Assistant Professor
Email: nilufarali@boisestate.edu
Lab: Science Building, Room 215
Year arrived at BSU: 2022-Present
Research Interests
Molecular Neurobiology Lab (MNL)-Â
Exploring Aging, Spaceflight, and Neurodegeneration Through Cutting-Edge Science
Dr. Ali’s lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and neurodegeneration, with a focus on how mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of proteostasis, and cellular stress responses drive disease progression. Using a multi-disciplinary approach—including in vivo models, multi-omics analyses, and advanced technologies like iPSC-derived neural organoids and brain-on-a-chip systems—the lab aims to uncover the molecular drivers of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to develop targeted, translational interventions.
Where Space Meets the Brain
One of the lab’s most innovative research directions explores how spaceflight-related stressors—such as simulated microgravity and radiation—induce PD-like changes in the brain. Dr. Ali’s team is among the first to establish a mechanistic link between spaceflight conditions and Parkinson’s disease pathology.
Dr. Ali co-chairs the NASA GeneLab Brain Analysis Working Group, where her team integrates high-impact datasets from sources including the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and NASA’s Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) to find molecular similarities between neurodegenerative diseases and aging exhibited post-space travel. Findings are validated through lab-based microgravity experiments using custom-built 2D and 3D clinostats, random positioning machines, in iPSC-derived cell-type-specific neural organoids and brain-on-a-chip technologies.
This research not only sheds light on how the brain responds to biomechanical stressors in space but also contributes to the development of neuroprotective strategies for both astronauts and individuals at risk for age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Targeting Mitochondria for Cancer Therapeutics
Building on her postdoctoral work, Dr. Ali’s lab also investigates Nullomer peptides—short DNA or protein sequences absent from the human genome—which show selective toxicity toward cancer cells by disrupting mitochondrial bioenergetics. This promising line of research has the potential to lead to a new class of anti-cancer therapeutics that target shared molecular vulnerabilities across aging and disease.
iPSC-Derived Brain Organoids and Brain-on-a-Chip
Using human iPSC-derived brain organoids and brain-on-a-chip systems, the lab models neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes in vitro. These platforms enable high-resolution investigation of disease mechanisms, drug responses, and environmental impacts—including spaceflight conditions—on specific neural cell types such as dopaminergic and cortical neurons, and microglia.
Why Join the Lab?
Dr. Ali’s lab sits at the intersection of neuroscience, space biology, computational biology, and therapeutic discovery. Students have the opportunity to engage in multi-disciplinary, translational science with real-world applications in aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer research.
Students Gain Hands-On Experience In:
- iPSC-derived dopaminergic, cortical neuron, and microglia culture
- Brain organoid development
- Simulated microgravity experiments (2D/3D clinostats)
- Brain-on-a-chip technologies
- Confocal and electron microscopy
- Molecular techniques (Western blotting, digital microfluidics-based PCR, in vivo and in vitro gene manipulation)
- Extracellular vesicle and peptide-based drug delivery systems
- Animal handling and small animal survival surgeries (including stereotactic brain surgeries)
Looking for Curious, Motivated Students!
If you’re fascinated by the brain, driven by discovery, and eager to make an impact in aging, neurodegeneration, cancer biology, or spaceflight research, Dr. Ali’s lab may be a great fit for you!
Funding
Dr. Ali’s lab receives funding from:
- Idaho NASA EPSCoR
- Boise State’s Biomolecular Research Center
- Boise State’s College of Innovation and Design
- NIH (National Institutes of Health) Matrix Biology: Center of Biomedical Research Excellence
- NIH (National Institutes of Health) Idaho INBRE: IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
About
Dr. Ali teaches a variety of courses here at Boise State, including,
- BIOL 466/566 – Advanced Topics in Biomedical, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
- BIOL 479 – Undergraduate Research Experience
Academic Career
M.S. in Zoology (Human Genetics) – Banaras Hindu University, India (Summa Cum Laude)
Ph.D. in Biochemistry (Neuroscience) – CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, University of Calcutta, India
Postdoctoral Training – University of Pittsburgh, USA & Boise State University, USA