Nikolai Timchenko, PhD

Head of Liver Tumor Biology, Liver Tumor Program
Professor, UC Department of Surgery

nikolai.timchenko@cchmc.org

About

Biography

I came to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in June of 2014 from Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), where I was a professor of pathology and working in the Huffington Center on aging.

I obtained my PhD in the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg, Russia in the field of liver biology and molecular genetics. After moving to the US, I worked at BCM as an assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor until 2014.

I am currently a professor in the Division of General and Thoracic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's within the UC Department of Surgery. I am also the director of the Liver Tumor Program. I investigate mechanisms of liver cancer in children and adults, mechanisms of NAFLD, and mechanisms of age-associated diseases.

I am a member of the Digestive Health Center (Cincinnati Children's) and a professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati.

Services and Specialties

Research Areas

Publications

Investigating the oncogenic role of aberrant EZH2 in hepatoblastoma. Glaser, K; Depasquale, EAK; Berklite, L; Hickner, BT; Rao, P; Patel, RH; Badachhape, AA; Roy, S; Schepers, E; Timchenko, NA; Takebe, T; Woodfield, SE; Vasudevan, SA; Bondoc, AJ. Scientific Reports. 2026.

Elevated Levels of Active GSK3β in the Blood of Patients with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Correlate with Muscle Weakness. Jennings, K; Tian, C; Brown, RL; Horn, PS; Schoser, B; Kushlaf, H; Timchenko, NA; Timchenko, L. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(21).

β-Catenin-Cohesin Ring-CEGRs/ALCDs Axis Activation Contributes to the Development of Hepatoblastoma and Fibrolamellar HCC. Fleifil, Y; Gulati, R; Jennings, K; Kycia, I; Bondoc, A; Tiao, G; Geller, J; Weirauch, M; Vakili, K; Timchenko, L; Timchenko, N. Molecular Cancer Research. 2025; 23(11):901-912.

The role of CNBP in brain atrophy and its targeting in myotonic dystrophy type 2. Jennings, K; Lindquist, D; Poonia, A; Schoser, B; Schneider-Gold, C; Timchenko, NA; Timchenko, L. Human Molecular Genetics. 2025; 34(6):512-522.

DNAJB1-PKAc Kinase Is Expressed in Young Patients with Pediatric Liver Cancers and Enhances Carcinogenic Pathways. Fleifil, Y; Gulati, R; Jennings, K; Miethke, A; Bondoc, A; Tiao, G; Geller, JI; Karns, R; Timchenko, L; Timchenko, N. Cancers. 2024; 17(1).

Inhibition of Histone Deacetylase Activity Increases Cisplatin Efficacy to Eliminate Metastatic Cells in Pediatric Liver Cancers. Gulati, R; Fleifil, Y; Jennings, K; Bondoc, A; Tiao, G; Geller, J; Timchenko, L; Timchenko, N. Cancers. 2024; 16(13).

C/EBPα-mediated epigenetic control of liver disorders in young children. Gulati, R; Timchenko, N. Journal of Cancer Biology. 2024; 5(1):23-27.

EZH2 is a key component of hepatoblastoma tumor cell growth. Glaser, K; Schepers, EJ; Zwolshen, HM; Lake, CM; Timchenko, NA; Karns, RA; Cairo, S; Geller, JI; Tiao, GM; Bondoc, AJ. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2024; 71(2):e30774.

Cellular origin and molecular mechanisms of lung metastases in patients with aggressive hepatoblastoma. Gulati, R; Lutz, M; Hanlon, M; Cast, A; Karns, R; Geller, J; Bondoc, A; Tiao, G; Timchenko, L; Timchenko, NA. Hepatology Communications. 2024; 8(2).

METTL16 promotes liver cancer stem cell self-renewal via controlling ribosome biogenesis and mRNA translation. Xue, M; Dong, L; Zhang, H; Li, Y; Qiu, K; Zhao, Z; Gao, M; Han, L; Chan, AKN; Li, W; Chen, J; Shen, B; Chen, H; Su, R. Journal of Hematology and Oncology. 2024; 17(1):7.