Dr. Abouzar Babaei | Microbiology | Best Researcher Award
Assistant Professor of Medical Virology, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Dr. Abouzar Babaei is an Assistant Professor of Medical Virology at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran, specializing in translational virology, stem cell therapy, and oncolytic virus-based cancer research. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Virology from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran (2020), with a dissertation evaluating the efficacy of combination therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) loaded with oncolytic Reovirus, Irinotecan, and Napabucasin (BBI608) in colorectal cancer mouse models, following an MSc in Medical Virology from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (2016) focused on the prevalence and phylogenetic characterization of human metapneumovirus, and a BSc and Associate Degree in Veterinary Laboratory Sciences from Tabriz University (2011, 2009). His primary research interests include stem cell-based cancer therapies, oncolytic viruses, antiviral strategies, and virology, with emerging work on nanoparticle-mediated anticancer and antiviral applications. Dr. Abouzar Babaei has extensive laboratory and translational research experience, including MSC extraction and characterization, tumor model development in BALB/c mice, molecular assays (PCR, real-time PCR), virus propagation and titration, hemagglutination and ELISA assays, and in vitro functional studies. His key contributions encompass pioneering MSC-oncolytic virus combination therapies, evaluating copper oxide nanoparticles for anticancer and antiviral effects, and systematic studies of viral prevalence in clinical populations. He has been recognized as Top PhD Student (2018, TMU), Top MSc Student (2015, SUMS), and Top Student in the PhD Board Exam (2018, TMU). He is an active member of the Iranian Society of Medical Virology and the Tarbiat Modares Virology Student Association, contributing to peer-reviewed publications and international collaborations. Dr. Abouzar Babaei has 22 publications, 282 citations, and an h-index of 10. His work advances translational medicine by integrating cutting-edge virology and stem cell technologies to develop novel cancer and antiviral therapies, bridging laboratory research with clinical applications, and promoting global biomedical innovation with societal impact.
Featured Publications
1. Aghbash, P. S., Hemmat, N., Nahand, J. S., Shamekh, A., Memar, M. Y., Babaei, A., … & [additional authors]. (2021). The role of Th17 cells in viral infections. International Immunopharmacology, 91, 107331.
2. Babaei, A., Mousavi, S. M., Ghasemi, M., Pirbonyeh, N., Soleimani, M., & Moattari, A. (2021). Gold nanoparticles show potential in vitro antiviral and anticancer activity. Life Sciences, 284, 119652.
3. Babaei, A., Pouremamali, A., Rafiee, N., Sohrabi, H., Mokhtarzadeh, A., … & [additional authors]. (2022). Genosensors as an alternative diagnostic sensing approaches for specific detection of virus species: A review of common techniques and outcomes. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 155, 116686.
4. Babaei, A., Soleimanjahi, H., Soleimani, M., & Arefian, E. (2021). Mesenchymal stem cells loaded with oncolytic reovirus enhances antitumor activity in mice models of colorectal cancer. Biochemical Pharmacology, 190, 114644.
5. Afrakhteh, H., Joharinia, N., Momen, A., Dowran, R., Babaei, A., Namdari, P., … & [additional authors]. (2021). Relative frequency of hepatitis B virus, human papilloma virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and herpes simplex viruses in the semen of fertile and infertile men in Shiraz, Iran: A comparative study. International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine, 19(8), 699–710.