Behzad Imanian

Behzad Imanian is a Research Assistant Professor and leader of the High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) Initiative at Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). He holds a PhD in Botany from the University of British Columbia (2008–2013), an M.Sc. in Genetics (2005–2006), and a B.Sc. in Cell Biology and Genetics with a minor in English Literature (1998–2002). His research focuses on gene and genome evolution, horizontal gene transfer, organelle genomics, and food safety microbiology.

Since 2016, he has established IFSH's HTS laboratory and bioinformatics center, equipped with advanced sequencing technologies and high-performance computing. The lab provides services like whole genome sequencing, metagenomics, and transcriptomics analysis for academic and industrial collaborators. His projects include studying foodborne microbial communities, toxin production in Clostridium species, and the mutagenic effects of pulsed light treatments on bacteria.

Key research themes include evolutionary genomics of endosymbiosis, reductive evolution of organelles, and applying HTS to food safety challenges. He has received multiple awards including NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship and the Holz-Connor Travel Award. His work bridges fundamental evolutionary biology with applied food safety solutions through advanced sequencing and bioinformatics tools.