Moayedi Lab
Assistant Professor
Molecular Pathobiology
433 1st Avenue, Room 704
New York, NY 10010
Office: 212—998-9708
Email: yalda.moayedi@nyu.edu
Biography
Yalda Moayedi received her PhD in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, where she researched the molecular genetics of retinal and cochlear development. During her graduate work, she identified Sfswap as a regulator of mammalian hair cell development. This research spurred her interest in mechanosensation. She joined Dr. Ellen Lumpkin’s laboratory at Columbia University as a postdoctoral researcher in 2014, where she investigated oral mechanosensory neurons. In 2020, she was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at Columbia University. In 2023, Yalda moved her lab to New York University to the Department of Molecular Pathobiology.
The primary research interest of the Moayedi laboratory is to understand the somatosensory neurons that innervate the oral cavity and upper airway, and how they contribute to oral functions including as flavor perception, food choice, feeding mechanics, airway defense, and speech. While it is well recognized that somatosensation is an important contributor to these daily tasks, little is known about the neurons and circuits that underlie them. Understanding this fundamental biology has far-reaching implications for developing new treatments for diseases of orofacial neurons including dysphagia, dysphonia, and cranial neuropathies. Her lab uses a combination of molecular biology, histology, physiology, functional imaging, and behavior to address these gaps in knowledge. Yalda is a recipient of the AChemS Polak Young Investigator Award and is a 2023 Kavli Fellow (National Academy of Sciences).
News
Vacancies
We are always seeking enthusiastic and talented undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, and postdocs to join our team. If you are excited about learning more about oral sensation, please reach out to Yalda (yalda.moayedi@nyu.edu) with your CV and cover letter expressing your interest in joining our group.