Abdelilah Majdoubi, PhD, completed his doctorate at the University of Montreal in Canada, working in the lab of Dr. Jacques Thibodeau. His doctoral research focused on investigating the molecular regulation of the immune response through ubiquitination. Specifically, he explored the role of the ubiquitin ligase March1 and used mice as a model system. His findings demonstrated that March1-mediated ubiquitination of MHC class II molecules is crucial for the efficient migration of monocyte-derived dendritic cells from the skin to the skin-draining lymph nodes. Furthermore, Dr. Majdoubi and his colleagues found that the ablation of the March1 gene exacerbates obesity-induced insulin resistance by affecting the metabolic activity of CD8+ T cells.
Building on this expertise, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Pascal Lavoie's lab at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he extended his research to human immunology by investigating the immune response to viral infections and vaccination in the context of studying COVID-19 disease. Currently, he is working in Dr. Brian Hafler's lab with the ultimate objective of using his in-depth knowledge and experience in immunology to contribute to a better understanding the role of immunity in neurodegenerative diseases like age-related macular degeneration. By applying his skills and patience in immunology, he aspires to make significant contributions toward unraveling the complex mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in age-related macular degeneration and advancing comprehension of the immune system's involvement.