Alexey Veraksa
Phone: 617.287.6665
Biography
Dr. Veraksa’s laboratory uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system to investigate signaling networks controlling organ growth and tissue patterning. He pioneered the use of interaction proteomics in Drosophila to study developmentally important cell signaling networks, focusing on the pathways relevant for human health. His research has identified novel regulatory mechanisms in the Minibrain/DYRK1A, Notch, Hippo, Toll, and receptor tyrosine kinase/ERK signaling systems.
Area of Expertise
Cell signaling and gene regulation in development
Degrees
PhD, Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 2000
MS, Molecular Biology, Moscow State University (MGU), Moscow, Russia, 1994
Professional Publications & Contributions
A selection of publications from the lab:
Paul S, Ilkhani K, Strozewski N, Yang L, Denberg DW, Christalin W, Locke V, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A. (2026) ERK inhibits Cic repressor function via multisite phosphorylation. Journal of Cell Science 139, jcs264327.
Brown M, Sciascia E, Ning K, Adam W, Veraksa A. (2024) Regulation of Drosophila brain development and organ grown by the Minibrain/Rala signaling network. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics 14, jkae219.
Zhao H, Moberg KH, Veraksa A. (2023) Hippo pathway and Bonus control developmental cell fate decisions in the Drosophila eye. Developmental Cell 58, 416-434.
Paul S, Yang L, Mattingly H, Goyal Y, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A. (2020) Activation-induced substrate engagement in ERK signaling. Molecular Biology of the Cell 31, 235-243.
Chai F, Xu W, Musoke T, Tarabelsi G, Assaad S, Freedman J, Peterson R, Piotrowska K, Byrnes J, Rogers S, Veraksa A. (2019) Structure-function analysis of β-arrestin Kurtz reveals a critical role of receptor interactions in downregulation of GPCR signaling in vivo. Developmental Biology 455, 409-419.
Portela M, Yang L, Paul S, Li X, Veraksa A, Parsons LM, Richardson HE (2018) Lgl reduces endosomal vesicle acidification and Notch signaling by promoting the interaction between Vap33 and the V-ATPase complex. Science Signaling 11, eaar1976.
Yang L, Paul S, Trieu KG, Dent LG, Froldi F, Fores M, Webster K, Siegfried KR, Kondo S, Harvey K, Cheng LY, Jimenez G, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A (2016) Minibrain and Wings apart control organ growth and tissue patterning through downregulation of Capicua. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (PNAS) 113, 10583-10588.
Additional Information
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2000-2005
Postdoctoral fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, in the laboratory of Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas
1994-2000
PhD in Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, in the laboratory of Dr. William McGinnis
1989-1994
Diploma (undergraduate degree) in Molecular Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
2020-2024
NIH Cellular Signaling and Regulatory Systems (CSRS) Study Section, regular member
2021-2023
New England Representative for the Drosophila Board (elected)
2018-present
Professor, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
2016-2019
Graduate Program Director, Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, UMass Boston
2012-2018
Associate Professor, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
2006-present
Associate Member, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
2005-2012
Assistant Professor, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
AWARDS AND HONORS
2026
UMass Boston College of Science and Mathematics Outstanding Research for Tenured Faculty Award
2020
UMass Boston College of Science and Mathematics Excellence in Graduate Education Award
2002-2003
MGH Fund for Medical Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship
1995-2000
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship