Rate My Professor Zohreh Jafarian Tangrood

Dr. Zohreh Jafarian Tangrood is an Assistant Research Fellow (Trauma) in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Faculty of Medicine. She earned her PhD from the University of Otago in 2021 with a thesis titled "Scapular dyskinesis and subacromial shoulder pain," an MSc, and a BSc in Physiotherapy from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Before commencing her doctoral studies, she practiced as a clinical physiotherapist for eight years. During her PhD, she delivered anatomy tutorials for four years, which heightened her passion for musculoskeletal research. In her current role, she collaborates on multiple trauma studies with Dr. Jonathan Sharr and Dr. Andrew B. Powell. She was supported by a University of Otago PhD Scholarship.

Dr. Jafarian Tangrood's research specializations encompass musculoskeletal disorders and clinical-based research studies, with emphasis on rehabilitation protocols following orthopaedic surgeries and pain management in shoulder conditions. She acts as Trial Manager for three studies within the Trauma Orthopaedic Research in Christchurch (TORCH): the Proximal Humeral Intramedullary Nailing in New Zealand (PHINZ) study, a weight-bearing trial after ankle fracture fixation, and the Geriatric Distal Femur Fixation versus Replacement (DIFFIR) trial. She also serves as Allied Health Professional Adviser on the TORCH steering committee. Her key publications include "Clinical course of pain and function in subacromial shoulder pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis" (Physical Therapy Reviews, 2023, with Angela Spontelli Gisselman, Gisela Sole, and Daniel C. Ribeiro); "Association between changes in pain or function scores and changes in scapular rotations in patients with subacromial shoulder pain: A prospective cohort study" (Archives of Physiotherapy, 2022, with Gisela Sole and Daniel C. Ribeiro); "Comparing immediate and delayed weight bearing in patients with ankle open reduction internal fixation protocol for feasibility randomised controlled trial" (Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2024, with Blare Mason, Jonathan Sharr, and Andrew Powell); and "Rehabilitation protocols after ankle surgeries: A narrative literature review" (Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2025, with Gary Hooper, Jessica Mowbray, Mansur Halai, and Andrew Powell). She received a Health Research Council health delivery grant for comparing nail versus locking plate in three-part proximal humerus fractures.