Hayedeh Behzad, PhD

​Dr. Behzad is a molecular biologist interested in understanding the impact of environmental perturbations on biological systems – in humans and microorganisms. Her work spans a wide range of topics from research on the impact of global climate changes on airborne and marine microbial ecology, to understanding the molecular landscapes of a number of human diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hematopoietic cancers, and tendinopathy. Her current research in the Living Systems Laboratory involves examining and understanding the genomic, transcriptomic, epigenetic, and phenotypic landscapes of pluripotent stem cells, at single cell level, at different stages of cell differentiation. The insights gained from these studies could directly benefit the application of stem cells in regenerative medicine.

• ​Global ramifications of dust and sandstorm microbiota
  Behzad H., Mineta K., Gojobori T.
  Genome Biology and Evolution, 10, 8, 1970-1987, 2018
• Metagenomic studies of the Red Sea
  Behzad H., Ibarra M., Mineta K., Gojobori T.
  Gene, 576, 717-23, 2016
• Challenges and opportunities of airborne metagenomics
  Behzad H., Gojobori T., Mineta K.
  Genome Biology and Evolution, 7, 5, 1216-26, 2015
• Mechanism of mast cell adhesion to human tenocytes in vitro
  Behzad H., Tsai S.H., Nassab P., Mousavizadeh R., McCormack R.G., Scott A.
  Journal of Orthopedic Research, 33, 9-16, 2015
• Accumulation of oxidized LDL in the tendon tissues of C57BL/6 or Apolipoprotein E knock-out mice that consume a high fat diet: potential impact on tendon health
  Grewal N., Thornton G., Behzad H., Sharma A., Lu A., Zhang P., Reid D., Granville D., Scott A.
  PLOS One, 9, 12, e114214, 2014
• Cyclic strain alters the expression and release of angiogenic factors in human tendon cells
  Mousavizadeh R., Khosravi S., Behzad H., McCormack R., Duronio V., Scott A.
  PLOS One, 9, 5, e97356, 2014
• Mast cells exert pro-inflammatory effects of relevance to the pathophysiology of tendinopathy
  Behzad H., Sharma A., Mousavizadeh R., Lu A., Scott A.
  Arthritis Research & Therapy ,15, 6, R184, 2013
• Increased mast cell numbers in a calcaneal tendon overuse model
  Pingel J., Wienecke J., Kongsgaard M., Behzad H., Langberg H., Scott A.
  Scand J Med Sci Sports, 23, 6, e353–e360, 2013
• GLA-SE, a synthetic Toll like receptor-4 agonist, enhances T-cell response to influenza vaccine in older adults
  Behzad H., Huckriede A.L., Haynes L., Gentleman B., Coyle K., Wilschut J.C., Kollmann T.R., Reed S.G., McElhaney J.E.
  The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 205, 3, 466-73, 2012
• Cytokine-mediated FOXO3a phosphorylation suppresses FasL expression in hemopoietic cell lines: investigations of the role of Fas in apoptosis due to cytokine starvation
  Behzad H., Jamil S., Denny T., Duronio V.
  Cytokine, 38, 2, 74-83, 2007

• Ph.D., Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada, 2007
• M.Sc., Pathology, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, 1999
• B.Sc., Medical Laboratory Science, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, 1993

• ​2019- Present: Research Scientist, Living Systems Laboratory, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
• 2014-2018: Research Scientist, Comparative Genomics and Genetics Laboratory, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia 
• 2011-2013: Honorary Lecturer, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada
• 2009-2013: Research Scientist, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada
• 2007-2009: Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada

• KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP)
• Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE)