Dr. Ramadan Ali, a Research Assistant Professor, joined the Michigan Medicine Division of Rheumatology in 2017 for postdoctoral research. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toledo and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry.
Dr. Ali's research focuses on understanding the pathogenic role of neutrophils and NETs in various thromboinflammatory diseases, such as anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), lupus, and systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), and on identifying potential therapeutic targets. He is also interested in plant-derived natural medicine and its anti-inflammatory effects in the context of these inflammatory diseases.

Neutrophils are potentially destructive white blood cells that release toxic products called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), sticky webs of DNA and proteins that have been shown to play a critical role in various autoimmune diseases. Dr. Ali is interested in restraining neutrophil hyperactivity and combating NET release (NETosis) in chronic thromboinflammatory diseases. He applies different approaches, including identifying a molecular target within neutrophils, repurposing FDA-approved drugs as a therapy, and testing natural compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties to ameliorate disease activities.

Research Area 1: To characterize adenosine A2A receptor signaling in neutrophils as a potential therapeutic target in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Activation of this pathway (which increases in cAMP concentration) inhibits neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation and thrombosis. This work reveals the importance of adenosine-cAMP axis signaling as an endogenous counterpoint to thrombiinflammatory disease, specifically its impact on lupus-relevant vascular disease and neutrophil activity.

Research Area 2: To characterize the anti-inflammatory effects of some natural compounds in the context of lupus and APS. In this work, we characterized the protective effect of ginger active compound (6 gingerol) or whole-ginger extract as an oral supplement in both autoimmune mice and healthy humans. We found that the administration of ginger reduces NETosis and attenuates other disease-relevant activities, such as autoantibody formation and large-vein thrombosis in autoimmune mice models while modulating neutrophil activity in healthy humans.

Research Area 3: Currently, Dr. Ali is focused on understanding the mechanisms of NETs release and their associations with vascular and fibrotic complications in scleroderma patients in the hope of guiding therapeutic decisions in the early stages of the disease.