Dr. Varpaei is a postdoctoral fellow in the T32 Harvard Medical School Research Training Program in Sleep, Circadian, and Respiratory Neurobiology. His background is in nursing and clinical science, with research focused on the roles of sleep, the gut microbiome, and perioperative factors in cognitive trajectories among patients undergoing major surgery.
As a nurse scientist, Dr. Varpaei takes a patient-centered and holistic approach to clinical research, with particular interest in vulnerable surgical populations, including patients diagnosed with cancer. His work integrates clinical insight with advanced statistical methods to design studies, analyze complex data, and generate findings with meaningful clinical interpretation.
During his PhD, Dr. Varpaei received two competitive grants and contributed to multiple NIH-funded research projects. He also served as a data manager and analyst for Girls Opt for Activity for Life, an NIH-NHLBI-funded study, where he supported data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of intervention outcomes.