Biomedical Engineer Medical Device Disease and Infertility Diagnostics Expert

Expertise

• Biomedical engineer developing medical devices and products for early disease detection and infertility diagnostics.
• Develop microfluidic-based platforms from proof-of-concept through commercialization.
• Develop micro and nanotechnologies with application in medicine and biology.
• Expert in developing point-of-care biosensors for infectious diseases.
• Five years of experience in grant writing (NIH, NSF, DoD, Foundations) (R21, R01, SBIR, STTR).
• Worked with Human Leukemia, Breast, and Prostate Cancer Cell lines, Prostate Cancer Stem Cells, CD4 T lymphocytes, HIV-infected CD4 Cells, and HIV.
• Fifteen years of experience in project management.

Educator

• Research - development; microchip technologies with biosensing applications in medicine and biology, including paper-based microchips with flexible electrodes for virus detection, transparency paper microchips for CD4 cell capture and count, and microfluidics for sorting latently infected CD4 and B cells.
• Developed a mathematical model to accurately calculate the thermal and mechanical buckling of curved beams made of Functionally Graded Materials (FGM).
• Stem Cells, CD4 T lymphocytes, HIV-infected CD4 Cells, and HIV.

Experience

Undisclosed Institute, 2014 - Present

Instructor - Assistant Professor

• Conduct research on the development of a multiplexing paper microchip with printed microelectrodes integrated with an electrochemical biosensor cartridge for early kidney disease detection.
• Conduct research on engineering, fabricating, and characterizing a rapid (less than 30 minutes), sensitive (100 copies/mL), and inexpensive (less than $2 per test) graphene-modified paper microchip integrated with an electronic cartridge to detect nanoparticles and viruses in fingerprick whole blood and plasma.
• Conduct research on the development of a high throughput microfluidic platform to selectively sort and enrich latently viral infected T cells.
• Conduct research on the development of a cellphone-based microchip technology for male infertility diagnosis.
• Conduct research on the development of a microfluidic platform for sorting virus empty particles from genome-containing vectors to provide a more efficient manufacturing method for cell and gene therapy.

Harvard-MIT Division of Health, Sciences and Technology, Boston, MA, 2011 - 2014

Postdoctoral Fellow

• Developed an optical-based biosensing platform for viral load measurement using nanostructured photonic crystals.
• Engineered and developed a point-of-care microchip for rapid viral load measurement through electrical sensing of viral lysate.
• Designed and characterized a surface chemistry protocol for enhancing chip stability (up to 6 months) for CD4 capture in whole blood.
• Investigated the toxicity effect of carbon nanotubes on sperm viability and function using flow cytometry and a microfilter-based assay.
• Developed a smartphone application (hiVIVA) at MIT media lab for improving drug adherence in HIV patients on treatment.
• Conducted research on the development of a droplet-based microfluidic assay for single cell quantification of resting CD4 T cells. This platform involved droplet encapsulation of resting CD4 T cells, intra droplet lysis, PCR amplification of HIV RNA, fluorescent detection, and downstream DNA characterization from isolated droplets.
• Conducted research on the development of a microchip technology for early diagnosis of peritonitis infection in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis through quantification of neutrophils in peritoneal dialysate using lensless cell shadow imaging modality.
• Performed RT-qPCR and assay development tasks for efficient on-chip HIV capture and enrichment in whole blood.
• Performed DNA sequencing of HIV subtypes (A, B, C, D, E, G) to determine the sequence of gp120 envelope protein.
• Actively participated in writing R21, R01, DoD, SBIR, and STTR proposals as well as progress reports.

DxNow, Cambridge,MA, Senior Scientist Consultant, 2013 - 2014

• Engineered an automated biosensor prototype integrated with a lensless shadow imaging sensing modality to capture and quantify neutrophils in peritoneal dialysate samples for early detection of infection in patients using peritoneal dialysis.
• Presented the technology to potential investors, venture capitalists, and medical device companies, including Baxter.
• Prepared and submitted SBIR, STTR, and R01 grant applications.

BC Genesis, Blacksburg, VA, Microfluidics Engineer Consultant, 2010 - 2011

• Provided technical feedback in designing and developing a medical device prototype to fabricate artificial meniscus through controlling the movement of bacterial pathogens using dielectrophoresis.
• Helped raised $600 thousand through SBIR phase I and II NSF grants.

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Graduate Research Assistant, 2007 - 2011

• Developed a new label-free microfluidic technology from proof-of-concept through a commercial licensing agreement for sorting circulating tumor cells and prostate cancer stem cells in biological samples.
• Designed and developed an automated microfluidic platform for single cell electroporation.

Iran Power Plant Projects Management Group (MAPNA), Tehran, Iran, 2005 - 2006

Mechanical Engineer Consultant

• Led a multidisciplinary team of electrical, chemical, mechanical, and civil engineers in order to design the equipment arrangement and piping routs of two power plant projects.

Sazeh Consultants, Tehran, Iran,Mechanical Engineer Consultant, 2001 - 2005

• Supervised the piping stress team of three to design the piping routes and pipe supports of several petrochemical plant projects including Styrene Monomer project, the largest plant of its kind in the world, using finite element analysis software (Caesar II and ANSYS) and 3D modeling software (AutoCAD and Autoplant).

Honors & Publications

Credentials

• Leadership Strategies for Researchers, Harvard Medical School
• Introduction to Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Harvard Business School
• Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Mechanics: Focus to: Microfluidics, Contactless Dielectrophoresis, Cancer Stem Cells, Circulating Tumor Cells
• Other Focused Studies: Curved Beams, Buckling, Thermal and Mechanical Loads, Mathematical Modeling
• Tools: AutoCAD 2D and 3D, Photoshop, Comsol Multiphasic, Minitab, Graphpad, MATLAB, and Caesar II.

Languages

• English
• Farsi

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• American Electrophoresis Society
• Biomedical Engineering Society
• Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Society for Photonics and Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Journal Reviews

• Scientific Reports
• Lab-on-a-Chip
• Electrophoresis
• Biomicrofluidics
• Sensors and Actuators
• Microfluidics and Nanofluidics
• PlOS ONE

Grant Work

• Panel Member, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Peer Reviewer, Bright Futures Prize, Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Label-free HIV-1 Viral Load Measurement through a Contactless Electrode Microchip
• Point-of-care Rapid Blood Testing Using Microfluidic Devices

Awards

• Health and Technology Innovation Shark Tank Competition - Harvard Medical School
• Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge - United States Agency for International Development
• Grand Challenge: New Interventions in Global Health
• Harvard Innovation Evergreen Award
• Bright Futures Prize - Women's Hospital
• The Best User Experience Award - MIT Media Lab, Health and Wellness Innovation Competition
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Publications and Patents

• Author and Co-Author: Scientific papers, presentations-conferences; manuscripts, (peer reviewed) journals, abstracts and chapters to educational text books worldwide.
• 3 patents U.S.A. and Worldwide

Education

• Ph.D. Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran