Nagendran Ramalingam

Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine

Contact Info

• 4001 E Fletcher Avenue
  Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute, ALZ 341
  Tampa FL 33613
• Academic Email: nramalingam@usf.edu
• View My C.V. | View My Lab Site

Education

Biography

Nagendran Ramalingam is a trained cell biologist with a background in biochemistry, and his research focuses on understanding alpha-synuclein (αS) homeostasis in health and disease, with particular emphasis on Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy body dementias. Nagendran earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Botany and Biochemistry from Bharathidasan University, India, and received his Ph.D. in 2009 from Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Schleicher. His doctoral research dissected actin cytoskeleton signaling in cell migration. He then pursued postdoctoral training at Columbia University, where he expanded his expertise in cytoskeletal biology and microtubule dynamics, ultimately transitioning into neurobiology. In 2014, he joined the Department of Neurology at Columbia University as an Associate Research Scientist, where he began investigating cytoskeletal dysfunction in PD and the role of serine-129 phosphorylated αS (pS129) in disease pathology. This work included collaborations with the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases (ARCND) at Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS). He later joined the ARCND at BWH & HMS, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Professor of Neurology in 2024. In 2026, he established the Synuclein Interest Group at the Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute. Nagendran is fully committed to creating an ideal environment for educating the next-generation scientists and teachers.

Academic Philosophy

Research Interests

• Two complementary frameworks guide how we think about α-synuclein (αS). First, αS is a key protein implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders. However, its normal function is poorly understood. Second, αS regulates neurotransmission and is linked to PD and related disorders. However, its role in disease progression and pathogenesis is poorly understood. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive. Our research integrates both views by first defining the fundamental biology of αS and determining how/to what extent its normal functions become disrupted in disease states. Through this approach, we aim to uncover mechanistic insights that bridge basic synaptic biology and neurodegeneration.

Positions Held

• Assistant Professor of Neurology (Harvard Medical School, 2024 - 2026)
• Instructor in Neurology (Harvard Medical School, 2021 - 2024)