Dr. Morteza Seifi studied the MSc Clinical Biochemistry at Tehran University of Medical Science (TUMS) from 2007-2009. During the time, he worked at Cellular and Molecular Research Center (CMRC) of TUMS and learned and mastered several molecular genetics and bioinformatics techniques. In 2010, he joined the Medical Genetics division of Legal Medicine Organization of Tabriz and continued his working there till 2013. Currently, he is a third year PhD student in Medical Genetics at the University of Alberta. He has received several academic awards, authored or co-authored numerous publications and was selected as member of Golden Key International Honour Society (being among the top 15% of students) in 2014. He is as reviewer and editorial board member for several internationally recognized journals. His PhD program focuses on association of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS) with FOXC1 and PITX2 mutations. ARS is primarily an eye disorder, although it can also affect other parts of the body. About 50% of ARS patients develop glaucoma, a progressive blindness. A wide variety of computer-based bioinformatics studies, state-of-the-art techniques and experimental lab research, are being used by him to discover new mutations in the FOXC1 and PITX2 genes (and the genes that are regulated by either PITX2 or FOXC1) and then to characterize how the disease causing mutations interrupt FOXC1 and PITX2 function. It is his hope that better understanding of the function of PITX2 and FOXC1 together with knowledge of the genes regulated by these two transcription factors will lead to improved glaucoma detection and treatments.

He is particularly interested in molecular mechanisms of human genetic diseases, diagnosis of genetic disorders, gene therapy and genetic engineering.