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Evangelos Kiskinis, PhD

​Assistant Professor at Northwestern University

2019 NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator

2011 NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow Alumnus

PhD, Imperial College London, England

Postdoctoral Training, Harvard University

Bio

Dr. Kiskinis is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University, where he is using stem cells to model, diagnose, and treat epilepsy in newborns and young children. By studying electrical patterns in the brain cells generated from these stem cells, as well as their ability to establish a network of physical and functional communication, he aims to gain insight into how epilepsy develops and how these cells respond to specific drug treatments, utilizing a precision medicine approach.

Dr. Kiskinis used stem cells to model Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that targets brain cells responsible for motion. Using this stem cell model, he found that ALS involves immune cells attacking the body’s own cells, causing damage to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in progressive paralysis. In order to treat this problem, he used NSAIDs, which are pain-relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen, on ALS mouse models and found that the treated mouse models lived moderately longer than untreated ones. He is continuing to use stem cells to model other neurodegenerative diseases in his independent role at Northwestern University. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Harvard in Dr. Kevin Eggan’s lab.

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