Lykotrafitis, George

George Lykotrafitis

Professor, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering

Email george.lykotrafitis@uconn.edu
Phone (860) 486-2439
Mailing Address School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Rd. U-3139, Storrs, CT 06269
Campus Storrs
Link Lab Website
Google Scholar Link

Brief Bio

Dr. Lykotrafitis joined our faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2009. Dr. Lykotrafitis received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences from National Technical University of Athens, Greece. He subsequently received his second M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech studying dynamic frictional sliding modes along incoherent interfaces. From 2006 until 2008, he has been a postdoctoral fellow at MIT conducting experimental and computational studies of cellular membrane dynamics in Prof. Subra Suresh’s group. Dr. Lykotrafitis has received a five-year National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award and the American Heart Association (AHA) National Center Scientist Development Grant.

  • combining experimental,
  • clinical, and computational investigation,
  • biomechanical properties of cells and subcellular structures influence,
  • progression of SCD to support diagnosis,
  • pharmacotherapy and prevention of life threatening complications
  • Z. CHAI, S. Gu, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Dynamics of the axon plasma membrane skeleton', Soft Matter, 19, 2514-2528, (2023).  Article
  • Z. CHAI, A.V. TZINGOUNIS, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'The periodic axon membrane skeleton leads to Na nanodomains but does not impact action potentials', Biophysical Journal, 18, 3334-3344, (2022).  Article
  • Y. ZHANG, Z. CHAI, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Deep reinforcement learning with a particle dynamics environment applied to emergency evacuation of a room with obstacles', Physica A, 571 , 125845, (2021).  Article
  • K. PARTOLA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Assembly for measuring the viscosity of fluids using microchannels', Patent No.: US 10,928,289 B2 , (Feb. 23, 2021).
  • Y. ZHANG, Z. CHAI, Y. SUN, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'A deep reinforcement learning model based on deterministic policy gradient for collective neural crest cell migration', arXiv.org, (2020).  Article
  • M. CAUBLE, N. MANCINI, J. KALINOWSKI, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, I.L. MOSS, 'Atomic force microscopy imaging for nanoscale and microscale assessments of extracellular matrix in intervertebral disc and degeneration', JOR Spine, 2020;3:e1125, https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.1125 (2020).  Article
  • J. ZHANG, S-M JONES, G. LYKOTRAFITIS and B. ANDEMARIAM, 'Valsartan impedes epinephrine-induced ICAM-4 activation on normal, sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease red blood cells', PLOS ONE, 14, Issue 5, e0216467, (2019).  Article
  • Y. ZHANG, A.V. TZINGOUNIS, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS 'Modeling of the axon plasma membrane structure and its effects on protein diffusion', PLOS Computational Biology, 15, Issue 5, e1007003, (2019).  Article
  • K. ABIRAMAN, A.V. TZINGOUNIS, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS 'KCa2 Channel Localization and Regulation in the Axon Initial Segment', FASEB, , (2018).  Article
  • H. LI, H-Y CHANG, J. YANG, L. LU, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS 'Modeling biological membranes and red blood cells by coarse-grained particle methods', Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, (Special Topic Issue on Theory, Methods and Applications of Mesoscopic Modeling), 39, Issue 1, 3-20, (2018).  Article
  • K. PARTOLA, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), and G. LYKOTRAFITIS 'Microfluidic Experimental Setup for Adhesion and Recovery Measurements of Red Blood Cells in Sickle Cell Disease', Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 71, 80-84, (2017).  Article
  • Y. ZHANG, K. ABIRAMAN, H. LI, D.M. PIERCE, A.V. TZINGOUNIS, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS 'Modeling of the axon membrane skeleton structure and implications for its mechanical properties', PLOS Computational Biology, 13, Issue 2, e1005407, (2017).  Article
  • J. ZHANG, K. ABIRAMAN, S-M. JONES, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, and B. ANDEMARIAM (MD) 'Regulation of active ICAM-4 adhesion receptors on normal and sickle cell disease RBCs via AKAPs is revealed by atomic force microscopy', Biophysical Journal, 112, 143-152, (2017).  Article
  • X. LI, M. DAO, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, and G. KARNIADAKIS, 'Biomechanics and biorheology of red blood cells in sickle cell anemia (Review Article)', Journal of Biomechanics , 50, 34-41, (2017).  Article
  • X. LI, H. LI, H-Y CHANG, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, and G. KARNIADAKIS, 'Computational biomechanics of human red blood cells in hematological disorders (Review Article)', ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering , 139, 021008, (2017).  Article
  • V.Q. HA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'IMPETUS - Interactive MultiPhysics EnvironmenT for Unified Simulations', Journal of Biomechanics, 49, 4034-4038, (2016).   Download IMPETUS,   Article
  • K. ABIRAMAN, M. SAH, R.S. WALIKONIS, G. LYKOTRAFITIS and A.V. TZINGOUNIS, 'Tonic PKA activity regulates SK channel nanoclustering and somatodendritic distribution', Journal of Molecular Biology , 428, Issue 11, 2521-2537, (2016).  Article
  • H. LI, Y. ZHANG, V. HA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Modeling of the band-3 proteins diffusion in the normal and defective red blood cell membrane', Soft Matter , 12, 3643-3653, (2016).  Article
  • K. PARTOLA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'FRAME (Force Review Automation Environment): MATLAB-based AFM data processor', Journal of Biomechanics, 49, Issue 7, 1221-1224 (2016).   Download FRAME,  Article
  • H. LI and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Vesiculation of healthy and defective red blood cells', Physical Review E , 92, 012715, (2015).  Article
  • N.J. WANDERSEE, J. MACIASZEK, K.M. GIGER, M.S. HANSON, S. ZHENG, Y. GUO, B. MICKELSON, C.H. HILLERY, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, P.S. LOW, and N. HOGG 'Dietary supplementation with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) increases red blood cell membrane flexibility in mice with sickle cell disease', Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 54, Issue 2, 183-188, (2015).  Article
  • J. MACIASZEK, K. PARTOLA, J. ZHANG, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Single-cell force spectroscopy as a technique to quantify human red blood cell adhesion to subendothelial laminin', Journal of Biomechanics, 47, Issue 16, 3855-3861, (2014).  Article
  • H. LI and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Erythrocyte membrane model with explicit description of the lipid bilayer and the spectrin network', Biophysical Journal, 107, Issue 3, 642-653, (2014).  Article
  • J. MACIASZEK, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), K. ABIRAMAN, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'AKAP-dependent modulation of BCAM/Lu adhesion on normal and sickle cell disease RBCs revealed by force nanoscopy', Biophysical Journal, 106, Issue 6, 1258-1267, (2014).  Article  Cover Picture,  Biophysical Society blog
  • J. MACIASZEK, H. SOH, R.S. WALIKONIS, A.V. TZINGOUNIS and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Topography of native SK channels revealed by force nanoscopy in living neurons', Journal of Neuroscience, 32, Issue 33, 11435-11440 (2012).  Article F1000 Article F1000 Article
  • H. LI , V. HA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Modeling sickle hemoglobin fibers as one chain of coarse-grained particles', Journal of Biomechanics, 45, Issue 11, 1947-1951 (2012).  Article
  • J. MACIASZEK, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), G. HUBER, and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Epinephrine modulates BCAM/Lu and ICAM-4 expression on the sickle cell trait red blood cell', Biophysical Journal, 102, Issue 5, 1137-1143 (2012).  Article
  • V. HA and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Agent-based modeling of a multi-room multi-floor building emergency evacuation', Physica A, 391, 2740-2751, (2012).  Article
  • H. LI and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Two-component coarse-grain molecular dynamics model for the human erythrocyte membrane', Biophysical Journal, 102, Issue 1, 75-84, (2012).  Article,  Supporting Material,  Cover Picture,  Biophysical Society blog ,   Top 25 Hottest Articles
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS, H.G. GEORGIADIS, P.A. GOURGIOTIS, 'Rapid sliding motion of a rigid frictionless indentor with a flat base over a thermoelastic half-space', Archive of Applied Mechanics, Doi: 10.1007/s00419-012-0670-0, (2012).  Author's copy  Article
  • M. BUDYANSKY, C. MADORMO, J. MACIASZEK and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Coherent gradient sensing microscopy (micro-CGS): a microscale curvature detection technique', Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 49, 874-879 (2011).  Article
  • J. MACIASZEK, B. ANDEMARIAM (MD), and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Microelasticity of red blood cells in sickle cell disease', Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design, 44, no. 5, 368-379 (2011).  Article
  • J. MACIASZEK and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Sickle cell trait human erythrocytes are significantly stiffer than normal', Journal of Biomechanics, 44, 657-661 (2011).  Article
  • H. LI and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'A coarse-grain molecular dynamics model for sickle hemoglobin fibers', Journal of Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 4, 162-173 (2011).  Article
  • H. YUAN, C. HUANG, J. LI, G. LYKOTRAFITIS and S. ZHANG, 'One-particle-thick, solvent-free, coarse-grained model for biological and biomimetic fluid membranes', Physical Review E, 82, 011905 (2010).  pdf
  • S. ZHANG, J. LI, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, G. BAO and S. SURESH, 'Size-dependent endocytosis of nanoparticles', Advanced Materials, 20, 1-6 (2008).  pdf
  • Y. PARK, M. DIEZ-SILVA, G. POPESCU, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, W. CHOI, M. FELD and S. SURESH, 'Cell nanoscale membrane fluctuations is an indicator of pathological state of human red blood cell', PNAS, 105, Issue 37, 13730-13735 (2008). pdf, supp. material
  • J. LI, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, M. DAO and S. SURESH, 'Cytoskeletal dynamics of human erythrocyte', PNAS,104, Issue 12, 4937-4942 (2007).  pdf, supp. material
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS, A.J. ROSAKIS and G. RAVICHANDRAN, 'Self-healing pulse-like shear ruptures in the laboratory', Science, 313, 1765-1768 (2006). pdf , supp. material
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS, A.J. ROSAKIS and G. RAVICHANDRAN, 'Particle velocimetry and photoelasticity applied to the study of dynamic sliding along frictionally-held bimaterial interfaces: Techniques and feasibility', SEM Experimental Mechanics, 46, 205-216 (2006). (Society for Experimental Mechanics, Hetenyi award for the best research paper published in Experimental Mechanics in 2006). pdf
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS and A.J. ROSAKIS, 'Dynamic sliding of frictionally held bimaterial interfaces subjected to impact shear loading', Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 462, 2997-3026 (2006). pdf
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS and A.J. ROSAKIS, 'Photoelastic study of sliding along frictionally held incoherent interfaces of homogeneous systems subjected to dynamic shear loading', International Journal of Fracture  pdf, 140, 213-233 (2006).
  • D. COKER, G. LYKOTRAFITIS, A. NEEDLEMAN and A.J. ROSAKIS, 'Frictional sliding modes along an interface between identical plates subject to shear impact loading', Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 53, 884-922 (2005).  pdf
  • H.G. GEORGIADIS and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Asymptotic solution for three-dimensional transient thermoelastic Rayleigh waves due to a thermal source', ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, 72, 129-138 (2005).  pdf
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS and H.G. GEORGIADIS, 'The three-dimensional steady-state thermo-elastodynamic problem of moving sources over a half space', International Journal of Solids and Structures, 40, 899-940 (2003). pdf
  • H.G. GEORGIADIS and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'A method based on the Radon transform for three-dimensional elastodynamic problems of moving loads', Journal of Elasticity, 65, 87-129 (2001).  pdf
  • G. LYKOTRAFITIS, H.G. GEORGIADIS and L.M. BROCK, 'Three-dimensional thermoelastic wave motions in a half-space under the action of a buried source', International Journal of Solids and Structures, 38, 4857-4878 (2001).  pdf
  • H.G. GEORGIADIS, I. VARDOULAKIS and G. LYKOTRAFITIS, 'Torsional surface waves in a gradient-elastic half-space', Wave Motion, 31, 333-348 (2000).  pdf