Rate My Professor Mostafa Zamanian

Mostafa Zamanian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. He received a BS in Biochemistry and a PhD in Neuroscience from Iowa State University. Following his doctoral studies, he completed postdoctoral fellowships at McGill University and Northwestern University. Zamanian joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor. His laboratory applies molecular, computational, and field-based approaches to investigate neglected parasitic diseases affecting humans and animals. Key research areas include identifying new therapeutic targets for parasite control, elucidating mechanisms of drug resistance, understanding host-pathogen interactions, and developing tools for phenotypic screening of helminths. The lab conducts studies in both laboratory and endemic settings, contributing to global health efforts against neglected tropical diseases.

Zamanian's research has been supported by prestigious funding, including an NIH/NIAID K22 Phase II Award in 2017 and an NIH/NIAID R01 grant in 2020 focused on molecular mechanisms controlling secretion in filarial nematodes. Notable publications from his group include 'Comparative genomics of the major parasitic worms' in Nature Genetics (2018), 'Ivermectin inhibits extracellular vesicle secretion from parasitic nematodes' in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles (2020), 'Spatial transcriptomics reveals dual-tissue origins for prominent antigens in filarial nematodes' in PLOS Pathogens (2022), and 'Resolving the origins of secretory products and translational insights from single-cell transcriptomics of Brugia malayi' in eLife (2023). He has been honored with a Postdoc Mentoring Award from the School of Veterinary Medicine for his outstanding mentorship. Under his guidance, trainees have earned distinctions such as NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mentions, NIH F32 fellowships, and Best Student Oral Presentation Awards at the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists meetings. Zamanian's contributions enhance therapeutic strategies and basic understanding of parasite biology.