Salman Sohrabi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering

Salman completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Lehigh University, where in lab of Dr. Yaling Liu he worked on a variety of topics such as multiscale-multiphysics modeling, drug delivery, cell damage, microfabrication, bioprinting, and tumor cell capture. Then, he did his postdoc in the lab of Dr. Coleen Murphy in Lewis-Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics at Princeton University where he applied his engineering skillsets to develop novel technologies to study aging and age-related decline using C. elegans. 

Parsa Safaeian is a Ph.D. student in the Bioengineering program at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests span bioengineering, biomechanics, microfluidics, quantitative biology, and biomedical imaging, with a focus on developing innovative experimental and computational approaches to investigate complex biological systems. He is particularly interested in integrating microfluidics, automated microscopy, computer vision, and machine learning to enable high-throughput and quantitative analysis of biological processes. His work combines engineering principles with biological research to develop technologies that improve the precision, scalability, and reproducibility of experimental studies, while contributing to a deeper understanding of organismal physiology, aging, and responses to environmental and mechanical stimuli.

 Before joining the University of Texas at Arlington, Parsa earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, where he developed a strong foundation in fluid mechanics, computational methods, and engineering design and analysis. His academic and research experiences have shaped his interest in applying engineering approaches to address challenges in biology and biomedical research.

Outside the lab, Parsa enjoys wall climbing, soccer, swimming, learning about psychology, and playing video games. 

Madisyn Acosta is an Undergraduate at UTA working towards a Bachelor of Microbiology on the pre-medical track to study Pathology and public health.  She works with the Ph. D. students in Dr. Sohrabi's Caenorhabditis elegans lab investigating genetic and phenotypic expression of key aging factors such as RICT-1 which regulates the expression of SGK-1 and vitellogenin accumulation in aging nematodes. Using fluorescent microscopy, microfluidics machines, and gene alteration using food sources and RNAi, she studies the effects of gene expression on reproductive span, reproductive success, and lifespan in C. elegans. She is interested in understanding the genetic link between reproduction and lifespan in C. elegans and finding a way to separate and alter them. Since C. elegans and humans share many analogs of their regulatory genes the idea is to find out how to delay genetic degradation inherent to aging to extend human reproductive span for safer pregnancies of older parents or extend lifespan leading to healthier aging. Madisyn enjoys reading about developments in cancer research/ diagnostics and human and animal pathology and disease prevention. For fun she enjoys videogames, cooking, dystopian and historical novels, and taking care of her garden.  

Zeenat Habib is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on biological aging and age-related diseases using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism. She is interested in integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into biomedical research through biomedical image analysis, dataset curation, and computational workflows that advance scientific discovery. Prior to joining the Sohrabi Laboratory, she completed clinical rotations as an EMT intern at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, where she gained experience in patient care and clinical documentation. She is deeply interested in translating artificial intelligence into practical applications in medicine and enjoys independently developing AI tools and bots that explore real-world healthcare applications. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, and ice skating.    

I am Zac, an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a BS in Exercise Science with a concentration in Clinical and Applied Physiology. My interests center on human health, aging, and disease, and I plan to pursue a career in medicine. I joined Dr. Sohrabi's lab to gain research experience and deepen my understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to aging/age-related diseases. I enjoy being part of a team researching the mechanisms behind aging and age-related diseases. Working in the lab has given me the opportunity to build new skills and explore research in a collaborative environment.

Outside of research, I enjoy staying active through weightlifting and playing football and basketball. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I'm excited to continue growing as a researcher and see where these experiences take me in the future.