University of Southern California · PhysiologyKhoshnan Neurotoxicity Lab
Ali Khoshnan · Los Angeles, California
Research Focus
Dr. Ali Khoshnan's lab focuses on understanding Huntington's disease by studying a specific protein called mutant huntingtin. The lab investigates how this protein misfolds and forms toxic aggregates in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration. They use advanced techniques to analyze these protein structures, develop antibodies to target them, and explore potential therapies to prevent or treat Huntington's disease.
Huntington's diseasemutant huntingtinneurotoxicityprotein aggregationantibody therapy
Research Aims
3AIM 01Characterize the conformations of mutant huntingtin protein assemblies.
AIM 02Identify neurotoxic species of mutant huntingtin in human neurons.
AIM 03Investigate the effects of extracellular mutant huntingtin on disease progression in mouse models.
Skills the Lab Values
Cryo-electron microscopymonoclonal antibody generationprotein purificationcell cultureanimal models (mouse)
Output against the department
Publications35bottom 2% of dept.278th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.4kbottom 17% of dept.238th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.