Ali Khoshnan

Dr. Ali Khoshnan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease (HD), with emphasis on pathogenic huntingtin protein assemblies, neurotoxic signaling pathways, and microbiota-gut-brain axis interactions.

• Studying HD pathogenesis using human neurons, brain organoids, and animal models
• Engineering antibodies/nanobodies for HD diagnosis and therapy
• Investigating gut-brain communication in HD pathophysiology
• Developing microbiota-targeted therapeutic approaches for HD

His work spans molecular neuroscience, protein aggregation studies, and translational research in neurodegenerative diseases. Publications highlight mechanisms of mutant huntingtin propagation, inflammatory signaling via IKK/NF-kappaB pathways, and microbiota modulation of HD symptoms in Drosophila and mouse models.

Current research directions include:

• Elucidating proteotoxic mechanisms in HD
• Developing novel therapeutic antibodies
• Exploring gut-based interventions for neurodegeneration