Parisa Asghari, a post doctorate research fellow at the University of British Columbia, Canada, was born in Tehran, Iran, to a mother who was an English teacher and a father who was an accountant. Asghari is the only scientist in her family. From early on, her biggest influence was her grandfather, who was an English college professor. He was very passionate about teaching, especially when it came to his grandchildren.
“As a child, I always wanted to be a scientist. My interest in science started when I was only six years old. I loved to dissect insects, worms, and butterflies, unlike my siblings and friends. By the age of 11, I had decided I wanted to be a biology teacher or research scientist in the field of biology and I know exactly when and how I arrived at this decision,” she recalls. “When I was in the first year of middle school, one of my school assignments was about William Harvey’s life and his discoveries on human anatomy. I found it quite fascinating how his experiments led him to the theory of blood circulation and how that theory changed the intellectual system and overall view of human and animal physiology, disease, and therapy.” Her love for science continued through high school and biology and physics were her favorite subjects.
During her undergraduate years, Asghari worked with different tutoring centers and also taught biology to high school students. In addition, she gained research experience in a number of pharmaceutical research institutes, which “helped me easily find a job later on when I moved to Canada,” she said. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in molecular microbiology, she worked as a lab technician at the University of Toronto and then at the University of British Columbia (UBC). After a few years, she decided to go back to school and pursue her graduate studies. “Inspired by William Harvey and also for a personal reason — I lost my father when he was relatively young due to an inherited cardiovascular disease — I focused my research and graduate studies in cardiovascular research.” She graduated from UBC in 2014 with a PhD in cell and developmental biology focusing in cardiac cell physiology.
During her PhD research, Asghari used a biophysical approach (she developed a new correlative light and electron microscopy technique) and discovered a mechanism, which might control contractility in heart cells. After graduation, she decided to stay in the same lab under supervision of Edwin Moore to investigate this mechanism in further detail. “We established a collaboration with the leading scientists in our field, and that has been the focus of my postdoctoral research projects. In general, I am investigating the effect of physiological regulators on function and distribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum cardiac calcium release channel, Ryanodine receptor, in health and disease.” According to the World Health Organization, ischemic heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death globally — 15.2 million deaths in 2016. Malfunction of the Ryanodine receptor has been implicated in heart failure, and mutations have been shown to lead to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. “We use genetically modified mice and recombinant protein expression technology to examine the Ryanodine receptor structure and function relationship in cardiac cells,” explains Asghari
Asghari has a husband and son and she tells us that the biggest challenge in her career is balancing career and family. She says, “As a scientist, it’s not easy to navigate a career with a partner and find two fulfilling positions in the same city. Add children to the mix, and it feels like something — or someone — has to give! But balance is key.” When not in the lab she spends time with her family and enjoys hiking and biking. “I also love volunteering at my son’s school, helping with field trips, special events, and talks. I really enjoy speaking to students in primary school, from kindergarten through grade 7, about possible careers in science and what it’s like to be a functioning scientist.”
In the past, Asghari had the privilege of volunteering in Vancouver’s downtown East Side. This is one of the nation’s worst districts. The area is rife with drug addicts, the homeless, prostitutes, and the people who prey on them. Asghari volunteered for a local organization that helps the addicts and the homeless by providing educational, social, and recreational opportunities as well as preparing and distributing food and finding safe housing. Asghari and her family also assist new immigrants by helping them to find accommodation, get their children enrolled in school, find language training (ESL courses), and prepare cover letters and resumes to assist them in finding work.
Even though balancing career and family is hard, Asghari says, “I love my career because there is not a single dull moment in my work. Every day I see something new; some days I see things that nobody observed or reported before, and it’s fulfilling! Every time I look at the ultra-structure of the cells, it just fascinates me.” Ashgari’s favorite thing about biophysics is studying how a heart beats, how small proteins move around the cell and can regulate cell’s function, and how cells communicate with each other. “Using fluorescent tags, I can make cells glow like stars under a microscope and learn about the heart cell’s sophisticated internal transit system,” she enthused.
Asghari asserts that the most challenging aspect of her type of work is to “determine the problem very well,” and she quotes Einstein, who said, “The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution.” Asghari’s future plans include finding a position where she can pursue her research independently, and currently, she is exploring both academic and non-academic options. As a scientist, she says, “I have always been motivated by contributing to the common good. I hope my scientific research work builds a foundation for discovering a new drug or insight that improves human heart health. And coaching and teaching undergraduate and graduate students would be another contribution to biophysics.”
Sally Osborne, first met Asghari in 2004 when she was first recruited as a staff member in the Cellular and Physiological Sciences Department at UBC. Osborne describes Asghari as hard-working, responsible, and creative. Osborne tells us that Asghari is, “A creative and analytical individual with exceptional technical skills. She is an exceptionally diligent and meticulous scientist. She has a distinct understated style and is a very caring individual toward her peers and colleagues.”
Asghari has learned a lot through her career and she had some advice for young people who are just starting out. “Your success is a journey that happens over time. Most importantly, you need to have a real passion for science and be passionate about the work you do. This means that you need to find a topic that excites you and important questions that you really want to answer. Once you find your passion, it’s no longer considered work, it’s a hobby, and there’s nothing else you would rather be doing. Expressing that passion for your work will most likely get you to the right job with the right employer.”