Radbod Darabi

Radbod Darabi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. He serves as Associate Director of the Institute of Muscle Biology and Cachexia, focusing on skeletal muscle regeneration using pluripotent stem cells for muscular dystrophies and injuries.

Education:

• M.D. from Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
• Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
• Postdoctoral Fellow in Stem Cell Biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA

Research Interests: His work centers on CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, multi-lineage stem cell differentiation, and bioscaffold-based therapies for volumetric muscle loss. His lab develops knock-in reporter systems to track myogenic differentiation and explores cellular interactions between iPSC-derived muscle and endothelial cells.

Scientific Trends: Recent publications highlight POGLUT1's role in muscle stem cells, CEP164 disruption in skeletal malformations, and single-nucleus transcriptomic analysis of XBP1 in myogenesis. His team also investigates hypoxia's impact on reprogramming and epigenetic regulations in cell therapy.

Scientific Awards:

• Jerold B. Katz Distinguished Professorship in Stem Cell Research (2019-2023)
• Marvin and Hadassah Bacaner Faculty Award (2012)
• Basic Science Research Award (2009, 2010)
• Top graduate honors (Ph.D. 2005, M.D. 1997)

Notable Contributions: Pioneered iPSC-based strategies for LGMDR21 correction, developed PAX7/MYF5 reporter lines, and demonstrated functional muscle regeneration from ES cells in dystrophic mice models.

Labs & Teams: Leads research at the Institute of Muscle Biology and Cachexia, collaborating with institutions like UT Southwestern and PLoS Genetics.