Research Project (2023–2025): The inflammasome-pyroptosis axis in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders: Activation of gasdermin B in neural cells

Dr. Mahabadi completed a BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology, followed by an MSc in Genetics, in Iran. She moved to Canada in September 2015 and started a PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan, focusing on the role of cellular prion protein in the trafficking of GluA2-containing AMPARs to the neuronal lipid raft. Currently, Dr. Mahabadi is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Christopher Power’s laboratory, where her research focuses on a novel protein implicated in cell death in the nervous system. This protein is expressed in human glial cells and plays a critical role in the inflammasome/pyroptosis axis in the brain. It is highly induced in the brains of individuals with HIV-associated encephalitis. The aim of her project is to understand the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis in the HIV-1-infected brain. The findings from this project will enhance understanding of neuroinflammation mechanisms and have broader implications for comprehending and treating other neurovirological diseases (e.g., neuroCOVID) and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). So far, Dr. Mahabadi has contributed to one book chapter, one patent, and 14 papers.