolores Hambardzumyan, Steven Brem, Kimmo J. Hatanpaa, Mariano S. Viapiano, Balagopal Pai, Melissa Umphlett, Oren J. Becher, Matija Snuderl, Samuel K. McBrayer, Kalil G. Abdullah, Nadejda M. Tsankova. Acta Neuropathologica

In situ brain tumor detection using a Raman spectroscopy system—results of a multicenter study. Katherine Ember, Frédérick Dallaire, Arthur Plante, Guillaume Sheehy, Marie Christine Guiot, Rajeev Agarwal, Rajeev Yadav, Alice Douet, Juliette Selb, Jean Philippe Tremblay, Alex Dupuis, Eric Marple, Kirk Urmey, Caroline Rizea, Armand Harb, Lily McCarthy, Alexander Schupper, Melissa Umphlett, Nadejda Tsankova, Frédéric Leblond, Constantinos Hadjipanayis, Kevin Petrecca. Scientific Reports

A common flanking variant is associated with enhanced stability of the FGF14-SCA27B repeat locus. David Pellerin, Giulia F. Del Gobbo, Madeline Couse, Egor Dolzhenko, Sathiji K. Nageshwaran, Warren A. Cheung, Isaac R.L. Xu, Marie Josée Dicaire, Guinevere Spurdens, Gabriel Matos-Rodrigues, Igor Stevanovski, Carolin K. Scriba, Adriana Rebelo, Virginie Roth, Marion Wandzel, Céline Bonnet, Catherine Ashton, Aman Agarwal, Cyril Peter, Dan Hasson, Nadejda M. Tsankova, Ken Dewar, Phillipa J. Lamont, Nigel G. Laing, Mathilde Renaud, Henry Houlden, Matthis Synofzik, Karen Usdin, Andre Nussenzweig, Marek Napierala, Zhao Chen, Hong Jiang, Ira W. Deveson, Gianina Ravenscroft, Schahram Akbarian, Michael A. Eberle, Kym M. Boycott, Tomi Pastinen, Bernard Brais, Stephan Zuchner, Matt C. Danzi, Emily Bateman, Chelsea Berngruber, Fabio Cunial, Colleen P. Davis, Huyen Dinh, Harsha Doddapaneni, Kim Doheny, Shannon Dugan-Perez, Tara Dutka. Nature Genetics

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Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.

Dr. Tsankova has not yet completed reporting of Industry relationships.

Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.