Amir Ata Saei

I am an assistant professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet. Previously junior group leader (SNSF Ambizione Fellow) with Michael N. Hall's Lab at Biozentrum (University of Basel), Switzerland. Alumnus of the Zubarev Lab at Karolinska Institutet and the Gygi Lab at Harvard Medical School.

Understanding the molecular basis of metabolic diseases has become critical for the development of next-generation therapeutic strategies. My research program lies at the intersection of chemical proteomics, metabolomics, and computational strategies to uncover the intricate interplay between metabolites, proteins, diet, and gut microbiota in different metabolic disease states. By developing and leveraging innovative tools—including the Proteome Integral Solubility Alteration (PISA) assay and the multifaceted PISA-REX platform—we provide unprecedented insights into protein expression, stability, and redox regulation, which will revolutionize our understanding of metabolite interactome, key biological processes, and disease mechanisms.
Combining advanced proteomics and classical biochemical approaches, we seek to identify and validate therapeutic targets and biomarkers in metabolic diseases. In our long view of our studies, these findings are meant to be translational in the area of precision therapies and diagnostics, enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life. As a hobby, we also continue developing proteomics techniques to answer questions of biomedical importance. Read more about our research at SaeiLab.com

Education

2014 - 2019: Ph.D. in Medical Science with Prof. Roman A. Zubarev (supervisor) and Prof. Thomas Helleday (co-supervisor) from Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute. Thesis: Molecular Mechanisms and Targets of New Anticancer Treatments
2015: Research School for Drug Discovery and Development, SciLifeLab, Sweden
2004 - 2010: Doctorate of Pharmacy from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Academic grants, honors and awards

2026: Cancer Research KI's Task Force Network Grant for 'The Cancer and Microbiome'

2026: The Swedish Brain Foundation Project Grant

2025: Novo Nordisk Excellence Emerging Investigator Grant – Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025 (17M SEK)

2025: Cancer Research KI BlueSky Grant

2024: KIRI Fellowship

2024: Cancerfonden Project Grant

2023: Swedish Research Council Starting Grant 

2023: Ambizione Fellowship from Swiss National Science Foundation (12M SEK)

2022: Karolinska Institutet Faculty Funded Assistant Professorship 

2019: Thermo Scientific Tandem Mass Tag Gold Award

Teaching proteomics, biology, metabolism, microbiome-related courses, cell biology and chemistry across four departments at Karolinska Institutet