Lydia Daboussi

Lydia Daboussi serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her interdisciplinary research bridges molecular cell biology and neuroscience with a focus on neural repair mechanisms and intracellular trafficking systems. Affiliations include UCLA's Neurobiology Department and active participation in neuroscience research consortia.

Her research spans neurobiology and molecular cell biology, specializing in Schwann cell responses to nerve injury, phosphoinositide signaling in membrane trafficking, and Golgi apparatus dynamics. Key investigations examine how transcription factors like Mitf regulate axonal integrity and nerve repair, alongside conserved mechanisms of clathrin-mediated transport at the trans-Golgi network using yeast and mammalian models. Her work integrates live-cell imaging, genetic analysis, and biochemical approaches to dissect fundamental cellular processes relevant to peripheral neuropathies.

Publication analysis reveals consistent contributions to high-impact journals including Cell Reports, PNAS, and Molecular Biology of the Cell, with recent emphasis shifting from foundational yeast trafficking studies toward translational neurobiology applications. Her 2023 work on Mitf-mediated nerve repair represents a significant pivot toward therapeutic neuroscience while maintaining molecular precision.

Dr. Daboussi actively mentors graduate students in neurobiology and cell biology programs, supervising research on nerve regeneration mechanisms and membrane trafficking pathways. While specific grant details aren't public, her publication record indicates sustained funding for interdisciplinary projects combining molecular genetics with neural repair studies.

Her laboratory focuses on Schwann cell-axon interactions and conserved membrane trafficking machinery, utilizing advanced imaging and genetic models to investigate nerve repair processes. Current work explores how phosphoinositide signaling interfaces with transcriptional regulation during peripheral nerve regeneration, positioning her lab at the intersection of basic cell biology and neural therapeutics.