Research links
- http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rlaghaer/index.html
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rozita_Laghaei/contributions
- https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-events/2020/1005_grant-improves-nerve-muscle-comm-psc.html
Current Research
My research focuses on using numerical and analytical techniques to understand chemical, physical, and biological phenomena. I use MCell modeling approach (http://www.mcell.org) to model frog and mouse synapses. We study the structural organization of active zones (AZs), particularly the density and organization of VGCCs with respect to release sensors on synaptic vesicles to better understanding of neuromuscular diseases.
The neuromuscular junction is a reliable synapse in which reliability derives from the summed activity of numerous unreliable elements, each consisting of a synaptic vesicle and associated voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs). We use a combination of electrophysiological recording and MCell computer modeling to examine structure-function relationships, the disease Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) which is an autoimmune disease, and novel LEMS treatment strategies.
Other Projects
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rlaghaer/research.html
Publications
See My NCBI publications for publications relevant to biology.
26. The Frog Motor Nerve Terminal Has Very Brief Action Potentials and Three Electrical Regions Predicted to Differentially Control Transmitter Release
Scott P. Ginebaugh, Eric D. Cyphers, Viswanath Lanka, Gloria Ortiz, Evan W. Miller, Rozita Laghaei and Stephen D. Meriney. Journal of Neuroscience 29 April 2020, 40 (18) 3504-3516; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2415-19.2020
25. The Influence of Bond Angle on Thermophysical Properties of Three-Center Lennard-Jones Fluids: Computer Simulation and Theory.
Rozita Laghaei and Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad
Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie. https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2018-1199
24. Thermodynamic and transport properties of nitrogen fluid: Molecular theory and computer simulations.
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad and Rozita Laghaei .
Chemical Physics 506 (2018) 36-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemphys.2018.03.026
23. Transmitter release site organization can predict synaptic function at the neuromuscular junction.
Rozita Laghaei, Jun Ma, Tyler B. Tarr, Anne Homan, Lauren Kelly, Megha S. Tilvawala, Blake S. Vuocolo, Harini P. Rajasekaran, Stephen Meriney, Markus Dittrich
J. Neurophysiol. 2018 ;119(4):1340-1355 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00168.2017
22. The impact of spatio-temporal calcium dynamics within presynaptic active zones on synaptic delay at the frog neuromuscular junction.
Anne E Homan, Rozita Laghaei, Markus Dittrich, Stephen D. Meriney
J. Neurophysiol. 2018 ;119(2):688-699, https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00510.2017
21. Synergistic effects on calcium entry and transmitter release of a potassium channel blocker and a calcium channel gating modifier at the NMJ.
Laghaei R. Wu M. Puglionesi A. Tarr T. Dittrich M. Meriney SD. (2016) Society for Neuroscience.
20. Water and Ion Permeability of a Claudin Model: A Computational Study
Rozita Laghaei, Rob D. Coalson and Alan S. L. Yu
PROTEINS: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics 2016, 84(3), 305-315
19. Early Oligomerization Stages for the Non-Amyloid Component of Alpha-Synuclein Amyloid
Cindie Eugène, Rozita Laghaei and Normand Mousseau
J. Chem. Phys. 2014, 141, 135103
18. Calculation of Iron Transport through Human H-chain Ferritin
Rozita Laghaei,William Kowallis, Deborah G. Evans and Rob D. Coalson
J. Phys. Chem. A. 2014, 118, 7442-7453
17. Metal Binding Sites of Human H-chain Ferritin and Iron Transport Mechanism to the Ferroxidase Sites: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study
Rozita Laghaei, Deborah G. Evans and Rob D. Coalson
Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 2013, 81, 1042–1050.
16. Langevin Dynamics Simulation of 3D Colloidal Crystal Vacancies and Phase Transitions
Rozita Laghaei, Sanford A. Asher and Rob D. Coalson
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2013, 117, 5271–5279
15. Distinct dimerization for various alloforms of the Amyloid-beta protein: Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40(D23N)
Sébastien Côté, Rozita Laghaei, Philippe Derreumaux and Normand Mousseau
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2012, 116, 4043-4055
14. Structure and thermodynamics of amylin dimer studied by Hamiltonian-temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations
Rozita Laghaei, Normand Mousseau and Guanghong Wei
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2011, 115, 3146–3154
13. The Effect of Disulfide Bond on the Monomeric Structure of Human Amylin Studied by Combined Hamiltonian and Temperature Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Rozita Laghaei, Normand Mousseau and Guanghong Wei
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114 , 7071
12. Spontaneous formation of polyglutamine nanotubes with molecular dynamics simulations
Rozita Laghaei and Normand Mousseau
J. Chem. Phys. 2010, 132, 165102
11. Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Coarse-grained Proteins in Implicit Solvent
Yassmine Chebaro, Xiao Dong, Rozita Laghaei, Philippe Derreumaux and Normand Mousseau
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2008, 113, 267
10. Computational studies on thermodynamic properties, effective diameters, and free volume of argon using an ab initio potential
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad and Rozita Laghaei
J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 084510
9. Theoretical and computational investigations on thermodynamic properties, effective site diameters, and molecular free volume of carbon disulfide fluid
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad and Rozita Laghaei
J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 154505
8. Excluded volume in the generic van der Waals equation of state and the self-diffusion coefficient of the Lennard-Jones fluid
Rozita Laghaei, Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Byung chan Eu
J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124, 154502
7. Molecular theory of thermal conductivity of the Lennard-Jones fluid
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Rozita Laghaei, Byung chan Eu
J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124, 084506
6. Generic van der Waals Equation of State, Modified Free Volume Theory of Diffusion, and Viscosity of Simple Liquids
Rozita Laghaei, Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Byung chan Eu
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109, 5873
5. Modified Free Volume Theory of Self-Diffusion and Molecular Theory of Shear Viscosity of liquid Carbon Dioxide
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Rozita Laghaei, Byung chan Eu
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109, 8171
4. Statistical-mechanical theory of rheology: Lennard-Jones fluids
Rozita Laghaei, Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Byung chan Eu
J. Chem. Phys. 2005, 123, 234507
3. Pair Correlation Functions and the Self-Diffusion coefficient of Liquid in the Modified Free Volume Theory of Diffusion
Rozita Laghaei, Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Byung chan Eu
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109, 21375
2. Prediction of the thermophysical properties of pure neon, pure argon, and the binary mixtures neon-argon and argon-krypton by Monte Carlo simulation using ab initio potentials
Afshin Eskandari Nasrabad, Rozita Laghaei, Ulrich K. Deiters
J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 121, 6423
1. Calculation of Phase Equilibria of Quantum Gases at High Pressures
Rozita Laghaei
Universität zu Köln, Mathematische-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, 2003 urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-7455