Shabana A Ali, PhD

Titles

Assistant Scientist

Biographical Statement

Dr. Shabana Amanda Ali is an Assistant Scientist in the Bone & Joint Center at Henry Ford Health whose research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases. Her work integrates molecular biology, genomics and translational research to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets that can improve the early detection, prevention and treatment of degenerative joint disorders.

Dr. Ali earned her doctoral degree in medical science from the University of Toronto (2014). She then completed postdoctoral fellowships at Western University (2017) and University Health Network in Canada (2019). Throughout her career, she has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams investigating osteoarthritis from bench to bedside. Her research combines laboratory-based discovery with patient-centered and population health approaches to better understand how musculoskeletal conditions develop and progress.

At Henry Ford Health, Dr. Ali leads studies aimed at advancing precision medicine approaches for osteoarthritis through the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Her work has contributed to the growing understanding of microRNA regulation in joint disease and supports the development of innovative treatments designed to improve outcomes and quality of life for individuals living with arthritis. Among recent discoveries, her team demonstrated a key microRNA is responsible for regulating angiogenesis to impact outcomes in knee osteoarthritis (Wilson et al., 2025, Nature Communications). 

Research Interests 

• Osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal disease
• Sequencing and bioinformatics 
• Genetics and epigenetics (microRNA biology)
• Biomarker discovery and precision medicine
• Translational research

Email: sali14@hfhs.org