Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani

Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA), serving as the Basic Science Lead of the Melanoma Translational Research Team at UVA's Comprehensive Cancer Center. He holds a B.Sc./M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Tehran and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. His postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School focused on Systems Biology, supported by a LSRF fellowship and NCI Pathway to Independence Award.

His research integrates experimental and computational systems biology to study heterogeneous cellular responses in cancer, particularly exploring mechanisms driving therapeutic resistance, metastasis, and tumor heterogeneity. Key areas include metabolic vulnerabilities, transcriptional networks, and drug combination strategies. He leads a lab funded by NCI, NIGMS, DoD, and private foundations, with awards including the BMES CMBE Rising Star Award and UVA's Shannon Center Mid-Career Fellowship.

Notable achievements include defining SYK kinase dependencies in NF1-deficient melanomas and developing multiplexed imaging techniques like CycIF. He teaches courses in systems bioengineering, bioreaction kinetics, and biomedical data science. Grants and collaborations emphasize high-risk, high-reward projects targeting precision medicine.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2012
  • M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2009
  • B.Sc./M.Sc., Biotechnology, University of Tehran, 2007
• Lab Focus: Systems biology tools for cancer drug discovery, tumor heterogeneity, and cellular plasticity
• Teaching: BME 4390, BME 4315/6315, BME 6006