Montasir Elahi, D.Eng.
- Academic Title: Research Associate
- Primary Appointment: Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
- Email: montasir.elahi@som.umaryland.edu
- Location: 655 west Baltimore st
Education and Training
- PhD, Structural biology and Biophysics, Dept. of Life Science and Biotech., Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
- MS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- BS (Honors), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Biosketch
Dr. Montasir Elahi is a molecular neuroscientist whose research focuses on the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. His work integrates molecular biology, neuroscience, RNA biology, neuroimmunology, and translational disease modeling to understand how metabolic and environmental factors contribute to neurodegeneration.
Dr. Elahi received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, before earning a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology as a recipient of the prestigious Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. During his doctoral training, he solved the high-resolution crystal structure of dengue virus envelope protein domain III and investigated molecular mechanisms governing viral evolution and antibody recognition, making significant contributions to structural biology and protein science.
Following his doctoral studies, he joined Juntendo University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, where he completed postdoctoral training and subsequently served as Assistant Professor. His research focused on Alzheimer's disease, tauopathies, neuroinflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. He identified serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) as a critical molecular link between high-fat diet-induced metabolic disturbances and Alzheimer's disease-associated tau pathology. This landmark study, published in Human Molecular Genetics, demonstrated that SGK1 promotes tau pathology and cognitive impairment and was selected for the journal cover.
Since joining the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2021, Dr. Elahi has expanded his research into environmental and epigenetic factors driving neurodegeneration. His current work investigates how microplastic exposure, RNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), double-stranded RNA-mediated innate immune signaling, and metabolic dysregulation contribute to neuroinflammation and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, cerebral organoids, animal models, single-cell transcriptomics, and advanced molecular approaches, his research aims to identify novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Elahi has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and conference papers spanning Alzheimer's disease, tau biology, neuroinflammation, structural biology, and molecular neuroscience. His publications have accumulated more than 500 citations, with an h-index of 12
Research/Clinical Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, Tauopathy, metabolic dysregulation, Protein aggregation, RNA methylation, Neuroinflammation
Highlighted Publications
1. Montasir Elahi*, Irina Burd, Peixin Yang and Wei-Bin Shen- “Early Insulin Signaling Abnormalities and Oxidative Stress Responses in PS19 Tau Transgenic Mice”- * Corresponding author-(BioRxiv-https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.16.759692v2.abstract)
2. Montasir Elahi*, Wei-Bin Shen*, Guanglei Wang, Shicong Song, E. Albert Reece, Cheng Xu1, Bingbing Wang, Hangnoh Lee, Ivy Han, Dana Marie Roque, Peixin Yang* - Ferroptosis of selective progenitor cell types during embryogenesis ensures proper organ morphogenesis-* Corresponding author-BioRxiv (Ferroptosis of selective progenitor cell types during embryogenesis ensures proper organ morphogenesis | bioRxiv)
3. Daisuke Taniguchia, Shotaro Shimonakab,c, Ahmed Imtiazc, Montasir Elahia,c,e, Taku Hatanoa, Yuzuru Imaia,d,1, and Nobutaka Hattoria,c,d,1- Legmain/Asparaginyl endopeptidase-resistant tau fibril fold produces corticobasal degeneration-specific C-terminal tau fragment- Neurobiology of Disease-Neurobiology of disease, Volume 201,October , 2024
4. Ahmed Imtiaz; Shotaro Shimonaka; Mohamad Nasir Uddin; Montasir Elahi; Koichi Ishiguro; Masato Hasegawa; Nobutaka Hattori; Yumiko Motoi- “Selection of lansoprazole from an FDA-approved drug library to inhibit the Alzheimer’s disease seed-dependent formation of tau aggregates “- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience- March 2024
5. Wei-Bin Shen, Montasir Elahi*, Bingbing Wang, Min Zhan, Penghua Yang,and Peixin Yang “Oxidative Stress Kinase Activation and Impaired Insulin Receptor Signaling Precede Overt Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology”.*Equal contribution- Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, 90, no. 2, pp. 841-857, 2022 (Oxidative Stress Kinase Activation and Impaired Insulin Receptor Signaling Precede Overt Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology - IOS Press)
6. Montasir Elahi, Yumiko Motoi, Shotaro Shimonaka, Koichi Ishiguro, Yuzuru Imai, Nobutaka Hattori “Serum/Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinase 1 activated by high fat diet is involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease through the acceleration of Tau pathology”. Human Molecular Genetics- Volume 30, Issue 18, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab115, (Article Selected for the cover image and best article)- Volume 30 Issue 18 | Human Molecular Genetics | Oxford Academic (oup.com).
7. Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Montasir Elahi, Shotaro Shimonaka, Soichiro Kakuta, Koichi Ishiguro, Yumiko Motoi, Nobutaka Hattori “Strain-specific clearance of seed-dependent tau aggregation by lithium-induced autophagy”- Biochemical, biophysical research communication-BBRC Volume 543, 2021, Pages 65-71.
8. Tetsuo Hayashi; Shotaro Shimonaka; Montasir Elahi; Shin-Ei Matsumoto; Koichi Ishiguro; Nobutaka Hattori; Yumiko Motoi “Learning deficits accompanied by microglial proliferation after the long-term post-injection of Alzheimer’s brain extract in mouse brains”-Journal of Alzheimer’s disease- Vol. 79, no. 4, 2021, Pages 1701-1711.
9. Shotaro Shimonaka, Montasir Elahi, Shin-Ei Matsumoto, Koichi Ishiguro, Yumiko Motoi, Nobutaka Hattori “The Asn368 in the fourth repeat region of tau is a key residue to determine strain-specific tau aggregation in different tauopathies” -Journal of Biological Chemistry- Vol. 295, Issue 41, 2020, Pages 13996-14014
10. Sachiko Nakayama, Shotaro Shimonaka, Montasir Elahi, Kenya Nishioka, Yutaka Oji, Shin-Ei Matsumoto, Yuanzhe Li, Hiroyo Yoshino, Kaoru Mogushi, Taku Hatano, Takeshi Sato, Teikichi Ikura, Nobutoshi Ito, Yumiko Motoi, Nobutaka Hattori.” Tau aggregation and seeding analyses of two novel MAPT variants found in patients with motor neuron disease and progressive parkinsonism”.” Neurobiology of Aging”, Volume 84,2019, Pages 240-249
11. Aya Ikeda, Kenya Nishioka, Hongrui Meng, Masashi Takanashi, Tsuyoshi Inoshita, Kahori Shiba-Fukushima, Yuanzhe Li, Kei-ichi Ishikawa, Masato Hasegawa, Montasir Elahi, Manabu Funayama, Hideyuki Okano,Wado Akamatsu, Yuzuru Imai, Nobutaka Hattori “Mutations in CHCHD2 accelerate α-synuclein aggregation” -Human molecular Genetics- Volume 28, Issue 23, December 2019, Pages 3895–3911,
12. Monastir Elahi, Yumiko Motoi, Koichi Ishiguro, Nobutaka Hattori.” Serum/Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinase 1 (SGK1), Tau Pathology and Cognitive Dysfunction in High-Fat Diet-Fed Tauopathy Model Mice”.” Alzheimer’s and Dementia”, Volume 13, Issue 7,2017, Page 1504
13. Montasir Elahi, Hassan Zafrul, Yumiko Motoi, Shin-Ei Matsumoto, Koichi Ishiguro, Nobutaka Hattori (2015). “Region-specific vulnerability of Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Stress and Tau Hyperphosphorylation in Experimental Diabetes Mellitus mice” “Journal of Alzheimer’s disease (JAD)”- Volume 51 Number4, 2016, Pages 1209-1224, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150820, PMID:26923011(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26923011
14. Montasir Elahi, Yumiko Motoi, Shin-Ei Matsumoto, Zafrul Hasan, Koichi Ishiguro, Nobutaka Hattori (2015). “Short-term Treadmill Exercise Increased Tau Insolubility and Neuroinflammation in Tauopathy Model Mice”-Neuroscience letters- DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2015.11.010 Volume 610,January 2016, Pages 207–212, PMID: 26592481. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26592481)
15. Yuko Hara, Yumiko Motoi, Keigo Hikishima, Hirotaka Onoe, Shin-Ei Matsumoto, Montasir Elahi, Hideyuki Okano, Shigeki Aoki, Nobutaka Hattori,(2016) ”Selective Involvement of the Septo-hippocampal Fiber Tract and Upregulation of Acetylcholinesterase in Tauopathy model mice” Current Alzheimer’s Research. DOI: 2174/1567205013666160602235800, Volume 13, Issue 12, June 2016, Pages, PMID: 27335039,
16. Manjiri R. Kulkarni, Monirul M. Islam, Nobutaka Numoto, Montasir Elahi, Mamunur R. Mahib, Nobutoshi Ito and Yutaka Kuroda (2015) “Structural and biophysical analysis of sero-specific immune responses using epitope grafted Dengue ED3 mutants” Biochim Biophys Acta: Proteins and Proteomics.-DOI:10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.07.004, Volume 1854, Issue 10, October 2015, Pages 1438–1443 PMID: 26160751. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26160751)
17. Montasir Elahi, Monirul M. Islam, Keiichi Noguchi, Masafumi Yohda, Hiroyuki Toh, Yutaka Kuroda.(2014).“Computational prediction and experimental characterization of a “size switch type repacking” during the evolution of dengue envelope protein domain III (ED3)” “Biochim Biophys Acta: Proteins and Proteomics(BBA)”, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2013.12.013, Volume 1844, Issue 3, March 2014, Pages 585–592, PMID: 24373879.( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24373879 )
18.Montasir Elahi, Monirul M. Islam, Keiichi Noguchi, Masafumi Yohda, Yutaka Kuroda (2013). “High resolution crystal structure of dengue-3 envelope protein domain III (ED3) suggests possible molecular mechanisms for sero-specific antibody recognition. “Proteins: Structure function and Bioinformatics. DOI:10.1002/ prot. 24237,Volume 81, Issue 6, pages 1090–1095, June 2013, PMID: 23239402.( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23239402 )
19. Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Montasir Elahi*, Zabed Mahmud, Arzuba Akter, Nurnabi Azad Jewel, Md. Muzahidul Islam, Sabiha Ferdous “Intra-inter species protein interactions revealed the potential drug targets and the effective drug design for Escherichia coli O104:H4 C277-11 (Broad)”- (*Equal contribution and corresponding author) “In silico Pharmacology”- 2016 Dec;5(1):1. DOI: 10.1007/s40203-017-0021-5. Epub 2017 Apr 11, PMID: 28401513
Additional Publications
Book Editor
- Alzheimer’s disease-Montasir Elahi (Montasir Elahi | IntechOpen).
Community Service
- Editorial board member in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular and Cellular Pathology), Frontiers in aging Neuroscience (Loop | Montasir Elahi (frontiersin.org)
- Topic Editor- Rethinking Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease: From Therapeutic Lessons to Biomarker-Guided and Combination Strategies- Frontiers in aging Neuroscience
- Topic Editor- The Interplay Between Neuroinflammation and Cellular Stress in Aging and Neurodegeneration- Frontiers in aging Neuroscience