Sahin Naqvi

Sahin Naqvi is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Boston Children's Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding the quantitative control of gene expression in development and its implications for disease.

Dr. Naqvi completed his Ph.D. with David Page at the Whitehead Institute and MIT, where he studied the evolution of genetic and gene regulatory sex differences in mammals. He was a postdoctoral fellow with Joanna Wysocka and Jonathan Pritchard at Stanford University, using quantitative approaches to study transcriptional control in human variation and disease. He earned his A.B. at Princeton University, studying cell cycle regulation with James Broach and non-equilibrium receptor cooperativity with Ned Wingreen.

Dr. Naqvi's research program seeks to understand the quantitative control of gene expression in development and the resulting "tipping points" in disease. His lab combines functional genomics and computational modeling using stem cell-derived in vitro models of development, with a focus on "analog genomics" - the use of highly quantitative tools and approaches to study gene regulation. His research spans several key areas including cell type specificity of transcription factor dosage sensitivity, machine learning to decode gene regulatory mechanisms, expanding the scope and scale of quantitative perturbations, and understanding how TF dosage changes lead to cellular and morphological outcomes.

Analysis of Dr. Naqvi's recent publications reveals a strong focus on quantitative approaches to understanding gene regulation, particularly transcription factor dosage effects. His work integrates computational modeling with functional genomics to study craniofacial development, gene regulatory networks, and the genetic architecture of complex traits. A recurring theme is the application of precise quantitative methods to study what are often considered binary biological processes.

• K99 Pathway to Independence Award from NIDCR
• Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship
• OSSD New Investigator Award
• MIT Presidential Fellowship

Dr. Naqvi leads a research team that includes postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, and undergraduate students. His lab is actively recruiting at all levels and emphasizes building "a welcoming, inclusive, and intellectually engaging environment for training and mentoring." The lab welcomes scientists with a broad range of interests and expertise, including both experimental and computational biology.

The Naqvi Lab focuses on understanding quantitative gene expression control in development using stem cell-derived models, functional genomics, and computational approaches. Current projects investigate transcription factor dosage sensitivity across cell types, machine learning approaches to decode regulatory mechanisms, development of novel techniques for precise manipulation of protein levels, and understanding how quantitative changes in TF dosage lead to tissue-level phenotypes.