Skip to main content

Main menu

  • About Us
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Health and Economic Impact
    • Research Impact Video
    • Strategic Plan
  • Our Research
    • Research Focus
      • Brain Health
      • Cancer
      • Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence
      • Heart Health
      • Healthy Aging and Mobility
      • Immune System
      • Injury and Rehabilitation
      • Lung Health
      • Mental Health and Substance Use
    • Research Centres and Programs
      • BC Centre on Substance Use
      • Centre for Aging SMART
      • Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation
      • Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation
      • Centre for Lung Health
      • Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
      • Immunity and Infection Research Centre
      • International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries
      • M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences
      • Ovarian Cancer Research Centre
      • Community Research Program
      • Emergency Medicine Research Program
      • Hematology Research Program
      • Skin Research Program
      • Other Research Focus Areas
    • News and Stories
    • Researcher Directory
    • Events and Workshops
  • Research Services
    • New to VCHRI
      • Working at VCHRI
      • Regulations and Training
      • Membership with VCHRI
      • Learning and Development
    • Starting Your Project
      • Research Facilitation
      • Awards and Funding
      • Grant Management
      • Operational Approval
      • CST Cerner
    • Developing Your Project
      • Clinical Trials Administration
      • Clinical Research Unit
      • Research Privacy
      • Financial Policies and Procedures
    • Additional Support
      • Indigenous Health Research Unit
      • VCH-VCHRI AI Hub
      • Communications and Media Relations
      • Study Recruitment Support
      • Innovation and Industry Partnership
    • Internal Awards
    • Clinical Research
    • Indigenous Research
  • Participate in Research
    • Reasons to Participate
    • Participant Stories
    • Find a Study
    • Recruitment Support

User menu

  • Log in

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Our Research
  3. News and Stories
  4. People in profile: Babak Shadgan

People in profile: Babak Shadgan

Stories Jul 8, 2015 3 minutes

Meet Babak – a researcher in the field of biophotonics, Rising Star Award recipient and the perfect passenger to have on your plane in case of medical emergency.

Q: What is your research area and why does it interest you?
A:
My main research field is clinical biophotonics. I’m interested is developing novel light-based technologies for noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of wide range of medical conditions.

I got into this research because when I was a sport physician one of my patients, a gold medalist wrestler in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, wasn’t able to compete in the 2004 Athens Olympics due to progressive leg pain, a condition called chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS). Had a diagnosis been made early, treatment of the syndrome would have been straightforward, but many elite athletes choose not to be screened due to the extreme difficulty and invasiveness of the screening process. I saw a need for a more practical approach, so my PhD research at UBC focused on developing a new method using near infrared spectroscopy for rapid and noninvasive diagnosis of CECS.

Q: In 2009, you received a VCHRI Rising Star award. What have you been doing since then?
A:
 I’ve been busy! Receiving the VCHRI Rising Star Award was a great start to my research career. I have earned several other prestigious awards since then. From 2011 to 2014, I worked on developing a novel method for noninvasive examination of bladder muscle function in people with spinal cord injury using an optical technology called near infrared spectroscopy. That research resulted in a Research Associate position offer from the Rick Hansen Institute and an invitation to join a multi-central research team developing a noninvasive telemetric method for home monitoring of bladder function in people with spinal cord injury at the UBC Department of Urologic Sciences.

I am also involved in a number of clinical research projects in different disciplines as a consultant and teach Applied Pathophysiology in Biomedical Engineering, a course that I designed, to graduate students in UBC’s Biomedical Engineering program.

Q: What is your proudest achievement?
A: 
On October 30, 2012, while on a flight from Amsterdam to Vancouver, I performed CPR successfully and saved a life. That was my proudest professional achievement as a physician. As a researcher, inventing a new concept in medicine to diagnose tissue inflammation using a light-based technique was significant. Based on that concept I then developed a new method for rapid screening of urinary tract infection in children by optically scanning the bladder wall.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A:
 I like watching movies, reading books, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a researcher?
A: 
I would continue what I was doing before, practicing medicine as a sport physician. I love treating sport injuries and helping athletes from of all levels to return to the field and to active lives quickly and safely. As an Olympic Medical and Doping Control Director, I have had the chance to serve at many sport events including the Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing and London. And I will serve at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games too. Working for and with athletes and active people is always rewarding and enjoyable for me.

Q: Are you happy to have changed career paths?
A:
 There are definitely financial challenges with being a researcher as opposed to a physician, and living on grant money can be stressful, however, I get to do innovative research and that’s what I love. 

Researchers

Babak Shadgan

Related Articles

People in profile: Sarah Ng

People in profile: Andrew Agbay

Uplifting the next generation of women in science

Share:

  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Email

Related Research Centres/Programs

International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries

Get the latest research headlines in your inbox

Subscribe

Recent News and Stories

Type
News Releases

New Inpatient Clinical Trials Unit launches at Vancouver General Hospital, advancing blood cancer treatment across B.C.

May 27, 2025 blood, cancer, participate
Type
Announcement

VCHRI SPARKS 2025 Recipients

May 27, 2025 award
Type
Stories

Ask an expert: How can I better understand my asthma?

May 22, 2025 asthma, treatment options, self care
See more news

Get updates!

Join our newsletter mailing list to stay up to date on features and releases.

Subscribe

Quick Links

  • News and Stories
  • Careers
  • Events
  • Media Enquiries

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • X
  • YouTube

© 2025 VCHRI. All rights reserved.

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy