Siavash Shariatzadeh holds a medical degree, a master’s in public health, and an MBA in healthcare. What could be left to learn?

“Medical training in Iran is not heavily involved in research,” said Dr. Siavash Shariatzadeh. “During the last two years of my medical training as an intern, I had the opportunity to work in one of the best regenerative medicine labs in Tehran and became interested in tissue engineering research.”

Shariatzadeh began reading papers in tissue engineering and noting the authors’ names and affiliations. He envisioned a future in surgery, so when he came across publications by Dr. James Dunn on spring-mediated intestinal lengthening something “just clicked.”

“That moment sparked a dream in me, and I thought, ‘One day, I could be a surgeon-scientist,’” Shariatzadeh said.

“Thanks to Dr. Dunn and the opportunity he entrusted to me, I am able to be here now, living my dream. He created an environment where I can pursue new ideas with all the support he provides,” said Shariatzadeh.

Two years into his post-doctoral research, Shariatzadeh is working at the intersection of biology and physics, he’s exploring how mechanical forces within the bowel can stimulate tissue growth, aiming to introduce new therapeutics for children suffering from short bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal pathologies.

“I use a couple of models to understand the process—what alterations in the tissue, initiated by mechanical force, results in bowel growth—and to find mechanisms in this engineered process that mimic the natural developmental process,” said Shariatzadeh. “Perhaps we can discover some regenerative compounds and non-invasive interventions that can imitate natural processes.”

So far, Shariatzadeh has presented at several conferences (including ACS, ASC, and APSA), published a paper, and awarded two grants from MCHRI and the School of Medicine’s Dean. He estimates two more years in Dr. Dunn’s lab— “Meaningful research takes time”—to further build his foundation in tissue engineering research, before applying to a surgical residency.