Location
MR5 2215
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Virginia
Box 800759, Health System
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Google Scholar Fallahi-Sichani Lab

About

Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Basic Science Lead of the Melanoma Translational Research Team at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center. His academic training includes a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Tehran and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He completed his postdoctoral training as a Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) fellow in Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, where he also earned a Pathway to Independence Award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Mohammad joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in 2020.

At UVA, Dr. Fallahi-Sichani leads a systems biology research program aiming to discover the fundamental mechanisms through which human cancer cells respond heterogeneously to environmental and therapeutic perturbations. These responses can take the form of changes in gene expression, metabolic state, or cell fate decisions such as differentiation, cell division, growth arrest, or induction of cell death in response to cancer drugs. Interestingly, these responses vary among cells in different states, even those that are genetically identical. Understanding the mechanisms that underpin heterogeneous cell fate decisions and cellular plasticity has been a key challenge for quantitative biology and precision medicine. A detailed understanding of these mechanisms through the application of systems biology approaches will provide a path to identify novel therapeutic targets to: (i) maximize tumor cell killing, (ii) block aggressive tumor behaviors (such as metastatic spread), and (iii) prevent the emergence of therapy resistance in patients. 

Dr. Fallahi-Sichani’s research in these areas has been funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), Department of Defense, as well as multiple private foundations that sponsor innovative and high-risk, high-reward research projects. His research accomplishments have been recognized by a variety of awards, including the Cell and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Rising Star Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), UVA Shannon Center Mid-Career Fellowship, Research Collaboration Award from the UVA VPR office, and a V Scholar Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Education

B.S. & M.S. (Integrated) ​University of Tehran, 2007

M.S. ​University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2009

Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2012

My lab develops experimental and computational systems biology tools to uncover the fundamental mechanisms through which human cancer cells respond heterogeneously to environmental and therapeutic perturbations.

Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Research Interests

Systems Biology
Cancer Biology
Biomedical Data Sciences
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
Quantitative Pharmacology
Tumor Heterogeneity

Selected Publications

Protocol for iterative indirect immunofluorescence imaging in cultured cells, tissue sections, and metaphase chromosome spreads, STAR Protocols (2024) Hsu J*, Nguyen KT*, Bujnowska M, Janes KA, Fallahi-Sichani M [*Equal contributions]
Abstract
Multivariate analysis of metabolic state vulnerabilities across diverse cancer contexts reveals synthetically lethal associations, In Revision for Cell Reports (2024) Abecunas C, Kidd AD, Jiang Y, Zong H, Fallahi-Sichani M
Abstract
Fallahi-Sichani M. Loss of NF1 in melanoma confers sensitivity to SYK kinase inhibition, Cancer Research (2023) Abecunas C, Whitehead CE, Ziemke EK, Baumann DG, Frankowski-McGregor CL, Sebolt-Leopold JS, Fallahi-Sichani M
Abstract
AP-1 transcription factor network explains diverse patterns of cellular plasticity in melanoma cells, Cell Reports (2022) Comandante-Lou N*, Baumann DG*, Fallahi-Sichani M [*Equal contributions]
Abstract
Epigenetic modulation reveals differentiation state specificity of oncogene addiction, Nature Communications (2021) Khaliq M, Manikkam M, Martinez ED, and Fallahi-Sichani M
Abstract
Phenotype-Based Probabilistic Analysis of Heterogeneous Responses to Cancer Drugs and Their Combination Efficacy, PLoS Computational Biology (2020) Comandante-Lou N, Khaliq M, Venkat D, Manikkam M and Fallahi-Sichani M
Abstract

Courses Taught

BME 4390 Bioreaction Kinetics
BME 4315/6315 Systems Bioengineering
BME 6006 Biomedical Data Science and Analytics

Awards

UVA Shannon Center Mid-Career Fellow 2024-27
BMES Cell and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Rising Star Award 2023
UVA Research Collaboration Award (VPR Research Achievement Awards) 2022
V Foundation for Cancer Research V Scholar Award 2017
NIH/NCI Pathway to Independence Award 2015
Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) Postdoctoral Fellow 2013-15