School of Medicine
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Niloofar Taheri
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
BioDr. Niloofar Taheri is a postdoctoral researcher (MD, Inv) in the Mignot Lab at Stanford University, where she conducts research in sleep medicine and neuroimmunology. Her work has been recognized with Gold Medals at international invention competitions, including the IFIA Members’ Competition for developing a novel diagnostic and therapeutic approach to neurodegenerative disorders, and the 2025 American Innovation Exhibition (AIIE) in San Diego, where she received a Gold Medal and Special Prize for designing a medication to improve the treatment of brain metastases in breast cancer. Most recently, she won a Gold Medal at the 2025 Kaohsiung International Invention & Design Expo (KIDE), for a patent on a novel diagnostic method for the early detection of major depressive disorder (MDD).
She brings experience in clinical practice, co-founding an autoimmune society, and developing wet-lab models. She is also a verified peer reviewer for psychiatry and neuroscience journals. -
Xun Tu
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAs a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Erin Gibson’s lab, I am integrating my expertise in molecular signaling and systems neuroscience to study the role of OPCs in sleep. My interest in sleep has been further reinforced by observing the dramatic shifts in sleep architecture across developmental stages as a new parent, highlighting the necessity of sleep for neural refinement. My current research uses in vivo calcium imaging and closed-loop optogenetics to determine how OPC-neuron communication coordinates hippocampal sharp-wave ripples. By characterizing how aging blunts OPC responsiveness to sleep, I aim to identify novel strategies to preserve memory and promote healthy cognitive aging.
