Navid Bavi

Navid Bavi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine. His research focuses on mechanobiology, bioengineering, and structural biology, with expertise in ion channels, lipid bilayer mechanics, and mechanosensory transduction. He holds a PhD from the Martinac Lab and has conducted postdoctoral training at the Poole Lab and Perozo Lab, where he earned a Chicago Fellowship.

His research integrates multi-scale modeling, cryo-electron microscopy, and patch-clamp electrophysiology to study force-from-lipids principles, Prestin motor proteins in hearing mechanisms, and mechanosensitive channels (e.g., MscS, PIEZO1). Notable projects include cryo-EM structural analysis of Prestin and investigations into substrate mechanics' influence on ion channel function.

Key contributions include elucidating lipid bilayer deformations in MscS channel gating, asymmetric effects of amphipathic molecules, and MyoD-family protein regulation of Piezo channels. His work bridges molecular mechanisms to in vivo physiology, with applications in hearing restoration and infectious disease diagnostics.

Professional awards include the Chicago Fellowship at the Perozo Lab (2018–present). He leads a lab dedicated to advancing mechanobiological understanding and translational applications.