Maruf Ali

Dr. Maruf Ali is an Associate Professor in Molecular and Structural Biology at Imperial College London's Department of Life Sciences, part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. He holds affiliations with the Centre for Structural Biology, Electron Microscopy Centre, and Membrane Biology. His research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of protein quality control during cellular stress, particularly in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Research interests include the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), ER stress signaling pathways, and therapeutic interventions targeting these mechanisms. His multidisciplinary approach combines structural biology, biochemistry, and cellular techniques to study proteins and complexes involved in ER stress responses. Notable affiliations include the Membrane Biology and Molecular Mechanisms of Disease groups.

His work explores how the UPR is activated and propagated, with implications for developing novel treatments for diseases linked to protein misfolding. Recent studies emphasize drug repurposing strategies targeting RSK4 to combat chemoresistance in cancers like lung and bladder cancer, as well as identifying key regulators of ER stress pathways such as IRE1 and PERK.

Laboratory activities are centered at the Ali Lab (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/ali-lab), where research integrates structural insights with functional studies to advance understanding of cellular stress responses and their therapeutic applications.