Sadri-Vakili Lab
Call: 617-724-1487
Email: gsadrivakili@mgh.harvard.edu
Overview
The Sadri-Vakili Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal vulnerability in neurodegenerative disease, with a primary focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD). Led by Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili, PhD, Kathy Garrett Endowed Chair in Neurology, the laboratory integrates human disease biology, experimental neuroscience, and computational approaches to identify disease-driving pathways and therapeutic targets.
Research in the laboratory combines analyses of human post-mortem tissue and patient biofluids together with patient-derived iPSC lines and in vivo models of neurodegeneration. These experimental platforms are complemented by AI-enabled multi-omics approaches developed in collaboration with investigators across Mass General Brigham, enabling systematic interrogation of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic alterations associated with disease progression.
Current research themes include:
- Tau biology and mechanisms of neuromuscular degeneration
- RNA dysregulation, including cryptic transcripts and gene-fusion events
- Neuroinflammatory and mitochondrial pathways contributing to neuronal dysfunction
- Biomarker discovery to support precision therapeutic development
- DNA damage and genetic modifiers
The laboratory is embedded within the translational ecosystem of the Healey & AMG Center for ALS and contributes to therapeutic target prioritization and precision-medicine trial initiatives.
Celebration of the Kathy Garrett Chair in Neurology, September 2025
Research Team
Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili, MS, PhD.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Sadri-Vakili is the Kathy Garrett Endowed Chair in Neurology. She serves as Scientific Advisor to the Healey & AMG Center for ALS, where she contributes to therapeutic evaluation, research strategy, and national and international program development. She previously served as the Associate Vice Chair for Research and the Director of Research Programs in the Neurology department at MGH. With over 18 years of experience in neurodegenerative disease research, she leads the Sadri-Vakili Lab, which focuses on defining the molecular mechanisms underlying ALS, Huntington’s disease, and related disorders. Her work integrates human biology with experimental models to identify therapeutic targets and evaluate novel and repurposed compounds in preclinical systems. Dr. Sadri-Vakili is an active leader in the scientific community, serving on multiple national review panels and mentoring initiatives, and was recognized with the Society for Neuroscience’s Louise Hanson Marshall Award for her contributions to advancing women in neuroscience.
Tiziana Petrozziello, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
Dr. Petrozziello’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on ALS. Her work integrates human post-mortem tissues, biofluids, and patient-derived models to identify disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets.
Adel Boudi, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
Dr. Boudi’s focus is on the mechanisms of transcriptomic instability in ALS, with a particular focus on RNA fusion formation. Prior to joining the laboratory, Dr. Boudi worked on other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease (HD), and developed expertise on biomarker development, human stem cell derived neuronal models, therapeutic strategies and glial pathology.
Eric Granucci, M.S.
Research Technician
Since joining the lab as a graduate student from 2015-2018, he has helped the team with understanding the cellular and molecular processes underlying ALS and Huntington’s disease.