Mehdi Jorfi, PhD

Brief Biography

Mehdi Jorfi completed his Ph.D. in Neural Engineering at the University of Fribourg, was awarded the Faculty Science Prize for the best Ph.D. dissertation in Experimental Sciences. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, supported by a fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2016, he then went on to pursue postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. At Harvard, he became interested in leveraging new technologies in engineering to contribute to our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Jorfi joined the faculty at the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in 2019 with a joint appointment at the Mass General Center for Engineering in Medicine & Surgery.

Dr. Jorfi has authored over 25 publications and is co-inventor on three patent families. He has received several awards including the honorary Faculty Science Prize, HBSI Young Scientist Award, and Mass General Scientific Advisory Committee Distinction Award. Dr. Jorfi is a member of many professional societies and has been invited to give numerous talks and chair several symposiums at national and international conferences. He also serves on the editorial board of scientific journals and as a reviewer for over 20 peer-reviewed journals.

Research Summary

The Jorfi Lab encompasses a transdisciplinary team of scientists working at the intersection of neurobiology and engineering. Specifically, we are motived to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience through the invention of new technologies for a systematic experimental and comprehensive investigation of the brain. Our research enables us to apply a multipronged approach to study complex neurological diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Our work is accomplished through four integrated pillars:

1. Microphysiological Systems: Design and development of humanized microphysiological models (organs-on-chips) for systematic experimental investigation of the Alzheimer’s human brain and accelerating drug screening
2. Neuro-Immune Axis: Develop new strategies for engineering physiologically relevant neurons, neural tissue and their interactions with immune cells to explore the interface between the brain and immune system during Alzheimer’s disease
3. Genomics and Bioinformatics: Transcriptomic analysis of human Alzheimer’s brain cells to identify pathogenic signatures and uncover potential mechanisms involved in the disease condition
4. Minimally Invasive Approaches: Create next-generation of minimally invasive strategies, devices, and neural interfaces for diagnosis and intervention of neurological disorders

Success in tackling these multidisciplinary projects is enabled by the use of state-of-the-art technologies and tools (e.g., microfluidics), genetic engineering, neurobiology, genomics, and bioinformatics.

Education

• PhD, University of Fribourg, 2014

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 2019

Research Thrusts

• Cell Migration in Disease
• BioMEMs and Nanoscale Engineering
• Neuroscience and Behavior
• Cell and Genetic Engineering

Publications