Growing up in Iran, Haleh Alimohamadi (she/her) was fascinated by how physics could explain the world around her. In school, she built solar ovens and competed to see who could construct the strongest pasta structures. That curiosity led her to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Tehran, where she became interested in biomechanics. She wondered: Could the principles of physics help solve problems within our bodies?
For her Ph.D., Alimohamadi moved to the U.S. to study mechanical engineering with a focus on cell mechanics at the University of California, San Diego. “We have about 40 trillion cells in our body — that’s more than the number of stars in the Milky Way,” she said, and each of those trillions of cells has a shape that defines its function. When cells lose their shape, they often lose their ability to function properly, leading to disease.
Determined to move beyond theory, Alimohamadi took a risk for her postdoc and joined a lab to learn experimental techniques — starting with the basics like using a pipette. Her experiments were successful, furthering her understanding of how physical forces shape cells.
Now, Alimohamadi’s goal is to uncover the physical laws and patterns that govern cell shape. If scientists can manipulate cell morphology, she thinks they can develop drugs to restore cells to their healthy form and prevent disease.
Her advice to fellow immigrants and early-career scientists: To be brave, take risks, and pursue your dreams. Moving from theory to the lab was challenging, she said, but definitely worth it.
— Nicholas St. Fleur
