Dr. Mohammadreza Yousefi is a dedicated neuroscientist with a strong academic background and extensive research experience in neurodegenerative disorders. He completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey, in July 2023. His doctoral research focused on investigating vascular functions and the roles of pericytes in an awake behaving model of induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. This work has significantly contributed to the understanding of microvascular functions and the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly within the context of Multiple Sclerosis.

Dr. Yousefi’s research fields encompass the study of neurovascular interactions in neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on understanding the roles of pericytes and vascular dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis and related disorders. He has developed expertise in utilizing advanced optical imaging techniques, such as Multi-Photon Microscopy (live animal imaging) and Confocal Microscopy, to explore these complex biological processes.

During his PhD, Dr. Yousefi was actively involved in two major TÜBİTAK-funded research projects:

TÜBİTAK 1001 Project
Title: Investigation of Pericytes and Cerebrovascular Functions in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis

TÜBİTAK 3501 Project
Title: Immunopathogenesis in Autoimmune Neurological Diseases and Immunological Parameters Related to Clinical Features

Prior to his PhD, Dr. Yousefi earned his M.Sc. in Microbial Biotechnology from Tabriz Medical University, in Tabriz, Iran. His master’s thesis explored the effects of cytoplasmic chaperone co-expression on the soluble expression of a humanized anti-CD20 single-chain antibody in E. coli, highlighting his early interest in molecular and cellular biology. He completed his undergraduate studies with a B.Sc. in Zoology – Biology from Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Yousefi has contributed to several publications; .

Mohammadreza Yousefi, Mehdi Dadashpour, Maryam Hejazi, Mohammad Hasanzadeh, Behzad Behnam, Miguel de la Guardia, Nasrin Shadjou, and Ahad Mokhtarzadeh. “Anti-bacterial activity of graphene oxide as a new weapon nanomaterial to combat multidrug-resistance bacteria.” Materials Science and Engineering: C (2017).

Bahman Akbari, Safar Farajnia, Shiva Ahdi Khosroshahi, Fatemeh Safari, Mohammadreza Yousefi, Hassan Dariushnejad, Leila Rahbarnia. “Immunotoxins in Cancer Therapy: review and update” International Reviews of Immunology (2017).

Mina Mamipour, Mohammadreza Yousefi, Mohammad Hasanzadeh.  “An Overview on Molecular Chaperones Enhancing Solubility of Expressed Recombinant Proteins with Correct Folding ” International journal of biological macromolecules (2017).

Mohammadreza Yousefi, Safar Farajnia, Ahad Mokhtarzadeh, Bahman Akbari, Shiva Ahdi Khosroshahi, Mina Mamipour, Hassan Dariushnejad, Vahideh Ahmadzadeh ” Soluble Expression of Humanized Anti-CD20 Single Chain Antibody in Escherichia coli by Cytoplasmic Chaperones Co-Expression” Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology (2018).

M Yousefi, M Mamipour, SE Sokullu, S Ghaderi, H Amini, R Rahbarghazi ” Toll‐like receptors in the functional orientation of cardiac progenitor cells ” Journal of cellular physiology (2019).

Mina Mamipour, Mohammadreza Yousefi, Alireza Dehnad, Yousef Faridvand, Reza Zarezadeh, Majid Khaksar, Ayda Pouyafar, Reza Rahbarghazi “Protective effect of bacterial lipase on lipopolysaccharide-induced toxicity in rat cardiomyocytes; H9C2 cell line ” Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Research (2020).

Hassan Amini, Shahriar Hashemzadeh, Morteza Heidarzadeh, Mina Mamipour, Mohammadreza Yousefi, Shirin Saberianpour, Reza Rahbarghazi, Mohammad Nouri, Emel Sokullu “Cytoprotective and cytofunctional effect of polyanionic polysaccharide alginate and gelatin microspheres on rat cardiac cells”. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2020).

Oncel, Ibrahim, Mohammadreza Yousefi, Asli Inci, Zumrut Arslan Gulten, Pelin Teke Kisa, Meryem Karaca, Özlem Ünal et al. “Investigating myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in hereditary citrullinemia.” Medical Hypotheses (2022): 110781.

Solmaz I, Doran T, Yousefi M, Konuskan B, Oncel I, Vural A, Anlar B. “Frequency of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis”. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 2022 Dec 1; 68:104097.

Eroglu-Ertugrul NG, Yousefi M, Pekgül F, Doran T, Günbey C, Topcu M, Oguz KK, Ozkara HA, Vural A, Anlar B. “Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in genetic leukodystrophies”. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 2022 Jun 10:577916.

Sarıkaya Uzan G, Vural A, Yüksel D, Aksoy E, Öztoprak Ü, Canpolat M, Öztürk S, Yıldırım Ç, Güleç A, Per H, Gümüş H, Okuyaz Ç, Çobanoğulları Direk M, Kömür M, Ünalp A, Yılmaz Ü, Bektaş Ö, Teber S, Aliyeva N, Olgaç Dündar N, Gençpınar P, Gürkaş E, Keskin Yılmaz S, Kanmaz S, Tekgül H, Aksoy A, Öz Tuncer G, Acar Arslan E, Tosun A, Ayanoğlu M, Kızılırmak AB, Yousefi M, Bodur M, Ünay B, Hız Kurul S, Yiş U. Pediatric-Onset Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy: A Multicenter Study. Pediatr Neurol. 2023.

In recognition of his contributions to the field, Dr. Yousefi has received various awards, including a prestigious visiting short-term PhD scholarship at LMU Munich, awarded by the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS).

Dr. Yousefi continues to be deeply committed to advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases through his ongoing research efforts.