Dr Tatyana Shelkovnikova

PhD

School of Medicine and Population Health

UKRI Future Leaders Fellow (Senior Research Fellow)

Tatyana Shelkovnikova
Profile picture of Tatyana Shelkovnikova
t.shelkovnikova@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 22 22245
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)

Full contact details

Dr Tatyana Shelkovnikova
School of Medicine and Population Health
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)
385a Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2HQ
Profile

After graduating with an MSc degree in Genetics in 2008, I pursued a PhD in Biochemistry which I completed in 2012. During my PhD training, supported by an EMBO fellowship, I contributed to the generation and characterisation of a unique mouse model of a fatal neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); report on this mouse model published in J Biol Chem was selected as Paper of the Year. I continued to develop this stream of research during my postdoctoral training at Cardiff University (Prof Buchman’s lab), where I spearheaded a number of projects focussing on (dys)metabolism of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules in ALS. In 2015, these studies were supported by a 3-year fellowship from the Medical Research Foundation. In 2018, I was awarded a 4-year senior non-clinical fellowship from the MND Association and started my own group at the Medicines Discovery Institute, a newly established Cardiff University’s translational unit. During my time at the MDI, my research was supported by AMS Springboard award, the ISSF Translational Kick-Start award and funding from Welsh Government. I am the recipient of the ENCALS Young Investigator award 2020. In September 2021, I moved to SITraN, University of Sheffield, to continue studies into the molecular pathogenesis of ALS and related disorders within a world-leading centre for neurodegenerative disease research. In May 2022, I was awarded the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to establish a research programme entitled “RNA-protein complexes in health and disease and their therapeutic targeting”. The group is also currently funded by MNDA, BBSRC, MRC and MND Scotland.

Research interests

My group aims to provide insights into molecular underpinnings of RNP granule biology and their connection to human disease. Our overarching goals are:

  • to establish how altered composition and metabolism of the two types of RNP granules, stress granules and paraspeckles, contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD);
  • to discover and validate druggable targets for these devastating and currently incurable conditions;
  • to identify novel chemical probes for modulation of RNAs and RNP complexes.
Publications

Journal articles

  • Alberti S, Arosio P, Best RB, Boeynaems S, Cai D, Collepardo-Guevara R, Dignon GL, Dimova R, Elbaum-Garfinkle S, Fawzi NL , Fuxreiter M et al (2025) . Nature Communications, 16(1).
  • Huang W-P, Kumar V, Yap K, An H, John SJ, Hodgson RE, Avila AS, Day E, Ellis BCS, Chung TH , Lord J et al (2025) . Science Advances, 11(30).
  • Moens TG, Da Cruz S, Neumann M, Shelkovnikova TA, Shneider NA & Van Den Bosch L (2025) . The Lancet Neurology, 24(2), 166-178.
  • Hodgson RE, Rayment JA, Huang W-P, Sanchez Avila A, Ellis BCS, Lin Y-H, Soni N, Hautbergue GM & Shelkovnikova TA (2024) . iScience, 27(10), 110937-110937.
  • Lang R, Hodgson RE & Shelkovnikova TA (2024) . Biochemical Society Transactions, 52(4), 1809-1825.
  • Huang W-P, Ellis BCS, Hodgson RE, Sanchez Avila A, Kumar V, Rayment J, Moll T & Shelkovnikova TA (2024) . Cell Reports, 43(7), 114421-114421.
  • Mihaylov SR, Castelli LM, Lin Y-H, Gül A, Soni N, Hastings C, Flynn HR, Păun O, Dickman MJ, Snijders AP , Goldstone R et al (2023) . Nature Communications, 14.
  • Relton EL, Roth NJ, Yasa S, Kaleem A, Hermey G, Minnis CJ, Mole SE, Shelkovnikova T, Lefrancois S, McCormick PJ & Locker N (2023) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 299(5), 104649-104649.
  • Cooper‐Knock J, Julian TH, Feneberg E, Highley JR, Sidra M, Turner MR, Talbot K, Ansorge O, Allen SP, Moll T , Shelkovnikova T et al (2023) . Brain Pathology, 33(1).
  • Bax BD, Sutormin D, McDonald NQ, Burley GA & Shelkovnikova T (2022) . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(19).
  • An H, Elvers KT, Gillespie JA, Jones K, Atack JR, Grubisha O & Shelkovnikova TA (2022) . Nucleic Acids Research, 50(20), e119.
  • An H, Litscher G, Watanabe N, Wei W, Hashimoto T, Iwatsubo T, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA (2022) . Neurobiology of Disease, 162, 105585-105585.
  • Matsukawa K, Kukharsky MS, Park S-K, Park S, Watanabe N, Iwatsubo T, Hashimoto T, Liebman SW & Shelkovnikova TA (2021) . RNA Biology, 18(11), 1546-1554.
  • An H, Rabesahala de Meritens C, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA (2020) . Molecular Brain, 13(1).
  • Shelkovnikova TA, An H, Skelt L, Tregoning JS, Humphreys IR & Buchman VL (2019) . Cell Reports, 29(13), 4496-4508.e4.
  • An H, Tan JT & Shelkovnikova TA (2019) . Journal of Cell Biology, 218(12), 4127-4140.
  • An H, Skelt L, Notaro A, Highley JR, Fox AH, La Bella V, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA (2019) . Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 7.
  • An H, Williams NG & Shelkovnikova TA (2018) . Non-coding RNA Research, 3(4), 243-252.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Kukharsky MS, An H, Dimasi P, Alexeeva S, Shabir O, Heath PR & Buchman VL (2018) . Molecular Neurodegeneration, 13(1).
  • Scekic‐Zahirovic J, Sendscheid O, El Oussini H, Jambeau M, Sun Y, Mersmann S, Wagner M, Dieterlé S, Sinniger J, Dirrig‐Grosch S , Drenner K et al (2016) . The EMBO Journal, 35(10), 1077-1097.
  • Robinson HK, Deykin AV, Bronovitsky EV, Ovchinnikov RK, Ustyugov AA, Shelkovnikova TA, Kukharsky MS, Ermolkevich TG, Goldman IL, Sadchikova ER , Kovrazhkina EA et al (2015) . Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 16(5-6), 402-409.
  • Kukharsky MS, Quintiero A, Matsumoto T, Matsukawa K, An H, Hashimoto T, Iwatsubo T, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA (2015) . Molecular Neurodegeneration, 10(1).
  • Peters OM, Shelkovnikova T, Highley JR, Cooper-Knock J, Hortobagyi T, Troakes C, Ninkina N & Buchman VL (2015) . Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 2(1), 29-37.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Robinson HK, Southcombe JA, Ninkina N & Buchman VL (2014) . Human Molecular Genetics, 23(19), 5211-5226.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Robinson HK, Troakes C, Ninkina N & Buchman VL (2014) . Human Molecular Genetics, 23(9), 2298-2312.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Robinson HK, Connor-Robson N & Buchman VL (2013) . Cell Cycle, 12(19), 3383-3391.
  • Shelkovnikova TA (2013) . Biochemical Society Transactions, 41(6), 1613-1617.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Peters OM, Deykin AV, Connor-Robson N, Robinson H, Ustyugov AA, Bachurin SO, Ermolkevich TG, Goldman IL, Sadchikova ER , Kovrazhkina EA et al (2013) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288(35), 25266-25274.
  • Peters OM, Shelkovnikova T, Tarasova T, Springe S, Kukharsky MS, Smith GA, Brooks S, Kozin SA, Kotelevtsev Y, Bachurin SO , Ninkina N et al (2013) . Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 36(3), 589-596.
  • Peters OM, Millership S, Shelkovnikova TA, Soto I, Keeling L, Hann A, Marsh-Armstrong N, Buchman VL & Ninkina N (2012) . Neurobiology of Disease, 48(1), 124-131.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Kulikova AA, Tsvetkov FO, Peters O, Bachurin SO, Bukhman VL & Ninkina NN (2012) [Proteinopathies--forms of neurodegenerative disorders with protein aggregation-based pathology].. Mol Biol (Mosk), 46(3), 402-415.
  • Bachurin SO, Shelkovnikova TA, Ustyugov AA, Peters O, Khritankova I, Afanasieva MA, Tarasova TV, Alentov II, Buchman VL & Ninkina NN (2012) . Neurotoxicity Research, 22(1), 33-42.
  • Kokhan VS, Van’kin GI, Ninkina NN, Shelkovnikova TA & Bachurin SO (2011) . Doklady Biological Sciences, 441(1), 354-356.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Ustyugov AA, Millership S, Peters O, Anichtchik O, Spillantini MG, Buchman VL, Bachurin SO & Ninkina NN (2011) . Neurodegenerative Diseases, 8(6), 430-437.
  • Bachurin SO, Ustyugov AA, Peters O, Shelkovnikova TA, Buchman VL & Ninkina NN (2009) . Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics, 428(1), 235-238.
  • Kukharsky MS, Ninkina NN, An H, Telezhkin V, Wei W, Meritens CRD, Cooper-Knock J, Nakagawa S, Hirose T, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA () . Translational Psychiatry, 10(1).
  • An H & Shelkovnikova TA () . Cell Stress, 3(12), 385-387.
  • Park S, Park S-K, Watanabe N, Hashimoto T, Iwatsubo T, Shelkovnikova TA & Liebman SW () . PLOS Genetics, 15(8), e1008308-e1008308.
  • Shelkovnikova TA, Dimasi P, Kukharsky MS, An H, Quintiero A, Schirmer C, Buée L, Galas M-C & Buchman VL () . Cell Death & Disease, 8(5), e2788-e2788.
  • Dimasi P, Quintiero A, Shelkovnikova TA & Buchman VL () . Scientific Reports, 7(1).
  • Van De Pette M, Tunster SJ, McNamara GI, Shelkovnikova T, Millership S, Benson L, Peirson S, Christian M, Vidal-Puig A & John RM () . PLOS Genetics, 12(3), e1005916-e1005916.
  • Ninkina N, Connor-Robson N, Ustyugov AA, Tarasova TV, Shelkovnikova TA & Buchman VL () . Scientific Reports, 5(1).

Book chapters

  • (2024) , International Review of Neurobiology (pp. 455-479). Elsevier

Preprints

  • Watts T, Johnston HE, Al-Mufti Y, Odle RI, Hodgson RE, Okkenhaug H, Carr H, Cranwell S, Wu E, Walker S , Andrews S et al (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Huang W-P, Kumar V, Yap K, An H, John SJ, Hodgson RE, Avila AS, Day E, Ellis BCS, Chung TH , Lord J et al (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Zhang S, Moll T, Rubin-Sigler J, Tu S, Li S, Yuan E, Liu M, King M, Alhalthli E, Treanor C , Twelvetrees A et al (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Hodgson RE, Rayment J, Huang W-P, Avila AS & Shelkovnikova TA (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Kukharsky MS, Ninkina NN, An H, Telezhkin V, Wei W, de Meritens CR, Cooper-Knock J, Nakagawa S, Hirose T, Buchman VL & Shelkovnikova TA (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Research group
  • Wan-Ping Huang (PDRA)
  • Rachel Hodgson (PDRA)
  • Anna Avila Sanchez (PDRA)
  • Brittany Ellis (PhD student)
  • Ruaridh Lang (PhD student)
     

Collaborators

  • Sheffield: G Hautbergue, S Allen, J Cooper-Knock, M Dickman, K De Vos.
  • External: JR Atack (Cardiff University, UK), N Locker (Pirbright, UK), A Fox (UWA, Australia), T Hashimoto (Tokyo, Japan), S Sweeney (York, UK), E Makeyev (King’s College London, UK), B Bax (Cardiff University, UK), G Burley (Strathclyde, UK), D Bong (Ohio, US).
  • Industrial: AstraZeneca (MRC/AZ Centre for Lead Discovery)
Teaching interests

I am the division lead on Phase 2A Research Attachment SSC (Neuroscience).

My lab also regularly hosts postgraduate (Master’s – Neuroscience and Oncology & Metabolism; visiting) and undergraduate (e.g. research attachment) students.

Professional activities and memberships

Speaker at multiple departmental seminars (including UCL, universities in Australia, Japan, Italy) and multiple international conferences. Most recent speaking engagements:

International Symposium on ALS/MND (December 2023, Basel, Switzerland)

RNA granules 2023 conference (October 2023, Surrey, UK)

1st ICGEB Conference on TDP-43 function and dysfunction in diseases (September 2023, Trieste, Italy)

Robert Packard Center for ALS research seminar (June 2023)

Regularly solicited to review grant applications and manuscripts.

Grants: >30 reviewed, for MRC, BBSRC, MND Association, Wellcome Trust, Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, Academy of Medical Sciences, Templeton Foundation, USIAS, Worldwide Cancer Research, French National Research Agency, Research Foundation Flanders, Israel Science Foundation, European Science Foundation and others.

Manuscripts: >50 reviewed for >20 journals, including Nat Neurosci, Nat Commun; Sci Transl Med; Trends Genet; EMBO Rep; Ann Neurol; J Cell Biol; Cell Rep and others.

Conference organising:

  • RNA granules 2023 (9-11 October 2023, Surrey, UK), programme committee (co-organizer)
  • 1st International Paraspeckle Biology symposium (8 October 2023, Surrey, UK), main organizer

PhD examiner and advisory roles:

  • Examiner external: 5 PhD students (UCL/Crick Institute, King’s College London); internal: 1 PhD student
  •  Advisor to 6 PhD students (3 internal and 3 external)

Participated in outreach events and patient-oriented activities, including demonstration at science festivals and MND guest research blog writing.

Current Projects
  1. Regulation of RNP granules paraspeckles and stress granules under acute and chronic stress and in disease states (cellular models) - funded by the MND Association and BBSRC.
  2. Mechanistic studies of the RNA-binding proteins FUS and TDP-43 in ALS and FTD – funded by MRC.
  3. Therapeutic targeting of RNA and RNA-protein complexes (assay development and screening activities) – funded UKRI FLF and MRC (including MRC/AZ CLD)
  4. Targeting axonal dysfunction in ALS by small molecule splicing correction – funded by MND Scotland.
  5. Crosstalk between RNA regulation and metabolic alterations in ALS – funded by MND Association.

Links