Natik Piri

Natik Piri is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and serves as Director of the Molecular Biology of Retinal Ganglion Cells laboratory at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. His research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms driving retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis in glaucoma and identifying novel RGC-expressed genes for therapeutic intervention.

• Primary Affiliation: Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
• Research Focus: Gene expression patterns, proteomic technologies, and molecular biology to study RGC death and survival in glaucoma.
• Key Techniques: DNA microarrays, biochemical assays, and genetic models.

Dr. Piri’s recent work examines oxidative stress, autophagy, and Rbfox1/2 gene modulation in RGCs, with implications for neuroprotective therapies. Trends in his publications include:

• Investigations into gene regulation (e.g., Rbfox1/2, Sp1-binding sites)
• Protein interactions (e.g., Nell2-Macf1, thioredoxins)
• Neurodegenerative pathways in optic neuropathies
• Therapeutic targets like celastrol and crystallins