Iraj Hosseini, a Graduate Student in the lab of Feilim Mac Gabhann, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Computational Medicine Core Faculty Member, has been awarded a 2015 Siebel Scholarship. Iraj received his M.Sc. and B.Sc. (with honors) from University of Alberta and Isfahan University, respectively. At JHU, Iraj has developed molecular-detailed multi-scale computational models of HIV infection to better understand HIV pathogenesis and design stem cell-based anti-HIV therapies. Iraj has co-authored over twenty peer reviewed journal articles and conference papers and received numerous awards including four international awards in RoboCup competitions, Alberta Ingenuity award, iCORE scholarship, Drescher scholarship and the Ruth Aranow fellowship in Computational Medicine. Beyond his academic achievements, Iraj leads novel efforts to reinvigorate PhD education and prepare students for alternative career opportunities. Iraj co-founded BME EDGE, obtaining $150,000 in competitive funding from the Provost’s Office and matching funds from the BME department. At EDGE, Iraj co-chaired a team of 17 students and staff members to develop an integrated career pathway for graduate students through internships, professional development workshops, alumni speaker series, networking events and PhD-focused job fairs.

“The Siebel Scholars program was established in 2000 by the Siebel Foundation through grants to 17 of the most prestigious business, bioengineering, and computer science graduate programs. Each year, up to five graduate students from each partner institution are selected as Siebel Scholars to receive a $35,000 award for their final year of studies and join the vibrant community of leaders who collaborate, communicate, and institute meaningful change.” Click here to read the full announcement on the Siebel Scholars Website. The news has also been covered on JHU’s Hub news site.

Congratulations Iraj on your award!