Novin Balafkan

Novin Balafkan is a Visiting Research Scientist at the Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University. His research focuses on mitochondrial biology, stem cell differentiation, and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying POLG mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological disorders. He has contributed to studies on mitochondrial DNA depletion in muscle diseases and developed methods for high-throughput differentiation of human iPSCs into functional cardiomyocytes. His work bridges genetics, cell biology, and clinical neurology, emphasizing translational applications in disease modeling and drug discovery.

Key research areas include understanding mitochondrial dynamics during mesoderm differentiation using human stem cell models, characterizing disease-specific phenotypes in iPSC-derived neural stem cells, and exploring the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease. His methodologies involve advanced cellular assays, genomic analysis, and collaboration with clinical datasets.

Publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to mitochondrial dysfunction, with a focus on translational research. Balafkan’s lab collaborations and affiliations at Yale emphasize collaborative, team-based science addressing fundamental questions in cellular and molecular medicine.