Christopher Radka

Dad, husband, brother, son. Scientist studying lipid metabolism @UKYMedicine. Alumnus🎓 of @UCF🛡️⚔️ and @UAB_GBS🐲🔥. Views are my own.

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🚨BIG NEWS🚨 Our lab just secured 5 years of #funding from @NIH #NIGMS! 🎉📰
In a tough funding climate, this support means we can keep pushing our #science forward @UKYMedicine @UKyMIMG.🔬🥼
Immensely grateful to #mentors & #colleagues who helped make this happen. 🤝❤️

[CIMB MDPI @CIMB_MDPI]

How do lipids shape immunity? 🧬 This review explores oxylipins 🔬—key mediators of host–microbe interactions 🦠 that regulate inflammation 🔥 & infection, with promising potential for therapeutic targeting 💊
🔗 https://t.co/J5z4ZQSnQB

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🚨New in @Virulence12!🚨
#Staphylococcus aureus🦠isn't just an extracellular pathogen---it survives inside #macrophages during #osteomyelitis. Our review explores how it hijacks🥷 macrophage polarization to persist in #bone 🦴and drive chronic infection. https://t.co/mmgyXf56ig

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🎉New paper out in #Biochemistry @ACSPublications! We reveal how #Staphylococcus aureus rewired a classic #enzyme to escape feedback control 🚧, fueling #membrane biosynthesis and opening doors for bioengineering. @AmerChemSociety @StJudeResearch @UKyMIMG
https://t.co/R3CVfClUJ7

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

@SPTLabtech 🇬🇧 accessory piece for #XRC mosquito screening robot stuck in customs for >1 week after expected delivery date. 😐

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Grateful to @ASBMB for the opportunity to share our team’s research at #ASBMB25! Excited to highlight our work on #lipids, #structuralbiology, #signaling, #evolution, and #microbialphysiology. @UKYMedicine @UKyMIMG

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Bon appétit in @chicago #ChinaTown 🍽. An excellent finish to Day 1 of #asbmb25 ✅️! @ASBMB @SantiagoFrangos #Turbot🐠 #MOSAIC

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Explore the world of #oxylipins and their key roles in #inflammation. Our review highlights microbial oxylipins crucial to #infection—molecules that mimic host compounds. Evolutionary coincidence or microbial conspiracy?
https://t.co/yl76q33Ydx @MDPIOpenAccess @CIMB_MDPI @UKyMIMG

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

The future of academia thrives on building bridges, not walls. Despite uncertainty around funding, we must keep our focus on the bigger picture. True growth comes from uplifting others, not gatekeeping. The best academics aren't competitors -- they're collaborators. #TeamScience

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

@SenateMajority @RandPaul, please support funding the @NIH #MOSAIC program and other diversity initiatives. #Diversity is not just about race—it’s about uplifting ALL communities, including #Kentuckians from #Appalachia. Let’s ensure equal opportunities for everyone. @ASBMB

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Great #UNITY Breakfast this morning celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Thanks @Ablchapter1906 for organizing this wonderful event. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿#MLKDay #mlkday2025 @LexingtonKyGov

[Frontiers - Molecular Biology @FrontMolBioSci]

New Research: Dissecting the biophysical mechanisms of oleate hydratase association with membranes https://t.co/jVFPZg8gvF

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🚨Paper in Press🚨 Our latest biophysical study of oleate hydratase binding the #membranebilayer is out!🔬#lipids #phosphorusNMR #spectroscopy #FluorescenceCorrelation #microscopy #singlemolecule #hybridtechniques @UKYMedicine @UKyMIMG @UK_COP
https://t.co/ZWVoxBTO1C

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Excited to share our latest work on oleate hydratase #evolutionarybiology, now in Press!📊 🖥 📰 #structuralbiology #phylogenetics #commonfold #sequencediversity @UKYMedicine

[Frontiers - Molecular Biology @FrontMolBioSci]

New Research: Independent evolution of oleate hydratase clades in Bacillales reflects molecular convergence https://t.co/HGJs13Uf5m

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Great day for a #5K 👟! Happy to run with Team @UKyMIMG 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ in the @UKYMedicine #MilesforMedicine 🛣🩺⚕️🏥. #microbiology #Community #Belonging 🤲❤️

[Cell @CellCellPress]

Now online! Vaginal Lactobacillus fatty acid response mechanisms reveal a metabolite-targeted strategy for bacterial vaginosis treatment https://t.co/ejqwnYVOaJ

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🚨NEW PAPER🚨
We use #cryoEM 🔬 to find the next structural level of oleate hydratase #OhyA: the OhyA•membrane complex! #OhyA, a peripheral enzyme, forms an oligomeric assembly on the #membrane #bilayer. @StJudeResearch @UKYMedicine @UKyMIMG @JStructBiol
https://t.co/22H5k7xtWR

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

Thank you @ASBMB for the opportunity to serve as a panelist for: "#Academic #career, is it for me?"
I had a blast with fellow panelists Takita Sumter @winthropu, Pamela Mertz @StMarysMD, & Reinhart Reithmeier @UofT.
#ProfessionalDevelopment @UKYMedicine #sciencejobs #DiscoverBMB

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

My postdoctoral mentor unexpectedly passed away last fall, and I had an opportunity to write a retrospective piece on him. Check out the story of this #lipid #biochemistry pioneer. @ASBMB
@AsbmbLrd @StJudeResearch #worldexpert
Charles O. Rock (1949 – 2023) https://t.co/17dfCqxJQU

[Christopher Radka @ChrisRadka]

🚨NEW PAPER🚨
We find PPARα is both target and attenuator of oleate hydratase #OhyA products. Our data indicate an OhyA-PPARα #signaling axis promotes #Staphylococcal #infection. #infectiousdiseases @UKYMedicine @StJudeResearch @FrontInfectDis @FrontiersIn https://t.co/BTKHI5uVIV