Bio
Nazish Sayed, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, and The Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Sayed received his MD from the University of Mumbai, India, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School). He also holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology from Montclair State University. Following his doctoral training, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular and regenerative medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University, where he later served as an Instructor at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.
As an Assistant Professor at Stanford University (2021-2025), Dr. Sayed established an endothelial regeneration program within the Division of Vascular Surgery and the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. His laboratory is a leading research group investigating the role of the vasculature in cardiac diseases, particularly those influenced by genetic variants and environmental factors such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The group also studies the vascular effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Over the past four years, his research has been supported by an NIH K01 award, two NIH R01 grants, an AHA Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) award, and TRDRP grants. These efforts have resulted in more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Aging, Science Translational Medicine, Nature Cardiovascular Research, Circulation, and Cell Stem Cell.
Building on these successes, Dr. Sayed’s lab is now applying its expertise in endothelial cell biology to cardiomyopathy, with the goal of developing strategies for early detection, prevention, and management of cardiovascular complications. His group has made seminal contributions in vascular biology, endothelial cell biology, stem cell biology, cardiovascular disease modeling, cardio-oncology, and cardiovascular aging. The lab is also committed to scientific transparency, ensuring that data generated across projects is preserved and shared for reproducibility and future discovery.
Dr. Sayed has received numerous awards, including the ATVB Young Investigator Award from the American Heart Association and the Jay D. Coffman Young Investigator Award from the Society of Vascular Medicine. He has been supported by prestigious fellowships and grants, including the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Fellowship (F32), AHA Scientist Development Grant and an NIH K-award. His laboratory continues to push the boundaries of innovation, while he remains deeply committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and diverse research environment where all individuals feel valued, respected, and supported.
