Igor Shmarakov

At the Shmarakov Lab, our mission is to decode the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which retinoids (vitamin A metabolites) maintain systemic, whole-body metabolism. While we place a strong emphasis on the lung as a critical metabolic hub, our research spans the physiological intersections of pulmonary, hepatic, adipose, and intestinal cells. By uncovering how cell-specific retinoid signaling maintains tissue function, we aim to understand how disruptions in vitamin A pathways drive both localized respiratory stress and global metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Our goal is to translate our molecular discoveries into innovative treatment strategies to counteract the adverse human health effects.

Core Research Areas

Cellular Signaling & Gene Regulation: Identifying how all-trans-retinoic acid, a transcriptionally active retinoid, interacts with nuclear hormone receptors to control cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue regeneration.

Cell Communication in the Alveolar Microenvironment: Investigating how local retinoid metabolism and signaling within alveolar cells maintain lung health and shield the lung from acute injury and chronic inflammatory challenges.

Inter-Organ Metabolic Crosstalk: Mapping how systemic vitamin A transport connects the gut, liver, adipose tissue, and lungs to synchronize whole-body metabolic homeostasis.

Pathology of Metabolic Disruption: Uncovering how broken retinoid pathways act as a common trigger for adult lung disease and systemic metabolic syndrome.

• Assistant Professor - Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (2022)
• Associate Research Scientist - Columbia University (2016-2022)
• Associate Professor - Yuriy Fed'kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine (2005-2016)
• Assistant Professor - Yuriy Fed'kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine (2002-2005)

• Sc.D., Biochemistry - Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Ukraine (2013)
• Postdoc, Nutritional Biochemistry - Columbia University (2009)
• Ph.D., Biochemistry - Yuriy Fed'kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine (2005)
• M.S., Biology (biochemistry) - Yuriy Fed'kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine (2002)
• B.S., Biology - Yuriy Fed'kovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine (2001)