Junior Specialist   

Shireen is a Junior Specialist in the Beleford Lab, which studies the molecular signaling pathways underlying vascular malformations associated with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) and other genetic vascular disorders. Originally from Pakistan, she moved to the United States before beginning high school and recently graduated from the University of California, Davis, as part of the Class of 2026 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior and a minor in Public Health Sciences.

Before joining Dr. Beleford's Lab, Shireen conducted neuroscience research at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and gained clinical experience across the UC Davis Health System and other healthcare organizations, strengthening her interest in translational medicine. Through her work, she hopes to advance the understanding of vascular diseases while continuing to grow as a researcher. In the future, she plans to pursue an MD/PhD to combine scientific research with patient care and help translate laboratory discoveries into improved treatments.