Dr. Tadjalli graduated with a B.Sc., majoring in Physiology and Human Biology from the University of Toronto. He then pursued a doctoral degree at the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies where he completed his thesis work in the field of integrative neurophysiology at the Department of Cell and Systems Biology. His pre-clinical graduate research work focused on the identification of brainstem neurotransmitter systems that regulate the plasticity of upper airway respiratory motor function.
Following his graduate studies, Dr. Tadjalli joined the University of Florida as a post-doctoral research fellow to study the impact of systemic inflammation and spinal cord injury on the expression of spinal respiratory motor plasticity. His research work led to several publications in peer-reviewed biomedical journals, including The Journal of Neuroinflammation, The Journal of Physiology, Journal of Neurotrauma, and The Journal of Neuroscience, as well as a nationally recognized independent research grant in the field of pulmonology sponsored by the Parker B. Francis Foundation. For his overall contribution to the field, Dr. Tadjalli was recognized as the 2021 American Physiological Society Scientist Trainee of the Year in the field of pulmonary physiology.
During his time at the University of Toronto and the University of Florida, Dr. Tadjalli was also involved in teaching several life-science topics in both undergraduate and graduate curriculums. In addition to research, it was during this period that he also developed a passion for teaching. In 2022, he accepted a faculty position at Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (a newly established medical school) with the aim of developing medical curriculum content from the ground-up for multiple foundational pre-clerkship medical school courses. In this role, he served as the Module Block Unit director for Pulmonology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, and taught multiple topics in physiology/pathophysiology and the associated therapeutics critical to patient care. He served on several university committees and was involved with student advising and mentoring.
Dr. Tadjalli’s current position is as an Assistant Professor of Medical Education in the Department of Medical Education in the Kiran Patel College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD). He is an active member of several professional organizations and serves as a manuscript reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Tadjalli’s research interests include the long-term consequence of severe inflammatory related insults (e.g., sepsis) on the functionality of respiratory and non-respiratory motor circuits. His current educationally related research interests include a wide range of topics such as teaching methods, learning techniques and competency-based education.