Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2019

Biophysicist in Profile

In the past, Asghari had the privilege of volunteering in Vancouver’s downtown East Side. This is one of the nation’s worst districts. The area is rife with drug addicts, the home- less, prostitutes, and the people who prey on them. Asghari volunteered for a local organization that helps the addicts and the homeless by providing educational, social, and recreation- al opportunities as well as preparing and distributing food and finding safe housing. Asghari and her family also assist new immigrants by helping them to find accommodation, get their children enrolled in school, find language training (ESL cours- es), and prepare cover letters and resumes to assist them in finding work.

Asghari asserts that the most challenging aspect of her type of work is to “determine the problem very well,” and she quotes Einstein, who said, “The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution.” Asghari’s future plans include finding a position where she can pursue her research independently, and currently she is exploring both academic and non-academic options. As a scientist, she says, “I have always been motivated by con- tributing to the common good. I hope my scientific research work builds a foundation for discovering a new drug or insight that improves human heart health. And coaching and teach- ing undergraduate and graduate students would be another contribution to biophysics.” Sally Osborne , first met Asghari in 2004 when she was first recruited as a staff member in the Cellular and Physiological Sciences Department at UBC. Osborne describes Asghari as hard working, responsible, and creative. Osborne tell us that Asghari is, “A creative and analytical individual with exception- al technical skills. She is an exceptionally diligent and metic- ulous scientist. She has a distinct understated style and is a very caring individual toward her peers and colleagues.” Asghari has learned a lot through her career and she had some advice for young people who are just starting out. “Your success is a journey that happens over time. Most impor- tantly, you need to have a real passion for science and be passionate about the work you do. This means that you need to find a topic that excites you and important questions that you really want to answer. Once you find your passion, it’s no longer considered work, it’s a hobby, and there’s nothing else you would rather be doing. Expressing that passion for your work will most likely get you to the right job with the right employer.”

Asghari with her husband and son.

Even though balancing career and family is hard, Asghari says, “I love my career because there is not a single dull moment in my work. Every day I see something new; some days I see things that nobody observed or reported before, and it’s fulfilling! Every time I look at the ultra-structure of the cells, it just fascinates me.” Ashgari’s favorite thing about biophys- ics is studying how a heart beats, how small proteins move around the cell and can regulate cell’s function, and how cells communicate with each other. “Using fluorescent tags, I can make cells glow like stars under a microscope and learn about the heart cell’s sophisticated internal transit system,” she enthused.

May 2019

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