Zhanat Koshenov, Ph.D.

Zhanat Koshenov is a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Timothy Ryan at Weill Cornell Medicine. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and his Ph.D. from Medical University of Graz, Austria. During his doctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Wolfgang Graier, Zhanat investigated cellular energy metabolism and its molecular fine tuning in cancer and pancreatic beta cells. His work demonstrated differential calcium ion regulation of mitochondrial energy production in health and disease. His work in pancreatic beta cells provides potential link between neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. Zhanat was awarded Austrian Award of Excellence for his doctoral dissertation.

In his current position as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Ryan, Zhanat is working on deciphering synaptic activity driven energy metabolism using novel genetically encoded metabolite biosensors in living neurons. He wants to understand the mechanism of on-demand energy production in neuronal synapses and its importance for cognitive brain function in health and disease.