About

Stavros Lomvardas, PhD, is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Neuroscience at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. His research focuses on sensory physiology and the study of synapses and circuits. As a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Professor Lomvardas contributes to advancing the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sensory systems and neural connectivity. His work integrates aspects of neuroscience and biochemistry to explore how sensory information is processed and transmitted through neural circuits.

Research topics

• Biology
• Virology
• Genetics
• Cell biology
• Neuroscience
• Internal medicine
• Pathology
• Medicine
• Immunology
• Geography

Selected publications

• Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  eLife · 2026-05-14

  articleOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a can confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation.

  PublisherDOI

• Reviewer #3 (Public review): Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  2026-05-14

  peer-reviewOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a can confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation.Loss of stemness factor Mex3a in immature olfactory neurons leads to defects in mature olfactory neurons.Translation/Trafficking of cell surface proteins, cilia structure, and planar cell polarity are compromised in the absence of Mex3a.Mex3a confers K27 ubiquitination on stress granule protein Serbp1 and ribosome protein Rps7.Mex3a levels are associated with Serbp1 and p-eEF2 recruitment to ribosomes.

  PublisherDOI

• A neuron type-specific microexon in Ank3/ankyrin-G modulates calcium activity and neuronal excitability

  Nature Communications · 2026-02-13

  articleOpen access

  Recent studies have revealed many alternative exons differentially spliced across diverse neuron types in the mammalian brain, but their links to neuronal physiology remain unclear. Here we characterize a deeply conserved microexon E35a in Ank3 encoding ankyrin-G (AnkG), a multifaceted adaptor protein best known as a master organizer of the axon initial segment (AIS) and as a leading genetic risk factor for bipolar disorder. E35a is predominantly skipped in cortical glutamatergic neurons but included in cortical GABAergic neurons and cerebellar neurons, which is dictated by multiple neuronal splicing factors. In E35a-deletion mice we generated, interneurons show increased excitability and somatic Ca2+ activity, without disruption in AIS. Biochemical analyses suggest that E35a inclusion facilitates AnkG interaction with a protein complex involving inositol trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs) important for intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Alternative splicing therefore allows AnkG to modulate neuron type-specific excitability in addition to its ubiquitous pan-neuronal role in organizing the AIS. Here researchers reveal a microexon in the Ank3 gene encoding Ankyrin G allows cortical interneurons to fine-tune calcium signaling and firing, revealing the contribution of alternative splicing to the functional diversity among different types of neurons.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  eLife · 2026-05-14

  articleOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a can confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation.

  PublisherDOI

• Reviewer #2 (Public review): Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  2026-05-14

  peer-reviewOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a can confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation.Loss of stemness factor Mex3a in immature olfactory neurons leads to defects in mature olfactory neurons.Translation/Trafficking of cell surface proteins, cilia structure, and planar cell polarity are compromised in the absence of Mex3a.Mex3a confers K27 ubiquitination on stress granule protein Serbp1 and ribosome protein Rps7.Mex3a levels are associated with Serbp1 and p-eEF2 recruitment to ribosomes.

  PublisherDOI

• HP1β and H3K9me3 Regulate Olfactory Receptor Choice and Transcriptional Identity

  International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2026-03-24

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Diverse epigenetic regulatory mechanisms ensure and modulate cellular diversity. The histone 3 lysine 9 me3 (H3K9me3) post-translational modification participates in silencing lineage-inappropriate genes by restricting access of transcription factors and other regulatory proteins to genes that control cell fate. Mouse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) select one olfactory receptor (OR) gene out of 2600 possibilities. This monoallelic and stochastic OR choice occurs as OSNs differentiate and undergo dramatic changes in nuclear architecture. OR genes from different chromosomes converge into specialized nuclear bodies and chromatin compartments, as H3K9me3 and chromatin binding proteins including heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) are incorporated. In this work, we have uncovered an unexpected role for HP1β in OR choice and neuronal identity that cannot be rescued by HP1α in vivo. With the use of a conditional knock-in mouse model, that after CRE expression replaces HP1β with HP1α, we observe changes in H3K9me3 levels and DNA accessibility over OR gene clusters. These changes alter the expression patterns that partition the mouse olfactory epithelium into five OR expression zones, which results in a reduced OR repertoire that leads to a loss of olfactory sensory neuron diversity. We propose that HP1β modulates the competition of OR promoters for enhancers to promote receptor diversity by establishing repression gradients in a zonal fashion.

  PublisherDOI

• Reviewer #1 (Public review): Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  2026-05-14

  peer-reviewOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a can confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation.Loss of stemness factor Mex3a in immature olfactory neurons leads to defects in mature olfactory neurons.Translation/Trafficking of cell surface proteins, cilia structure, and planar cell polarity are compromised in the absence of Mex3a.Mex3a confers K27 ubiquitination on stress granule protein Serbp1 and ribosome protein Rps7.Mex3a levels are associated with Serbp1 and p-eEF2 recruitment to ribosomes.

  PublisherDOI

• Solid phase transitions as a solution to the genome folding paradox

  Nature · 2025-05-14 · 11 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Stemness factor Mex3a times translation and protein trafficking to ensure robust differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-12-27

  articleOpen access

  During the switch from progenitor to differentiated cell, cellular physiology must change to accommodate increased translation and trafficking of membrane-bound proteins. We identify RNA-binding and E3 ubiquitin ligase Mex3a as a key driver of proper neuronal differentiation by regulating mRNA translation and trafficking of cell surface proteins in the context of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling. Loss of Mex3a in immature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) leads to defects in cilia structure, cell surface protein expression, and planar cell polarity in mature OSNs. Proteomics reveal a Mex3a-dependent decrease in proteins related to vesicle transport, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis. We identify RNA and ubiquitin targets of Mex3a and provide evidence that Mex3a may confer K27 ubiquitin linkage on substrates. Finally, modulating cellular levels of Mex3a changes the recruitment of translation factors Serbp1 and p-eEF2 to ribosomes with possible effects on translation. Our data reveal how a stemness factor regulates development post-transcriptionally and post-translationally to ensure robust differentiation. Highlights: Loss of stemness factor Mex3a in immature olfactory neurons leads to defects in mature olfactory neurons.Translation/Trafficking of cell surface proteins, cilia structure, and planar cell polarity are compromised in the absence of Mex3a.Mex3a may confer K27 ubiquitination on stress granule protein Serbp1 and ribosome protein Rps7.Mex3a levels are associated with Serbp1 and p-eEF2 recruitment to ribosomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Genomic snowflakes: how the uniqueness of DNA folding allows us to smell the chemical universe

  Current Opinion in Genetics & Development · 2025-03-17 · 6 citations

  reviewSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Converting stochastic olfactory receptor expression to stereotypic axon guidance programs

  NIH · $5.0M · 2016–2026

• NIH Grant R01MH091661

  NIH · $1.2M · 2014

• NIH Grant DP2OD006667

  NIH · $2.3M · 2014

• Epigenetic and genetic contributors to chronic neuropathic pain

  NIH · $1.9M · 2011–2016

• Deciphering nuclear bodies and compartments that govern singular olfactory receptor expression.

  NIH · $3.2M · 2015–2021

Frequent coauthors

• Kevin D. Monahan

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  38 shared

• Gilad Barnea

  35 shared

• Elizaveta Bashkirova

  Columbia University

  27 shared

• Ira Schieren

  Brain (Germany)

  24 shared

• Alexander Fleischmann

  Providence College

  21 shared

• Nell Klimpert

  Allen Institute for Brain Science

  21 shared

• Ariel Pourmorady

  Columbia University

  19 shared

• Benjamin Shykind

  17 shared

Labs

• Stavros Lomvardas LabPI

Awards & honors

• Harold M. Weintraub Award for outstanding achievement during…
• Samuel W. Rover and Lewis Rover Awards for outstanding achie…
• Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship (2003-2006)
• NIH Director's New Innovator Award (2009-2014)
• Rett Syndrome Research Trust, New Investigator Award (2009-2…