College of Engineering Biomedical Engineering Program

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George Lykotrafitis, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Research Interests:
Cell biomechanics, sickle cell disease, atomic force microscopy
Address:
United Technologies Engineering Building Rm. 374
191 Auditorium Road, Storrs CT 06269
Office Phone:Phone: (860) 486-2439
Fax:  (860) 486-5088
Education:
BS National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2001.
MS National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2001.
Ph.D. National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2001.
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 2005.
 
Research Summary:

The goal of Dr. Lykotrafitis’ laboratory is to study, by combining experimental, clinical, and computational investigation, how changes in the biomechanical properties of cells and subcellular structures influence, and are influenced by, the onset and progression of SCD to support diagnosis, pharmacotherapy and prevention of life threatening complications. The overall objective is to quantitatively understand the biophysical mechanisms related to hydroxyurea and its effect on sickle erythrocytes in vitro. Dr. Lykotrafitis’ laboratory currently combines experimental techniques conducted via AFM with molecular dynamics simulations.

More information about current projects can be found at:

http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~gelyko/

Selected Publications:

Google Scholar Citations Link

  1. N.J. WANDERSEE, J. MACIASZEK, K.M. GIGER, M.S. HANSON, S. ZHENG, Y. GUO, B. MICKELSON, C.H. HILLERY, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, P.S. LOW, and N. HOGG ‘Dietary supplementation with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) increases red blood cell membrane flexibility in mice with sickle cell disease’, Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 54, Issue 2, 183-188, (2015).
  2. J. MACIASZEK, K. PARTOLA, J. ZHANG, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, ‘Single-cell force spectroscopy as a technique to quantify human red blood cell adhesion to subendothelial laminin’, Journal of Biomechanics, 47, Issue 16, 3855-3861, (2014).
  3. H. Li and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, ‘Erythrocyte membrane model with explicit description of the lipid bilayer and the spectrin network’, Biophysical Journal, 107, Issue 3, 642-653, (2014).
  4. J. MACIASZEK, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), K. ABIRAMAN, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, ‘AKAP-dependent modulation of BCAM/Lu adhesion on normal and sickle cell disease RBCs revealed by force nanoscopy’, Biophysical Journal, 106, Issue 6, 1258-1267, (2014).
  5. J. MACIASZEK, H. SOH, R.S. WALIKONIS, A.V. TZINGOUNIS and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, ‘Topography of native SK channels revealed by force nanoscopy in living neurons’, Journal of Neuroscience, 32, Issue 33, 11435-11440 (2012).