Research/Areas of Interest:
Current research interests in his lab include investigating the role of lacrimal and salivary gland myoepithelial cells and the oxytocin signaling pathway in dry eye and dry mouth disease. Other areas of research investigate the role of the extracellular matrix and metalloproteinases in regulating the stem cell niche in the lacrimal and salivary glands as well as investigate the potential use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat Sjögren's syndrome dry mouth and dry eye disease.
Education
- Bachelor of Science, Hassan II University-Morocco, Morocco, 1987
- Master of Science, Paris-XI University, France, 1988
- Doctor of Philosophy, Paris-XI University, France, 1992
Biography
Driss Zoukhri received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry from Paris XI University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School. He held a faculty position at the Schepens Eye Research Institute before moving to Tufts University where he is a currently Professor of Comprehensive Care at the School of Dental Medicine and Professor of Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine. He is also the Director of the Dry Mouth and Dry Eye Research Laboratory at Tufts University. His research has been continuously funded by NIH/NEI and by several biotech companies interested in dry mouth and dry eye disease and Sjogren's syndrome. He has trained numerous students and fellows in the fields of ocular surface, lacrimal and salivary glands, aqueous tear secretion, and dry eye and dry mouth disease.