Prof. Michael Ugrumov, PhD, MD
Head of the Department of Molecular Neurobiology at the Shemyakin – Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS);
Head of Laboratory of Neural and Neuroendocrine Regulations at the Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of RAS, Moscow, Russia
President of the Russian Society for Neurochemistry
E-mail:
michael.ugrumov@mail.ru
Memberships:
Russian Academy of Sciences
European Academy of Sciences and Arts
Serbian Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Pharmacy
American Society for Neurosciences
European Endocrine Society
European Society for Neuroendocrinology
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
International Brain Research Organization
Ugrumov – Former: Advisor to the President of the RAS and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation;
Head of the Department for Multilateral Scientific Cooperation at the Presidium of RAS;
Coordinator of the Brain Research Program at the Presidium of RAS;
Vice President of the Russian Physiological Society;
Professor of the Faculty of Psychology at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow)
Awards:
National Order of Merit of the French Republic
Award of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Russian Academy of Engineering Medal of Ivan Fedorov, the First Printer
Russian Academy of Sciences I.P. Pavlov Gold Medal
Russian Academy of Sciences I.M. Sechenov Gold Medal
CIS Physiological Societies Union Gold Medal of P.G. Kostyuk
Russian Academy of Sciences and Moscow State University Medal "In Memory of Academician N.M. Emanuel"
Russian Physiologists Society L.A. Orbeli Award
Russian Federation II-nd degree Medal of Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
Prof. Ugrumov was nominated as a visiting Professor and has conducted research and taught at:the Tokushima University Medical School (Japan), SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, USA), University P. et M. Curie (Paris, France), University Medical School of Ulm (Germany), University of Turin (Turin, Italy), and University of Tours Francois Rabelais (Tour, France).
Prof. Ugrumov graduated from the University Medical School (Moscow), got PhD at the Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS (St. Petersburg) and Professorship at the Institute of Developmental Biology and the University Medical School (Moscow).
Prof. Ugrumov is the author of five monographs and more than 250 articles published in international high-ranking journals, as well as a supervisor of more than 40 PhD theses, including European ones.
Prof. Ugrumov made significant contribution:
(i) to the study of the role of neuroendocrine regulations in the development of the brain and the entire organism during ontogenesis, both in health and disease;
(ii) to the development of a methodology for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, primarily Parkinson's disease;
(iii) to the study of non-monoaminergic neurons that partially express a monoaminergic phenotype;
(iv) to the development of a concept for the adaptation of fundamental academic science in the post-Soviet space during the transition from a planned to a market economy.
Bible Old Testament: «A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together»
Main discoveries and developments
I. Neurophysiology
It was found that:
1. Monoamines provide an irreversible morphogenetic effect on the differentiation of peptidergic neurosecretory neurons and the development of the endocrine hypothalamus in the perinatal period of ontogenesis (Ugrumov, 1997).
2. Along with neurons expressing the dopaminergic phenotype—both dopamine-synthesizing enzymes and the dopamine transporter—many more numerous neurons partially express the dopaminergic phenotype—one of the dopamine-synthesizing enzymes, both dopamine-synthesizing enzymes, or only the dopamine transporter (Ugrumov, 2024).
3. Neurons expressing one of the enzymes of dopamine synthesis – tyrosine hydroxylase or DOPA decarboxylase – produce dopamine in cooperation (Ugrumov, 2024).
4. Before the blood-brain barrier closes, the developing brain functions as a giant multipotent endocrine organ, controlling the development of the entire organism, including the brain, by releasing morphogenetic factors into the general circulation (Ugrumov, 2010).
II. Neurology - neurodegenerative diseases
1. It was shown that dopamine synthesis by non-dopaminergic neurons of the striatum is one of the most important mechanisms for compensating for dopamine deficiency in Parkinson's disease, which develops due to degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons (Kozina et al., 2017).
2. A methodology for early (preclinical) diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in patients has been developed based on biomarkers – premotor symptoms and changes in the composition of biological fluids (Katunina et al., 2023; Blokhin et al., 2024).
4. A method for early (preclinical) diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on a provocative test has been developed and approved in preclinical trials (Ugrumov, 2020).
III. Research management
1. A concept for the modernization and development of the Russian Academy of Sciences as an interdisciplinary scientific center in an open market environment has been developed (Ugrumov M. 2008, 2009 in Russ.).
2. A significant contribution to the organization and coordination of the program "Fundamental Sciences for Medicine" at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences was made.
3. A mega project on studying neurodegenerative diseases, from the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis to the development of early diagnostics and preventive treatment has been implemented as a part of the program "Fundamental Sciences for Medicine" (Ugrumov, 2014 in Russ.),
4. The Department of Multilateral international сcooperation was established at the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences for reforming the system of international cooperation and its adaptation to the open market environment.
5. The Department of multilateral international cooperation implemented the "Era-net Russ" program—a Foundation for multilateral scientific cooperation between institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and academic institutions in European countries—as an alternative to cooperation under European Framework Programs, which was not profitable for Russia.
References
Угрюмов М.В. Модернизация Российской академии наук на основе исторической преемственности или "до основанья, а затем..."? // Вестн. Рос. акад. наук. - 2008. - Т.78, N 7. - С.600-615.
Угрюмов М.В. «Конкурентоспособность Российской академии наук в условиях открытого рынка». 2009. Т. 79, N 10, стр. 915–922.
Угрюмов М.В. (ред.) «Нейродегенеративные заболевания – от генома до целостного организма». 2014. Научный мир. Том. 2.
Угрюмов М.В. (ред.) «Нейродегенеративные заболевания – от генома до целостного организма». 2014. Научный мир. Том. 1.
Blokhin V, Pavlova EN, Katunina EA, Nodel MR, Kataeva GV, Moskalets ER, Pronina TS, Ugrumov MV. Dopamine Synthesis in the Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic System in Patients at Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease at the Prodromal Stage. J Clin Med. 2024;13(3):875. doi: 10.3390/jcm13030875.
Katunina EA, Blokhin V, Nodel MR, Pavlova EN, Kalinkin AL, Kucheryanu VG, Alekperova L, Selikhova MV, Martynov MY, Ugrumov MV. Searching for Biomarkers in the Blood of Patients at Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease at the Prodromal Stage. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(3):1842. doi: 10.3390/ijms24031842.
Kozina EA, Kim AR, Kurina AY, Ugrumov MV. Cooperative synthesis of dopamine by non-dopaminergic neurons as a compensatory mechanism in the striatum of mice with MPTP-induced Parkinsonism. Neurobiol Dis. 2017 Feb;98:108-121. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.12.005.
Ugrumov MV. Hypothalamic monoaminergic systems in ontogenesis: development and functional significance. A review. Int J Dev Biol. 1997.41(6):809-16.
Ugrumov MV. Developing brain as an endocrine organ: a paradoxical reality.Neurochem Res. 2010;35(6):837-50. doi: 10.1007/s11064-010-0127-1.
Ugrumov M.Development of early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease: Illusion or reality? CNS Neurosci Ther. 2020;26(10):997-1009. doi: 10.1111/cns.13429.
Ugrumov MV. Hypothalamic neurons fully or partially expressing the dopaminergic phenotype: development, distribution, functioning and functional significance. A review. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2024;75:101153. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101153.
Main interests: Developmental neurobiology, Neuroendocrinology, Neurodegenerative diseases with focus on the development of preclinical diagnosis and preventive neuroprotective therapy of Parkinson’s disease, International scientific cooperation.
Selected articles (2017 - 2026):
Pronina TS, Troshev DV, Kolacheva AA, Bogdanov VV, Ugrumov MV. (2026) Evidence that tyrosine hydroxylase does not have enzymatic activity in neurons of the supraoptic nucleus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 17:1777453. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1777453.
Bannikova AE, Pronina TS, Troshev DV, Bogdanov VV, Kolacheva AA, Pavlova EN, Blokhin VE, Kalashnikova VI, Ugrumov MV. (2026) Salt loading as a promising approach to study the dopaminergic phenotype of neurons of the supraoptic nucleus in mice. PLoS One. 6;21(2):e0340281. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0340281.
Ugrumov MV. (2024) Hypothalamic neurons fully or partially expressing the dopaminergic phenotype: development, distribution, functioning and functional significance. A review. Front Neuroendocrinol. 75:101153. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101153.
Troshev D, Blokhin V, Ukrainskaya V, Kolacheva A, Ugrumov M. (2022) Isolation of living dopaminergic neurons labeled with a fluorescent ligand of the dopamine transporter from mouse substantia nigra as a new tool for basic and applied research. Front Mol Neurosci. 15:1020070. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1020070.
Kim A, Pavlova E, Kolacheva A, Bogdanov V, Dilmukhametova L, Blokhin V, Valuev L, Valuev I, Gorshkova M, Ugrumov M. (2022) Development of early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease on animal models based on the intranasal administration of α-methyl-p-tyrosine methyl ester in a gel system. Biomed Pharmacother. 150:112944. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112944.
Ugrumov M. (2020) Development of early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease: Illusion or reality? CNS Neurosci Ther. 26(10):997-1009. doi: 10.1111/cns.13429.
Kim A, Nigmatullina R, Zalyalova Z, Soshnikova N, Krasnov A, Vorobyeva N, Georgieva S, Kudrin V, Narkevich V, Ugrumov M. (2019) Upgraded Methodology for the Development of Early Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease Based on Searching Blood Markers in Patients and Experimental Models. Mol Neurobiol. 56(5):3437-3450. doi: 10.1007/s12035-018-1315-2.
Mingazov ER, Khakimova GR, Kozina EA, Medvedev AE, Buneeva OA, Bazyan AS, Ugrumov MV. (2018) MPTP Mouse Model of Preclinical and Clinical Parkinson's Disease as an Instrument for Translational Medicine. Mol Neurobiol. Apr;55(4):2991-3006. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0559-6.
Khakimova GR, Kozina EA, Kucheryanu VG, Ugrumov MV. (2017) Reversible Pharmacological Induction of Motor Symptoms in MPTP-Treated Mice at the Presymptomatic Stage of Parkinsonism: Potential Use for Early Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. Mol Neurobiol. 54(5):3618-3632. doi: 10.1007/s12035-016-9936-9.
Kozina EA, Kim AR, Kurina AY, Ugrumov MV. (2017) Cooperative synthesis of dopamine by non-dopaminergic neurons as a compensatory mechanism in the striatum of mice with MPTP-induced Parkinsonism. Neurobiol Dis. 98:108-121. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.12.005.