We take pride in the contributions of our scholars, who represent a diverse range of disciplines and research interests within nephrology and internal medicine. Our current postdoctoral scholars are:
Niloufar Ebrahimi, MD:
She obtained her medical degree from Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ebrahimi served as an urgent care physician in her home province, Guilan, which caught the attention of FOX 5 News San Diego, where she shared her experiences live on the morning news. Her commitment to advancing medical knowledge led her to California from Toronto, Canada, in 2023, where she joined our program. Her primary research focus is on glomerular diseases and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In addition to her clinical research in PKD, she is involved in advocacy and fundraising efforts to raise awareness and support for individuals affected by the disease. Dr. Ebrahimi is an award winner of the GlomCon Physician Scientist (GPS) Scholarship in 2024 and was selected for the ASN Kidney STARS program in 2024 and 2025. Outside her professional activities, she enjoys cooking, playing tennis, reading psychological novels, and fiction.
Amir Tahavvori, MD:
He obtained his medical degree from Tabriz Azad University, Iran, and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran. In addition to his clinical training, Dr. Tahavvori has prior teaching experience at Urmia Azad University, where he was involved in medical education and academic activities. Dr. Tahavvori’s research interests center on kidney diseases, translational research in cardiorenal and metabolic disorders, and biomarker- and transcriptomics-based studies in nephrology. He previously pursued translational research at Northwell Health and The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York, where he worked on projects in mitochondrial function, translational medicine, and metabolic disease. Dr. Tahavvori is passionate about integrating clinical medicine and research to improve patient outcomes and advance translational nephrology. He values mentorship, scientific collaboration, and evidence-based medicine. Outside of his professional activities, he enjoys reading, staying physically active, and lifelong learning.
Felemez Arslan, MD:
He earned his medical degree with honors from Istanbul University’s Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Türkiye, in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the COVID-19 hemodialysis service at Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital in Istanbul, overseeing dialysis operations and continuous renal replacement therapy for critically ill patients. His clinical background also includes internal medicine, emergency medicine, primary care, and occupational health. His research interests encompass chronic kidney disease, dialysis modalities, and the integration of genomics, epigenetics, and artificial intelligence into precision medicine. He has contributed to translational research in regenerative medicine and stem cell immunomodulation, alongside systematic reviews and meta-analyses in nephrology and internal medicine. During medical school, he received scholarship support from Prof. Aziz Sancar and Pfizer. Dr. Arslan is actively involved in medical education and research mentorship, helping physicians and students develop their skills in scientific methodology, genetic data interpretation, and academic writing. Outside medicine, he enjoys chess, tennis, basketball, writing poetry, and reading literature, philosophy, and the history of science. He also plays the erbane, a traditional frame drum.