Skip to main content
Funded Studies

Willayat Yousuf Wani, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Location: Chicago, IL United States

Dr. Willayat Yousuf Wani received his PhD in biochemistry from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India. He evaluated the role of PARP1 activation in organophosphate-induced neuronal cell death, and he explored the role of caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death pathways in neuronal cell demise. During his postdoctoral research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he investigated the role of glycosylation (O-GlcNAcylation) in autophagy and alpha-synuclein homeostasis. He showed that excessive O-GlcNAcylation is detrimental to neurons and it inhibits autophagy and increases alpha-synuclein accumulation. Currently at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Wani studies the role of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and glycosylation (N-glycosylation) in the protein aggregation and misfolding in neurons. He uses patient neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to model neurodegenerative disorders associated with the accumulation of alpha-synuclein, also called synucleinopathies.


Associated Grants

  • Enhancing N-glycosylation of Glucocerebrosidase and other Lysosomal Enzymes as a Disease Modifying Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

    2022


We use cookies to ensure that you get the best experience. By continuing to use this website, you indicate that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.