UOHUniversity of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center · Biology
Polycystin Research Unit
Leonidas Tsiokas · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Research Focus
Dr. Leonidas Tsiokas's lab focuses on understanding how mutations in specific genes affect kidney function, specifically in conditions like Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). His team seeks to uncover the role of the Polycystin complex—a group of proteins involved in kidney cyst formation—by exploring its function as a type of receptor that interacts with signaling molecules. Their research could lead to new treatments for kidney diseases.
Polycystin 1ADPKDG protein-coupled receptorskidney diseaseWNT signaling
Research Aims
5AIM 01Determine the role of Polycystin 1 in kidney cyst formation.
AIM 02Investigate how WNT proteins activate the Polycystin complex.
AIM 03Characterize the G protein coupling of PKD1 and its impact on cAMP metabolism.
AIM 04Explore how mutations in PKD1 and PKD2 alter their functional interactions.
AIM 05Develop new therapeutic strategies for treating ADPKD.
Skills the Lab Values
super-resolution live cell imagingbioluminescence resonance energy transfercell culture techniquesgenetic modeling in vitrosignal transduction analysis
Output against the department
Publications71bottom 20% of dept.828th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.1kbottom 44% of dept.576th 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.