Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · BiologyMerkel Cell Biology Lab
Elena Ezhkova · New York, New York
Research Focus
Elena Ezhkova's lab investigates how Merkel cells, which are important for the sense of light touch, change in number and function as we age. They focus on uncovering the processes behind Merkel cell regeneration and their interaction with specific sensory neurons, especially in the context of dry skin and itch sensation. The goal is to understand these mechanisms to help develop treatments that could prevent age-related decline in Merkel cells and related skin sensitivities.
Merkel cellsagingregenerationitch sensationdry skinsensory neuronscell biologyneuropeptidesneural communicationskin health
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the mechanisms behind the regeneration of Merkel cells in aged skin.
AIM 02Identify the sources and processes controlling the decline of Merkel cells due to aging.
AIM 03Explore the interactions between sensory neurons and Merkel cells during itch sensation.
AIM 04Analyze the molecular changes in Merkel cell progenitors across different ages.
AIM 05Test potential therapeutic targets to preserve Merkel cells and reduce alloknesis.
Skills the Lab Values
lineage tracingsingle-cell RNA sequencinggenetic manipulationmouse modelsfunctional genetic studiescell culturemolecular analysisbehavioral assaysdata analysisimmunohistochemistry
Output against the department
Publications59bottom 15% of dept.876th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.8kbottom 21% of dept.816th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.