Zeinab Hajjarian

Zeinab Hajjarian, Ph.D., is an active Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell within the Francis College of Engineering. Her research program bridges soft-matter physics, engineering, and medical diagnostics to develop advanced optical imaging platforms for understanding disease pathophysiology, with particular focus on breast carcinoma.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (2009), an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tehran, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran.

Hajjarian's research centers on developing optical imaging and sensing technologies that characterize biomechanical and optical properties of tissues, particularly in cancer microenvironments. Her work applies laser speckle micro-rheology to map mechanical properties in tumor microenvironments, investigate cardiovascular conditions, and develop point-of-care coagulation testing devices. She has pioneered techniques for characterizing tissue micromechanical properties using laser speckle fluctuations and has developed multiple apparatus and algorithms for mechano-pathology investigation.

Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent advancement in laser speckle rheology applications, with recent work focusing on tissue granularities, viscoelastic spectra of biological tissues, and tumor microenvironment characterization. The research trajectory shows evolution from fundamental optical communications during her doctoral work to sophisticated biomedical applications in disease diagnostics.

Selected Awards and Honors:

• Eleanor & Miles Shore Foundation Fellowship (2020)
• American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Research Grant (2019)
• Biomedical Engineering Society Career Development Award (2018)
• MGH Office of Women's Career Scholarly Writing Award (2017)
• Gordon Research Conference Best Poster Award (2016)

Hajjarian has an exceptional record of innovation with over 20 original manuscripts (14 as first author), two invited review articles, and more than 15 patent applications (6 granted). Her research has significant translational potential for improving diagnostic pipelines and patient outcomes through integration of optical technologies in clinical settings. She previously held positions at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and was promoted to Instructor in the Department of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School in 2013.

Her laboratory focuses on developing novel optical microscopes and sensing devices for characterizing biophysical properties of soft tissues and biofluids, with emphasis on translating these technologies to clinical diagnostic applications.