Mohamad Ali Najia bio photo

Mohamad Ali Najia

I am a bioengineer passionate about creating molecular technologies to understand biology, and ultimately, to improve human health. My research centers on understanding how stem cells make cell fate decisions in order to generate specific immune cells in a culture dish for potential adoptive cell therapies. I earned a PhD from the Health Sciences & Technology program at MIT under the mentorship of George Daley and Paul Blainey. Outside the lab, I enjoy sailing on the Charles River, hiking, baking, woodworking, and gardening.

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My Presentations

Conference Talks

  • Transposable elements regulate natural killer cell development
    NHLBI Progenitor Cell Research and Translation Meeting, Bethesda, MD (March 2023).

  • Transposable element regulation of hematopoietic lineage decisions
    Gene Regulation Keystone Meeting, Santa Fe, NM (June 2022).

  • Chromatin accessibility dynamics of endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition
    NIH Progenitor Cell Transitional Consortium Annual Meeting, Boston, MA (September 2019).

  • Mobile anticoagulation monitoring technologies for low-resource settings
    MIT Global Startup Workshop, Bangkok, Thailand (March 2018).

  • Live-cell transcriptomics via virus-like particles
    NIH Single Cell Analysis Program Meeting, Bethesda, MD (June 2017).

  • Sanviato: A mobile platform for anticoagulation monitoring in low-resource settings
    Bay Area Global Health Innovation Challenge, Berkeley, CA (May 2017).

  • Mobile technologies for anticoagulation monitoring
    IDEA2 Global Final Pitch Competition, Cambridge, MA (January 2017).

  • Single-crystal ultrasound guided, noninvasive assessment of jugular venous pressure
    MIT 2.75 Medical Device Design Symposium, Cambridge, MA (December 2016).

  • A Simultaneous Cutting & Stapling Surgical Instrument to Correct Drooping Eyelids
    14th Annual International Summer School on Biocomplexity, Biodesign, and Bioinnova, Izmir, Turkey (June 2015).

  • Temperature-dependent developmental variation within wild strains of D. melanogaster
    Amgen Scholars Symposium, Berkeley, CA (August 2014).

  • Biomanufacture of Embryonic Stem Cell Phenotype and Trophic Factor Secretion via Alginate Microencapsulation
    5th US-Turkey Advanced Study Institute on Global Healthcare Challenges, Antalya, Turkey (June 2014).

  • Allele-Specific DNA Methylation and Monoallelically Expressed Genes
    ACC Meeting of the Minds Undergraduate Research Conference, Pittsburgh, PA (April 2014).

  • Alginate Microencapsulation Technology for Paracrine Factor Secretion and Phenotypic Modulation of Embryonic Stem Cell Aggregates
    12th Annual International Summer School on Biocomplexity & Biodesign, Istanbul, Turkey (June 2013).

  • Stem Cell Engineering for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Applications
    The Triple Helix 9th Annual International Conference, Boston, MA (February 2013).

  • Hypoxic Conditioning and Alginate Microencapsulation Modulate Stem Cell Phenotype and Factor Secretion
    Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA (October 2012).

  • Influencing Encapsulated Stem Cell Factor Secretion Through Hypoxic Conditioning
    Society of Engineering Science 49th Technical Meeting, Atlanta, GA (October 2012).

  • Sustainable Development and Volunteerism in Developing Countries
    Global Health and Humanitarian Summit, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (April 2010).

Invited Seminars

  • Genome-wide maps of enhancer-gene regulation implicate transposable elements in NK development
    Broad Institute Cell Circuits and Epigenomics Seminar Series, Cambridge, MA (May 2022).

  • Transposable element regulation of hematopoietic lineage decisions
    Boston Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Seminar Series, Boston, MA (March 2022).

  • Epigenetic interrogation of endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition reveals regulators of lymphoid commitment
    Boston Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Seminar Series, Boston, MA (June 2021).

  • Chromatin accessibility dynamics of human endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition
    Boston Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Seminar Series, Boston, MA (April 2019).

  • Multi-way ANOVA and Nested Design with Biomedical Applications
    BMED 2400: Introduction to Bioengineering Statistics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (March 2013).

  • Multiway ANOVA: Interactions, Multiple Comparisons, and Biomedical Applications
    BMED 2400: Introduction to Bioengineering Statistics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (November 2011).

Posters

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Deepak Jha, Cheng Zhang, Alaa Ali, Arianna Markel, Hu Li, Rizwan Romee, Paul Blainey, George Daley
    Transposable elements regulation of hematopoietic lineage decisions. NHLBI Progenitor Cell Research and Translation Meeting, Bethesda, MD (March 2023).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Deepak Jha, Cheng Zhang, Alaa Ali, Arianna Markel, Hu Li, Rizwan Romee, Paul Blainey, George Daley
    Transposable element regulation of hematopoietic lineage decisions. Gene Regulation Keystone Meeting, Santa Fe, NM (June 2022).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Deepak Jha, Cheng Zhang, Alaa Ali, Arianna Markel, Hu Li, Rizwan Romee, Paul Blainey, George Daley
    Transposable element regulation of hematopoietic lineage decisions. International Society of Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting 2022, San Francisco, CA (June 2022).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Caroline Kubaczka, Ran Jing, Deepak Jha, Paul Blainey, George Daley
    Epigenetic modulation enhances lymphoid fates from induced pluripotent stem cells. International Society of Experimental Hematology, Virtual conference (August 2020).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Caroline Kubaczka, Ran Jing, Deepak Jha, Paul Blainey, George Daley
    Chromatin accessibility dynamics of human endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition. Fourteenth Annual Harvard Stem Cell Institute Retreat, Boston, MA (May 2019).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Jacob Borrajo, George Daley, Paul Blainey
    Live-cell transcriptomics via virus-like particles. MIT Biophysics Retreat, North Falmouth, MA (September 2017).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Jacob Borrajo, George Daley, Paul Blainey
    Live-cell transcriptomics via virus-like particles. NIH Single Cell Analysis Program Meeting, Bethesda, MD (June 2017).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Jacob Borrajo, George Daley, Paul Blainey
    Repurposing retroviral machinery to enable live-cell transcriptomics in mammalian cells. Harvard Stem Cell Institute Retreat, Cambridge, MA (May 2017).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Drew Padilla, Jacklyn Borinski
    A Simultaneous Cutting and Stapling Surgical Device to Correct Drooping Eyelids. Southeastern Medical Device Association Conference, Atlanta, GA (March 2015).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Steven Kuntz, Michael Eisen
    Temperature-dependent developmental variation within wild strains of D. melanogaster. Amgen Scholars Symposium, Berkeley, CA (August 2014).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Jenna Wilson, Todd McDevitt
    Decapsulation of Alginate-Poly-L-lysine Microcapsules via Sodium Carbonate. Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (September 2013).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Jenna Wilson, Todd McDevitt
    Influencing Encapsulated Stem Cell Factor Secretion Through Hypoxic Conditioning. National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Meeting, Boston, MA (November 2012).

  • Mohamad Ali Najia, Barbara Nsiah, Todd McDevitt
    Combinatorial Stimulatory Cues for Growth Factor Synthesis within an Embryoid Body via Hypoxia and Heparin Gelatin Microparticles. 7th Annual Georgia Institute of Technology Undergraduate Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA (April 2012).