Mehdi Jorfi, PhD

Brief Biography

Dr. Jorfi is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Fribourg in 2014. He then completed his postdoctoral work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mass General Hospital. As a postdoc and later an instructor at Mass General Hospital, Dr. Jorfi studied neuroimmune interactions in Alzheimer’s disease. He is currently a faculty member at the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, where his work focuses on the interplay between peripheral immune cells and neurodegeneration. His lab employs multicellular engineered living systems as human surrogates to model components of the human immune system and gain insights into the neuroimmune mechanisms in neurological diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. His research aims to elucidate important signaling between brain cells and the immune system and how these are perturbed in chronic neurological diseases. Dr. Jorfi is the recipient of several grants, including NIH R01 grants and Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, as well as multiple awards, such as the honorary Faculty Science Prize.

Research Summary

Over one billion people worldwide are affected by neurological diseases, regardless of age, sex, education, or income. The interplay between the brain and the immune system plays a critical role in the neuropathology of many of these debilitating conditions. However, the precise mechanistic underpinnings still need to be discovered. This intricate communication between the nervous and immune systems can have beneficial or detrimental impacts on brain function, depending on the context. It is thus crucial that we understand the biological mechanisms that give rise to these divergent outcomes. The Jorfi Lab is at the nexus of neuroscience, immunology, and engineering. We develop multicellular engineered living systems as human surrogates to model components of the human immune system and delve into the mechanisms underlying neural-immune crosstalk in neurological diseases, primarily focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Leveraging a multidisciplinary approach, the Jorfi Lab combines molecular and cellular biology, neuroimmunology, multicellular engineered living systems, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling, and functional approaches to reveal fundamental neuroimmune interactions and inspire new therapeutics for patients with neurological conditions.

Education

PhD, University of Fribourg, 2014

Research Thrusts

Neuroscience and Behavior

Publications

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