Syed Ali
Senior Biomedical Research Scientist
Head, Neurochemistry Laboratory
Division of Neurotoxicology, HFT-132
National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, AR 72079
Adjunct Professor - Depts. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Neurology; andPharmacology & Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little
Rock, AR, and Dept. of Pharmacology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
Dr. Ali’s primary research focus is the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress and free radical-induced neurodegeneration and potential neuroprotective mechanisms of antioxidants. Dr. Ali has demonstrated that selective CNS-acting drugs, drugs of abuse, dietary supplements, environmental agents, pesticides, and organometals induce neurotoxicity by generating free radicals. Using different pharmacological and genetic approaches Dr. Ali’s laboratory has demonstrated that peroxynitrite is responsible in methamphetamine (METH)-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity. His laboratory utilizes the MPTP-mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to examine the neuroprotective role of nitric oxide inhibitors, protease inhibitors and selective dopaminergic agonists and antagonists. Dr. Ali’s laboratory uses a non-human primate model of PD in examining the use of a wireless sensor, to stimulate the subthalamic area to activate the dopamine system, as a potential treatment of PD