Dr. Athena Rafieepour | Prevention | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Athena Rafieepour is a distinguished faculty member of the Occupational Health Engineering Department at the School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, specializing in occupational toxicology and environmental health. She earned her B.S. in Occupational Health Engineering from Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, her M.S. from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, and her Ph.D. from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, with a focus on occupational toxicology. Dr. Rafieepour has held key academic and administrative roles, including Head of the Occupational Health Engineering Department, Education Director, Secretary of the Research Council, and Founder of the Student Scientific Society at Arak University of Medical Sciences. She has also contributed as a health expert in industrial settings and served as scientific secretary for national student conferences in health sciences. Her research encompasses occupational and environmental toxicology, nano- and cytotoxicity studies, risk assessment, ergonomic interventions, and monitoring of airborne hazards, with a prolific record of peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and innovative methodologies in air and biological monitoring. Dr. Rafieepour’s work has significantly advanced understanding of the health impacts of chemical and physical workplace exposures, integrating experimental, epidemiologic, and in vitro approaches, and she has led numerous projects evaluating workplace safety, nanoparticle toxicity, and exposure mitigation strategies. Her expertise in developing and validating analytical methods and her leadership in academic and research initiatives have positioned her as a recognized authority in occupational health sciences. She has authored 30 documents, which have received 218 citations, and holds an h-index of 9.