With the goal of harnessing the untapped potential of Iranian-Americans, and to build the capacity of the Iranian diaspora in effecting positive change in the U.S. and around the world, the Iranian Americans Contributions Project (IACP) has launched a series of interviews that explore the personal and professional backgrounds of prominent Iranian-Americans who have made seminal contributions to their fields of endeavor. We examine lives and journeys that have led to significant achievements in the worlds of science, technology, finance, medicine, law, the arts and numerous other endeavors. Our latest interviewee is Arshya Vahabzadeh.
Arshya Vahabzadeh, M.D, is the Chief Medical Officer at Brain Power, a federally and Congressionally supported neurotechnology company that is building transformative technologies for the treatment of autism community. Dr. Vahanzadeh is a leader in developing new technologies and scientific approaches to reduce human suffering and to improve mental health and wellbeing.
Dr. Vahabzadeh is on the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital and has served as faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and at Exponential Medicine. He is triple trained in pediatric psychiatry, psychiatry, and family medicine, and has over 20 national and international awards in research, innovation, education, and medical leadership. He was the youngest council chairman at the American Psychiatric Association, and was described as one of ten outstanding physicians who represent the future of psychiatry by the American College of Psychiatrists.
Dr. Vahabzadeh is a regular national and international speaker on technology and mental health, and has given talks at Google, Stanford, Harvard, Health 2.0, the Digital Health Summit, and at Singularity University. He has been honored as a 40 under 40 healthcare innovator by MedTechBoston, and was one of only ten people globally to win the Khan Academy/American Association of Medical Colleges/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation MCAT Video competition.
Tell our readers where you grew up and walk us through your background. How did your family and surroundings influence you in your formative years?
I was born in Tehran, Iran, and spent much of my childhood growing up in England where I also attended medical school. I moved to the United States in 2010 to continue my medical training.
As a child I had a number of formative experiences. I remember watching Iraqi aircraft bombing Tehran as I peered out of the window during one of the regular blackouts. I also remember arriving at one of our country homes in Iran and seeing that it had been bombarded.
After moving to England, where my parents had previously undertaken their university studies, I was hit and near-fatally injured by a car outside of my home. I spent months hospitalized in a children's hospital and was essentially rebuilt.
Being an immigrant to England, and subsequently the United States, I have a first-hand insight into the arduous challenges that migrants face. I also have a deep appreciation for all of the individuals that have invested in me in both countries, and my hope is that my efforts to create healthcare and educational technologies will help to pay back some of that investment.
My parents provided me with not only a nurturing environment, but also a sense of resiliency to the turmoil that may have surrounded me at any moment. They promoted the importance of education, protecting the vulnerable, and receiving encouragement from the successes of others. I had the opportunity to see both immense poverty and wealth, as well as the humanity and struggles that faced people across society.
My professional life has included going to medical school in England and completing three residency programs over 11 years of postgraduate training, including family medicine under the Royal College of General Practitioners, adult psychiatry at Emory University, and child and adolescent psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. After completion of my training, I became a faculty member in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy, headed by one of my mentors Dr. David Rubin. I have also spent a considerable amount of time working on emerging technologies, mostly through my work as the Chief Medical Officer at Brain Power, a neurotechnology company founded by one of my friends from Harvard and MIT, Dr. Ned Sahin. Since completing my training, I have continued to see patients with severe mental health challenges on the frontlines of healthcare, including in emergency departments and in maximum-security correctional facilities.
You received a number of awards and honors for your research, mentorship and teaching. What were the significant accomplishments that led to these?
Over the last decade I have been honored with over two dozen different national and international awards as well as scholarships for innovations in medicine, medical leadership, research, and a host of other innovation related projects. I should say, however,that the most important part of any of these achievements is the opportunity that comes with them. The ability to build networks with like-minded people who are willing to improve healthcare, education, and the future of humanity has been both empowering and humbling.
I have long been involved in many different areas of medical and neuroscientific research, publishing articles, papers, and book chapters in neurobiology and clinical neuroscience on topics such as autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, neuromodulation, and digital mental health. I have presented at numerous institutions on my research and perspectives on mental health and transformative technologies,
Among my awards, I have been fortunate to have received the American College of Psychiatrists Laughlin Fellowship, the American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Leadership Fellowship. I was lucky to have been federally supported through a NIMH/AADPRT BRAIN Scholarship, and a SAMSHA/APA grant focusing on autism.
I am very honored and always humbled by the awards I have received. I believe part of the reason for the recognition is a willingness I find within myself to go the extra mile in my academic work and to advocate publicly for mental health awareness wherever and whenever I can. The importance of doing good work and providing a voice for those who need it is something that I believe is an important part of my role as a physician with a public profile.
What has been your personal key to success? What were the biggest inspirations for your career?
I would like to say that I have consistently worked hard, averaging around 100 hours a week, and I have always tried to maximize the opportunities that I have been given. However, I have also realized the importance of having a powerful network, and indeed I often believe that having an empowered network of individuals behind you is as important as working hard or being naturally gifted. I also think that there is a lot to be said of never expecting others to treat you the way you treat them. I am also a huge fan of reducing the noise around myself. There are so many devices and social media platforms designed to distract you and pull your focus away from what you need to be doing. Eliminating or consciously reducing your engagement time with these distractions is crucial to your focus and ultimate success. Reducing the noise also means not allowing yourself to become too wrapped up in what other people are doing or claim to be doing.
I am a strong believer in achieving mind-body balance, and maintaining a balanced diet. I usually work out 7 days a week to improve physical coordination, strength, and endurance. On some days I may face a 16-hour clinical day, several hours of data analysis and academic work, and a social function, and I believe that having the right level of physical conditioning has been very helpful in these situations.
I am not a huge fan of idolizing people in the way that is often seen in the media, but I am inspired by those around me all the time. I am particularly fond of people who achieve personal success while making the world a better place, those who are relentless in pursuing their dreams, and people who put their ambitions on hold in order to care for their family members. Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected of places, and as a psychiatrist I hear about these stories all the time. A younger mother who was working at a fast-food restaurant recently impacted me, as I learned she was essentially living out of her car in the parking lot, and used the money saved to ensure that her children went to school. Her grit, resiliency, and steadfast approach to doing what was necessary were absolutely inspirational to me.
Your fields of interest cover using transformative technology to improve the lives of people with special needs and mental health conditions. Can you share some highlights of your work in these areas?
As I look around the world today, I see humans creating tremendous progress and opportunities in certain communities, while despair and isolation are rife in many others. Often these communities overlap in time and space; living and dying can exist just footsteps away from one another.
My fundamental belief is that we can use our knowledge of science and technology to improve the well-being of our fellow humans. We can produce technologies that can help us empower people through education, heal them in ill health, and allow them to reach their full potential. While technology advances at a rapid pace, we must also understand that the human experience involves giving other people your time and understanding them in the context of their relationships, communities, and social world. This is a task that is easier to articulate than to achieve in person!
While I hold certain lofty ideals, I am also very much a realist, as I have and will always continue to work with the most disadvantaged communities. As a frontline clinician, I have seen how immense healthcare needs in this country are, and just how critical it is to recognize and address the social determinants of health. I have witnessed how some of our greatest mental health challenges do not get the level of funding and support that they need, and how we still have huge gaps between scientific research and the practical real-world impacts of scientific advances.
I believe that technology has a crucial role to play in helping us throughout our daily lives, such as aiding those who have the biggest mental health challenges and promoting mental wellness in many others. I believe that understanding human mental health through the use of technology is extremely challenging perhaps much more than people realize. We are trying to gain insights into a persons mood state, cognitive functioning, and social thinking through the use of wearables, apps on smartphones, and smart glasses, but there is still quite a considerable way to go. Research in digital mental health continues to be quite fragmented, is often not reproducible, and rarely do results translate into a product that can positively impact peoples lives. One of my hardest tasks has been to create an actual device that would be helpful to people, and I think this goal continues to stump many overambitious entrepreneurs and can be intimidating to academics.
This is why I find my work at Brain Power very exciting. We are currently combining cutting edge augmented reality, artificial intelligence, social neuroscience, and digital tools to help the autism community succeed in education, health, and work. We have recently published the first scientific paper on the use social communication smart glasses in autism. We have also been fortunate to partner with a number of leading organizations like Google and Affectiva, and have both federal and congressional funding to build these next-generation technologies. The feedback that we have received from the community and experts has been very humbling, and we have been lucky enough to receive a wide range of scientific and autism-related awards for our work. We also run a number of internship training programs for students from local high schools, autism vocational training programs, and universities. Part of our mission is to not only create accessible technologies, but also help teach the next generation of innovators from across the breadth of society.
Can you tell us about your advocating for innovations in healthcare to reduce death and disability from brain disorders on a global scale?
We face a number of problems when we think about global mental health and the burden of brain disorders. Firstly, these conditions are the biggest cause of disability in the world, and they predominantly disable people in their youth. Secondly, our resources for tackling these problems are very limited. We simply do not have enough human experts to be able to provide the mental health care that is needed. We are going to have to rely more on technology to deliver scalable solutions to these challenges. My approach for tackling these issues partly comes through my work with Brain Power, but I am also involved in innovative brain health projects at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Exponential Medicine, Neurolaunch, and the American Psychiatric Association.
I am also passionate about working with organizations that are creating real-world impacts for the people who need it most. I am proud to be a part of two childrens charities. The Special Needs Network was founded by my friend Areva Martin ESQ, and focuses on helping children with special needs in Los Angeles, while Art of Hope was founded by one of my fellow Iranian-Americans, Tara Kangarlou, and provides art therapy to child refugees in Syria and the surrounding areas.
In your view, what is the biggest challenge with which your field is currently grappling?
Mental health has long been underserved by science, healthcare, and education. Because of stigma and ignorance, millions of people are suffering from psychiatric conditions that are unrecognized, untreated, disabling, and all too often, deadly. I recognize that stigma has had a significant role to play in this situation. However, understanding mental health requires challenging some of the most basic assumptions in the field. Many of the conditions that we diagnose and treat are based on behavioral symptoms, with the underlying scientific cause less clear. Future efforts that harness digital assessment, biological tests, and use large data-sets may help us to redefine these conditions, subtype them, and find more scalable and accessible means for people to lead healthier lives. I have already published and written about some of the most cutting edge areas such as digital suicide prevention, machine learning in depression, and the use of wearable technology for mental health.
Future challenges will involve access to care as the population increases and ages, along with changes to healthcare provision. In order to successfully overcome these challenges, I believe that the medical profession as a whole, but especially psychiatry, needs to embrace the potential of technologies such as telemedicine, virtual/augmented reality, and other forms of digital health to help to increase access, and ideally improve the quality of care that we deliver. That engagement needs to start today, it needs to be taken very seriously, and should be given far more attention than it is currently being given by the medical community.
Can you share your thoughts on your Iranian-American identity? What does it mean to be an Iranian-American to you?
The United States, with the exception of the Native Americans, is a nation of immigrants. It is a fact that the Iranian-American community has been described as being one of the most successful immigrant groups. I have found the Iranian-American community to be very warm and welcoming, and believe that the community shows incredible pride in both their Persian heritage and American identity. However, we should be mindful that the community also faces many challenges. Iranian-Americans continue to face racism, largely fueled by individuals with little appreciation of the current geopolitical situation, and a lackluster grasp of the history of human civilization. Secondly, being an immensely proud community has caused us to have blind spots; shame and honor impede our ability to tackle issues such as mental health, poverty, gender identity, and drug addiction. I have been inspired by the mentorship and education that I have received from Iranian-American organizations such as PAAIA, and have been particularly impressed with the work of outstanding Iranian Americans including Dr. FirouzNaderi (Former Director at NASA), and Bita Darybari(Pars Equality Center).
I believe that the Iranian-American community embraces many of the values that have made America great. It is also profoundly important to me that we support and work to empower other communities. I am committed to advancing equality and opportunity for all, regardless of background.
Originally posted here:
Arshya Vahabzadeh: Innovating at the Intersection of Brain, Behavior, and Technology - HuffPost
- Georgia Tech to Offer Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, New Minor | News Center - Georgia Tech News Center - May 3rd, 2024 [May 3rd, 2024]
- China developed its very own Neuralink Neucyber brain interface comes from a neurotechnology firm - Tom's Hardware - May 3rd, 2024 [May 3rd, 2024]
- Tether Acquires Majority Stake in Blackrock Neurotech - PYMNTS.com - May 3rd, 2024 [May 3rd, 2024]
- China Shows Off Monkey With Brain Chip Allowing It to Control Robotic Arm - Futurism - May 3rd, 2024 [May 3rd, 2024]
- World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts - The Star Online - May 3rd, 2024 [May 3rd, 2024]
- Opinion | The Fight for Your Kids' Brains Has Already Begun - The New York Times - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- DEFENDING THE BRAIN | Duke Mag - Duke University - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- The Innovations and Success of Elon Musk - OPP.Today - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Top Companies Using AI to Transform the Healthcare Industry ... - Cryptopolitan - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- UN Warns Unregulated Neurotechnology Threatens 'Freedom of Thought' - Yahoo News - July 23rd, 2023 [July 23rd, 2023]
- I felt like there was someone in my head, and it wasn't me. - UNESCO - July 23rd, 2023 [July 23rd, 2023]
- Unraveling Connections Between the Brain and Gut - The Good Men Project - July 23rd, 2023 [July 23rd, 2023]
- Neurotechnology: what it is, applications - Iberdrola - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Forget Media Manipulation And Misinformation via TikTok And Twitter, Neurotechnology Heralds The New Battle For Our Brains - Forbes - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- The Jacob Laboratory Translational Neurotechnology - January 2nd, 2023 [January 2nd, 2023]
- Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Experts Come Together In A Play Inspired By Advances In Neurotechnology - India Education Diary - January 2nd, 2023 [January 2nd, 2023]
- Neurotechnologies: The Next Technology Frontier | IEEE Brain - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Twelve Neurotechnology Startups to Present at 2022 Neurotech Leaders ... - November 19th, 2022 [November 19th, 2022]
- Research Experience for Undergraduates | Center for Neurotechnology - November 8th, 2022 [November 8th, 2022]
- Axoft Launches Brain Implant Technology to Treat Long-Term Neurological Disorders and is Granted FDA Breakthrough Device Designation - Business Wire - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Researcher combines AI and microelectronics to create neural implants that fight brain disorders - University of Toronto - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Global Contactless Biometrics Technology Market Size And Forecast | Aware Inc., Fingerprint Cards AB, Fujitsu Limited, Gemalto N.V., HID Global,... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Facial Recognition Market Size and Share 2022 | Global Industry Analysis, Feasibility Study and Development Scope by 2032 | NEC Corporation (NEC)... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Pitt scientists awarded $8 million for neurotechnology to restore arm and hand movements after strokes - University of Pittsburgh - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- UN: Highlights from the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council - ARTICLE 19 - Article 19 - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- PD Neurotechnology, a MedTech start-up for patients suffering from ... - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Brain ScienceConsciousness as the Property of Thought | Neurotech - VGR.com - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Facial Recognition Technology Market to witness a substantial growth owing to rising adoption of technology till 2032 | NEC Corporation, Aware,... - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- ARC Future Fellowships awarded to Turner Institute researchers - Monash University - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Critics Picks: Cate Blanchett, Steven Spielberg Films Among the 15 Best of the Fall Festivals - Hollywood Reporter - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Stryker Launches Pulse Intelligent Delivery Platform at the 2022 American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting - Business Wire - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- If separating conjoined twins results in death, which one should die? - Big Think - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Theater of Thought Review: Werner Herzog Crafts a Bracing Exploration of Neurotechnology and Consciousness - Hollywood Reporter - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Elon Musk seeks to expand his empire in the world of neurotechnology - Gearrice - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- VoxNeuro Announces Collaboration with Boston University and Launch of Clinical Studies Focusing on Concussion and Alzheimers Disease - Yahoo Finance - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Tri-anim Health Services announces exclusive relationship to distribute BrainScope's breakthrough technology for mild head injury including... - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Interaxon Inc. (Muse) Highlights Myndlifts Preliminary Study and the Benefit of Partnerships for Digital Therapeutics Research - BioSpace - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis reportedly conceived twins via IVF - The Independent - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Biometric Wearable Market Research Insights with Trends, Competitive Analysis, Opportunities, Forecast 2022 to 2030 Muleskinner - Muleskinner - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Neurotechnology - the future of the legal profession? - Lexology - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Future criminals could be monitored by chips in their brains, experts claim... - The US Sun - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Stryker to participate in the 2022 Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference - GuruFocus.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Investing in Brain Research and Neuroengineering - University of Houston - August 2nd, 2022 [August 2nd, 2022]
- Hamilton-based Zentrela working to understand the cannabis experience - Hamilton Spectator - August 2nd, 2022 [August 2nd, 2022]
- IntualityAI may be Able to Provide Psychotherapy for Robots in Future - AZoRobotics - August 2nd, 2022 [August 2nd, 2022]
- Coconuts, Corporations: On Vauhini Vara's The Immortal King Rao - lareviewofbooks - August 2nd, 2022 [August 2nd, 2022]
- MindMaze Enters New Strategic Partnership with Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to Advance Technologies for Brain Health, Safety, and Performance - Yahoo... - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- MindMaze Receives Recognition as one of Switzerland's Best Managed Companies - Business Wire - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- OpenBCI and Varjo Partner to Bring Neurotechnology to Spatial Computing - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Three top technologies taking healthcare by storm - Kalkine Media - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- It is time to leverage technology to correct the challenges people have with their minds: Antano Solar, CE.. - ETHealthWorld - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Secretly Fathered Twins With His Company's Executive: Report - KFI AM 640 - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Stryker to host conference call on July 26, 2022 - GuruFocus.com - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Neurotechnology Announces MOSIP Integration and Support in MegaMatcher SDK and ABIS - PR Newswire - June 15th, 2022 [June 15th, 2022]
- Musk's Twitter $44 Billion Bid Includes Financier Close to Russia - Report By Investing.com - Investing.com - June 15th, 2022 [June 15th, 2022]
- Stryker Strengthens Its R&D Capabilities with Advanced Global Technology Center - Press Trust of India - Press Trust of India - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- Cuba is the only nation with a governmental science and technology program on the brain - Granma English - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- 3 Disruptive Tech Stocks to Go All In on Now - InvestorPlace - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- OpenBCI and Varjo Partner to Bring Neurotechnology to Spatial Computing - PR Newswire - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- 3D Reconstruction Technology Market Size, Scope and Forecast | 3D Reconstruction, Eos Systems Inc., Everest Innovation Technology, Microsoft, NAVVIS,... - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- Fingerprint Biometrics in the VAR Market to Eyewitness Massive Growth by 2031 The Greater Binghamton Business Journal - The Greater Binghamton... - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- Horrors of Elon Musks Neuralink REVEALED including brain hacking technology and animal deaths... - The Scottish Sun - May 25th, 2022 [May 25th, 2022]
- Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK) Receives Consensus Rating of Buy from Brokerages - Defense World - May 25th, 2022 [May 25th, 2022]
- Evon Medics, LLC Has Been Awarded $2.8 Million Grant for the Development and Evaluation of its Mobile Health Platform for Remote Management of... - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- Mobile Biometrics Market Analysis by Size, Business Strategies, Share, Growth, Trends, Revenue, Competitive Landscape and Developments Forecast by... - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- Dubai on the Brain: NeuroVigil's Philip Low Assembles ... - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Research Associate: Participatory Research and Communications Officer job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 292429 - Times Higher Education - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Face Recognition Software Market 2022: Size, Industry Share, Approaches, and Forecast By 2028, (Idemia (FR), Aware (US), Leidos (US), BioID (DE)) ... - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Stocktake: Investors wary on Musk's Twitter deal - The Irish Times - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Hydrocolloid Dressing Market Competitive Landscape Analysis With Forecast by 2027 - BioSpace - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- Futuristics Overview of Neural Control Market: Industry Insights and Forecast 2022-2028 by MIT, Hebrew university, Haier, Neurotechnology,,, and more... - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Market Poised to Garner a Valuation of USD 5.48 Billion by 2030, Growing at a 14.72% CAGR - Report by Market Research... - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Stryker's InSpace subacromial balloon spacer two-year, Level 1 randomized controlled clinical study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery... - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Stryker to participate in the Bank of America Securities 2022 Health Care Conference - Benzinga - Benzinga - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Earnings week 2: Supply chain shortages slowed ResMed, other medtechs from meeting demand - MedTech Dive - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Mind-reading technology Are we ready for it? - Freethink - April 25th, 2022 [April 25th, 2022]
- The brain implant that can translate your thoughts into text - SBS News - April 15th, 2022 [April 15th, 2022]
- Stryker says 88 jobs to be eliminated in May, part of previously announced layoff schedule - The Ledger - April 15th, 2022 [April 15th, 2022]
- Moon Rabbit Collaborates with Foresight Institute to Speed Up Life Extension Research - CryptoNewsZ - April 4th, 2022 [April 4th, 2022]
- Cybin Announces Initiation of Kernel Flow Feasibility Study Measuring Psychedelic Effects on the Brain - Business Wire - April 4th, 2022 [April 4th, 2022]