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Omid Akbari

Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California
Dr. Akbari obtained his Ph.D. from Brigitta Stockinger’s laboratory in the Division of Molecular Immunology at the National Institute for Medical Research in UK. He performed postdoctoral work at Stanford University and in 2004 became Assistant Professor of Allergy and Immunology at Harvard Medical School. In 2008, Dr. Akbari joined the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, USC Keck School of Medicine, where he is currently Professor of Immunology. Dr Akbari’s research is focused on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms orchestrating the differentiation and function of innate and adaptive immune responses. Major areas of interest include: the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing the differentiation and function of regulatory T cells, dendritic cells and innate lymphoid cells and the potential roles these cells play in vaccination, autoimmunity, inflammation, cancer and infection.

Dr. Akbari is a recipient of several national and international grants and awards such as: American Lung Association fellowship award, the American Lung Association Research Grant, The Pharmacia award for the best research in the field of Immunology, Henning Loewenstein Research award for the excellent research in the field of Immunology. He is also a recipient of the Eleanor and Miles Shore prestigious grant from Harvard Medical School and several other grants from the National Institute of Health. He is currently serves as Associate Editor of several journals and also serves as a reviewer for several NIH and non-NIH study sections.

Iron fuels immune cells – and it could make asthma worse

May 15, 2024 07:52 am UTC| Health

Youve likely heard that you can get iron from eating spinach and steak. You might also know that its an essential trace element that is a major component of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from...

Economy

European Stocks Slide as Middle East War Fears and Rising Oil Prices Shake Markets

European shares extended their losses on Tuesday as a deepening global equity selloff rattled investors. Mounting concerns over a prolonged Middle East war and a sharp surge in oil prices fueled fears of higher inflation...

Gold Prices Surge for Fourth Day as Middle East Tensions and Strong U.S. Dollar Shape Market

Gold prices extended gains in Asian trading on Tuesday, marking a fourth consecutive session of advances as investors reacted to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Safe-haven demand remained strong,...

S&P Global Warns of Potential Downgrade for Berkshire’s PacifiCorp Over Oregon Wildfire Liabilities

SP Global has warned that it may downgrade PacifiCorp, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned utility, to junk status as mounting liabilities from Oregon wildfire lawsuits threaten its financial stability. The credit rating agency...

South Korea Manufacturing PMI Rises for Third Month on Strong Semiconductor Demand

South Koreas manufacturing sector continued its upward momentum in February, marking a third consecutive month of expansion as semiconductor demand fueled faster factory output. According to the latest SP Global survey,...

RBA Signals Possible March Rate Hike as Energy Risks Threaten Inflation Outlook

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock has signaled that the central bank could raise interest rates again as soon as its March 1718 meeting, even without waiting for first-quarter inflation data....

Politics

U.S. Military Strikes on Iran Complicate Xi-Trump Summit and Expose China’s Energy Risks

The recent U.S. military campaign against Iran has reshaped global geopolitics and placed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a difficult position ahead of a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump is expected...

Trump and Merz Meet at White House Amid Iran Strikes and Trade Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the White House on Tuesday for high-stakes talks centered on the Iran conflict, U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, rising tariff tensions, and Europes evolving...

Trump Says U.S.-UK Relationship Has Deteriorated After Starmer Hesitates on Iran Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump said the long-standing U.S.-UK relationship has weakened after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially declined to provide full military backing for American strikes against Iran. In an...

Israel Prepares Weeks-Long Military Campaign Against Iran Amid Escalating Air Strikes

Israel has prepared for a potential weeks-long military campaign against Iran, signaling a significant escalation in Middle East tensions. According to Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the...

Trump’s Iran Strikes Spark War Powers Clash in Congress

U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to authorize military strikes on Iran has ignited a heated debate in Congress over presidential war powers and constitutional authority. Republican lawmakers argue that the attack was...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

OpenAI and U.S. Defense Department Update Agreement to Clarify AI Usage Terms

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to update their existing agreement, reinforcing clear boundaries around how OpenAIs technology, including ChatGPT, can...

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Funding Round at $840 Billion Valuation Ahead of IPO

OpenAI has raised a record-breaking $110 billion in fresh funding, pushing the ChatGPT makers valuation to an impressive $840 billion. The massive investment round, backed by SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, highlights the...

U.S. Deploys Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, F-35 Jets and AI Tools in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran

The United States launched a sweeping military operation against Iranian targets under Operation Epic Fury, deploying advanced weaponry that included Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 and F/A-18 fighter...

Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules

Australias internet regulator has warned that search engines and app stores could be required to block artificial intelligence services that fail to implement age verification systems by an upcoming compliance deadline....

AWS Data Center in UAE Hit by Fire After Objects Strike Facility Amid Regional Tensions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed that one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a temporary power shutdown after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire. The incident occurred at...