People

Farzad completed his PhD studies in Stockholm Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) through a scholarship from Umeå Universitet. His studies were primarily focused on host-pathogen interactions. As part of his PhD studies he set up a novel ex-vivo model to study H. pylori infection of human gastric epithelial cells. During his postdoc training, he studied host responses to influenza and dengue infections. Subsequently, he took the role of Deputy Director of a WHO approved diagnostic laboratory in Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA). Concurrently, he was head of Molecular epidemiology section for Active Laboratory-Based Surveillance of Vector Borne Diseases in Singapore.

In 2007, as the first employee of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) he had the mission of setting up the Infectious Disease (ID IRG) Program’s laboratory in Singapore. ID IRG program, before its end at 2018, achieved over 200 peer reviewed scientific articles published, 25 patent applications submitted and gave birth to 2 start-ups companies.

Since 2018, he took on to manage and oversee the operation of two of SMART’s new programs, i.e. AMR and DiSTAP.

During his free time, Farzad enjoys scuba diving, skiing, hiking and playing badminton.