Shokrollah Elahi, University of Alberta

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Alberta profile.

Breast Cancer Immunotherapy Cancer Progression Hiv Immune Checkpoints Inhibitory Receptors Rna Sequencing T Cell Exhaustion

Latest papers

Immune regulation by erythroid cells: how erythroid progenitor cells and mature red blood cells shape immunity.
Nature reviews. Immunology · 2026 · first author
Distinct T and innate-like lymphocyte reprogramming following lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent C. difficile infection.
Gut microbes · 2026
Single-cell analysis reveals immune remodeling of monocytes, NK cells, T cell exhaustion, and Galectin-9-associated depletion of gamma delta and mucosal-associated invariant T cells in Long COVID with ME/CFS.
Frontiers in immunology · 2026 · senior author

All 86 publications

Latest funding

Decoding Long COVID in women: Immunological mechanisms and clinical implications
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$1,040,400
Investigating the role of erythroid progenitors in the progression of triple-negative breast cancer
CIHR · 2024 · Supervisor
$120,000
Understanding the mechanism of protective immunity against HIV-infection
CIHR · 2023 · Supervisor
$270,000

All 17 grants and awards

86 publications.

01

Immune regulation by erythroid cells: how erythroid progenitor cells and mature red blood cells shape immunity.

Elahi S

Nature reviews. Immunology2026First author

DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01303-4 PMID: 42086867

02

Distinct T and innate-like lymphocyte reprogramming following lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent C. difficile infection.

Gao Y, Shahbaz S, Elahi S, Monaghan TM, LFMT vs LSFF consortium, Kao D

Gut microbes2026

DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2026.2620127 PMID: 41574864

03

Single-cell analysis reveals immune remodeling of monocytes, NK cells, T cell exhaustion, and Galectin-9-associated depletion of gamma delta and mucosal-associated invariant T cells in Long COVID with ME/CFS.

Shahbaz S, Bozorgmehr N, Rahmati A, Abouda A, Syed H, Osman M, Elahi S

Frontiers in immunology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1745933 PMID: 41822518

04

Soluble CD14 promotes Th17 expansion and differentiation through gamma-aminobutyric acid and expands infidel innate lymphoid cells.

Shahbaz S, Rahmati A, Syed H, Elahi S

PNAS nexus2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf406 PMID: 41522693

05

Dectin-1 signaling promotes Galectin-3 shedding and expansion of immunosuppressive CD71+ erythroid cells in breast cancer.

Azimi A, Rahmati A, Shahbaz S, Elahi Z, Zahiriabyaneh A, Cao J, Padua EL, Church C, Alimo ET, Lavasanifar A, Walker J, Elahi S

Oncoimmunology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2026.2682649 PMID: 42228003

06

Erythroid-hormonal axis in long COVID.

Elahi S

Trends in molecular medicine2026First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2026.04.006 PMID: 42086409

07

Blood transcriptomic analyses do not support SARS-CoV-2 persistence in patients with post-COVID-19 condition with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rahmati A, Shahbaz S, Osman M, Tervaert JWC, Elahi S

The Lancet. Microbe2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.101012 PMID: 39489900

08

Integrated immune, hormonal, and transcriptomic profiling reveals sex-specific dysregulation in long COVID patients with ME/CFS.

Shahbaz S, Osman M, Syed H, Mason A, Rosychuk RJ, Cohen Tervaert JW, Elahi S

Cell reports. Medicine2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102449 PMID: 41205594

09

Galectin-3 regulates erythropoiesis and enhances the immunoregulatory properties of CD71+ erythroid cells across developmental stages.

Elahi S, Elahi Z, Bozorgmehr N, Rosero EP, Rahmati A, Abouda A

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)2025First author

DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf020 PMID: 40119673

10

Polyfunctional CD8+CD226+RUNX2hi effector T cells are diminished in advanced stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Rezaeifar M, Shahbaz S, Peters AC, Gibson SB, Elahi S

Molecular oncology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13793 PMID: 39777847

Decoding Long COVID in women: Immunological mechanisms and clinical implications

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Long Covid

$1,040,400

Investigating the role of erythroid progenitors in the progression of triple-negative breast cancer

SupervisorCIHR2024Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Rahmati, Amirhossein

Keywords: Artemin; Cd71+ Erythroid Cells (Cecs); Extramedullary Erythropoiesis; Flow Cytometry; Immunosuppression; Red Blood Cell Progenitors; Single-Cell Rna Sequencing; Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (Tnbc); Tumor Metastasis; Tumor Microenvironment

$120,000

Understanding the mechanism of protective immunity against HIV-infection

SupervisorCIHR2023CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award - HIV/AIDS and STBBI

Principal investigators: Shahbaz, Shima

Keywords: Hiv-1 Infection; Long-Term Non-Progressors (Ltnps); Protective Immunity

$270,000

Erythroid progenitors and precursors impair tumor immunogenicity and promote tumour progression in breast cancer

Nominated PICIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Cancer Immunology; Cancer Progression

$749,700

MUC16 (CA125) mutations promote fibrosis and autoimmunity in systemic sclerosis

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Osman, Mohammed S; Gniadecki, Robert

Keywords: Autoimmunity; Fibrosis; Genomic Mutations; Mutations; Systemic Sclerosis

$730,576

Erythroid progenitors and precursors impair tumor immunogenicity and promote tumour progression in breast cancer

Nominated PICIHR2023Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Immunotherapy

$100,000

MUC16 (CA125) mutations promote fibrosis and autoimmunity in systemic sclerosis

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Pro. Gr. - PA: Inst. of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis: IMHA Mandate Areas

Principal investigators: Osman, Mohammed S; Gniadecki, Robert

Keywords: Autoimmunity; Fibrosis; Genomic Mutations; Mutations; Systemic Sclerosis

$100,000

Erythroid progenitors and precursors impair tumor immunogenicity and promote tumour progression in breast cancer

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Erythroid Precursors And Progenitors; Tumor Metastasis

$100,000

CD71+ erythroid cells impair tumor immunogenicity and promote tumor progression

Nominated PICIHR2020CIHR - ICR / Cancer Research Society Partnership - Research Grants

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Cancer Progression; Immunosuppression

$60,000

Deciphering immune responses in COVID-19 patients to identify immune correlates of protection and susceptibility for targeted therapeutics

Nominated PICIHR2020Operating Grant: COVID-19 - Project Grant

Principal investigators: Elahi, Shokrollah

Keywords: Covid-19; Immune Correlates Of Infection; Sars-Cov-2 Infection; Viral Pathogenesis

$1,071,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Medicine
Mike Petryk School of Dentistry
Dentistry
Pediatrics
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Other

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Breast Cancer Dear Professor Elahi, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Immune regulation by erythroid cells: how erythroid progenitor cells and mature red blood cells shape immunity." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Decoding Long COVID in women: Immunological mechanisms and clinical implications" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Shokrollah Elahi

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Immune regulation by erythroid cells: how erythroid progenitor cells and mature red blood cells shape immunity.

Distinct T and innate-like lymphocyte reprogramming following lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent C. difficile infection.

Single-cell analysis reveals immune remodeling of monocytes, NK cells, T cell exhaustion, and Galectin-9-associated depletion of gamma delta and mucosal-associated invariant T cells in Long COVID with ME/CFS.

Soluble CD14 promotes Th17 expansion and differentiation through gamma-aminobutyric acid and expands infidel innate lymphoid cells.

Dectin-1 signaling promotes Galectin-3 shedding and expansion of immunosuppressive CD71+ erythroid cells in breast cancer.

Erythroid-hormonal axis in long COVID.

Blood transcriptomic analyses do not support SARS-CoV-2 persistence in patients with post-COVID-19 condition with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Integrated immune, hormonal, and transcriptomic profiling reveals sex-specific dysregulation in long COVID patients with ME/CFS.

Galectin-3 regulates erythropoiesis and enhances the immunoregulatory properties of CD71+ erythroid cells across developmental stages.

Polyfunctional CD8+CD226+RUNX2hi effector T&#xa0;cells are diminished in advanced stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Frequent collaborators

Shima Shahbaz

Mohammed Osman

Khaled Barakat

Volker Gerdts

Michael Houghton

Arno Siraki

Maria Febbraio

Pallavi Parashar

Andrew Mason

Daniel Graf

Sabrina Hoa

Liang Li

Robert Gniadecki

Carter Thorne

Carrie Ye

Sabrina Hoa

Grace Lam

Janet Pope

Dina Kao

Jens Walter

Antoine Dufour

Lori West

Afsaneh Lavasanifar

Margaret Larche

Murray Baron

Karen Madsen

David Proud

Polyfunctional CD8+CD226+RUNX2hi effector T cells are diminished in advanced stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.