Canadian scientist and entrepreneur
Maryam Sadeghi |
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Sadeghi in 2014 |
Born | Mianeh, East Azerbaijan, Iran |
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Nationality | Canadian |
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Alma mater | Simon Fraser University (PhD 2012) |
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Occupation(s) | Co-founder and CEO of MetaOptima Technology |
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Maryam Sadeghi is an Iranian-born Canadian computer scientist and businesswoman in the field of medical image analysis.
Early life and education
Sadeghi was born in 1980 in Mianeh, East Azerbaijan, Iran.[1] She completed an undergraduate degree in computer hardware engineering at the Iran University of Science and Technology before moving to Canada in 2007.[1]
Sadeghi holds a PhD in computing science from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in the area of medical image analysis.[2] Her PhD thesis, titled Towards prevention and early diagnosis of skin cancer: computer-aided analysis of dermoscopy images,[3] won the Doctoral Dissertation Award 2012 Honourable Mention from the Canadian Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Society (CIPPRS).[4]
Research and career
Sadeghi's company, MetaOptima, developed the MoleScope, a mobile dermatoscope phone attachment, which allows the tracking and monitoring of skin moles.[5] Sadeghi (currently the CEO) co-founded this company with her husband, Majid Razmara (who serves as the chief technology officer).[6][7] MoleScope is a consumer-oriented device with a magnification tool and light source for professional grade imaging quality, with the option to connect to a cloud-based platform. This connected platform allows users to monitor suspicious growths through analysis and archiving of changes in size and colour.[8] MetaOptima has over 70 employees based in Canada, Australia and the US.[6][9] It has also developed the DermEngine platform which utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze and classify skin lesions, alongside simplified documentation.[6][9] DermEngine received the 2019 Ingenious Small Private Sector Award.[7]
Sadeghi was also part of a team that developed UVCanada—a free public health education app for sun protection.[1][10]
Awards and honours
- WaveFront's Wireless Prize package ($40,000) in the BCIC-New Ventures Competition in 2013.[11]
- Prize in the Plug & Play Silicon Valley competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, in July 2014.[11]
- SFU Dean's Convocation Medal, 2012.[12]
- Nominee, YWCA Women of Distinction Award, 2016.[13]
- Winner, Business in Vancouver Forty under 40, 2016.[14][15]
References