About Me

I am a medical doctor and researcher with a passion for advancing knowledge in clinical epidemiology, cancer research, and surgical sciences. With years of diverse experience, my journey has been defined by academic distinction, innovative research, and impactful contributions to improve public health and patient outcomes.

Education

I hold a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where I conducted my thesis on the clinical characteristics of benign vocal fold lesions. Complementing my clinical training, I completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) training at Iran University of Medical Sciences, with my thesis focusing on the global assessment of breast cancer epidemiology and quality of care.

Professional Experience

Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cao Lab, at Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, collaborating on cutting-edge research on cancer epidemiology and surgery. I also contribute to the academic activities as a Teaching Assistant in Intermediate Clinical Epidemiology Course as a part of the Master of Population Health Sciences program, guiding students in applying statistical methods to complex survey data and statistical analysis of clinical data.

Previously, I held the Research Data Analyst role in the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, where I specialized in data analysis of clinical cohort studies and biomarkers research, and as a Research Fellow in the Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, leading numerous projects on epidemiology, clinical research, Global Burden of Disease, and public health.

Key Skills

I have extensive experience and skills in epidemiology and clinical research, including scientific writing and manuscript preparation, systematic literature search and review, and grant and research proposal development. My work involves designing and conducting a wide range of studies, including observational studies (cross sectional, case-control, cohort), complex survey based research, electronic health record (EHR) studies, clinical outcomes studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). I am also experienced in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

My methodological expertise includes large-scale data management and advanced statistical analysis, such as survey-weighted analysis, trend analysis, regression modelling, prediction modelling, survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and meta-analysis. I primarily code in R and also use SQL, Unix, SPSS, Stata, and Python for data analysis and computational research, with experience in reproducible research tools such as R Markdown, Quarto, GitHub, and Shiny applications (see some codes repositories for published research papers on my GitHub). In addition, I have experience with research administration and data governance processes, including IRB applications, data use and transfer agreements, and access to large cohort and biobank datasets.

Research Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of clinical epidemiology and surgery, with a focus on cancer prevention, early detection, and outcomes research. Currently, I am dedicated to studying gastrointestinal cancers, leveraging large datasets and real-world evidence to address emerging questions in cancer epidemiology trends.

Achievements

  • Ranked 1st in the MPH entrance exam, Iran University of Medical Sciences.
  • Awarded the Iranian exceptional scholars researcher program award

Collaborations

Volunteer Activities

In addition to my academic pursuits, I am committed to community health. As a volunteer health educator, I am actively participating in programs to promote cancer preventive health behaviors via increasing cancer awareness and screening.

Beyond Work

When not in the lab or classroom, I enjoy travelling, jogging, biking, swimming, exploring new cuisines by cooking, and watching movies (my favorite genre: post-apocalyptic movies and fiction series).

Connect with Me

I welcome connections through the social and academic platforms linked on top of the website and to reach out via email for communications. I do my best to respond timely (usually in a few hours) and am always open to collaborations and discussions about my research and academic journey. I also look forward to learning from you and hearing your story.