Willayat Wani

Willayat Wani serves as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, specifically within the Movement Disorders division. His faculty appointment focuses on translational neuroscience research addressing neurodegenerative mechanisms.

Dr. Wani's research centers on molecular pathways in Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, with emphasis on protein aggregation, lysosomal dysfunction, and proteostasis failure. He employs advanced models including patient-derived iPSC neurons and in vivo systems to investigate pathological mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets, particularly exploring cellular stress responses and protein modification pathways.

Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals consistent investigation of neuroprotective mechanisms targeting α-synuclein pathology and lysosomal function. Key trends include therapeutic manipulation of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, cathepsin D-mediated clearance of amyloid-beta, and O-GlcNAc regulation of synaptic proteins, demonstrating a focused effort to bridge molecular discoveries with potential clinical interventions for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.