Igor V. Sharakhov serves as a Professor in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) in the USA. He was appointed to the Virginia Tech faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2004. Dr. Sharakhov works in the area of genomics and evolutionary cytogenetics of mosquitoes – vectors of human infectious diseases. Dr. Sharakhov made contributions to understanding the patterns and mechanisms of the genome evolution in mosquitoes, which could be useful for development of more effective mosquito control. Some of his specific contributions and achievements include mapped genome assemblies for Anopheline mosquitoes, important vectors of malaria; identification of heterochromatic genes and regulatory piRNAs, which has improved our understanding of the “dark matter” of the mosquito genome and opened a new venue for the discovery of genetic determinants of the chromosome organization; and new insights into the role of chromosomal inversions in adaptation and evolution of malaria mosquitoes. Dr. Sharakhov’s research is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.