I was born in Tehran, Iran in November of 1974, and raised in Arlington, Texas till age 5. My family moved back to Iran in summer of 1979 which in retrospect was an unfortunate decision. The political situation in Iran was very volatile and unstable at the time; there had just been a revolution and the country was facing the devastating war with Iraq which would last for 8 years. Despite the war, the oppression, and all the hardships my family endured I am fortunate and grateful to have survived them all, and most importantly, to have had the opportunity to be raised in my ancestral homeland. Growing up surrounded by centuries rich in culture, art, and history has had a great impact on my life and personality, where I draw on my Persian heritage for strength and inspiration.
I did my early schooling in Tehran where my studies focused on math and sciences. I was also a pupil in the studio of Professor Mahmoud Javadipour, one of Iran’s great masters, where I learned the basic principals of drawing and the use of oils in painting. By summer of 1990, and after 11 years in Iran, my family moved to America for good and settled back in Texas.

I graduated from Mac Arthur High School in Irving in spring of 1992, and began college the following fall at The University of Texas at Arlington, majoring first in architecture and then in biology. Also, in keeping close to my artistic roots, I took advantage of many advanced art classes during my course of study. I especially enjoyed incorporating my passion for art in science classes, where I would meticulously render the details of different preserved specimens in my laboratory notebook. This led to an opportunity where I was invited to contribute several pen and ink illustrations for a zoology manual that was eventually published and used as an instructional aid. As it turns out, that was my first exposure to the field of scientific illustration, and the awakening towards pursuing a career in biomedical arts. I continued my studies by participating in a year abroad program at University of Sheffield in England during 1995-96. This was a fantastic and very memorable experience all around, as I met many intriguing people, traveled extensively in the UK and Europe, and made many lifelong friendships that I continue to cherish today. By spring of 1997, I had completed my Bachelor of Science in biology and continued on to graduate school. This is where I met my husband, John Morse, a fellow biologist and UTA Maverick.

After completing the first year of graduate school, I decided to take a break from pure sciences and pursue my other interest in fine arts. I started working at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, with the intention of applying to the graduate program in biomedical illustration. I worked as a research assistant in the departments of physiology and neuroscience, and gained many valuable technical skills in biomedical research. Meanwhile, I continued enhancing my portfolio by taking several fine art courses at local community colleges. I applied and was accepted to the biomedical communications graduate program at UT Southwestern in spring of 2001, and received the Vesalian Scholar Award through the Association of Medical Illustrators in 2003 for my master’s thesis project “The Corticospinal and Corticobulbar tracts: An Animated Three-Dimensional Instructional Aid”. After completing my Master of Arts degree in summer of 2004, I currently work as a freelance medical illustrator in Dallas.

I not only have a thorough understanding of biomedical sciences, but I am also proficient in traditional and digital illustration techniques. I am experienced in web and graphic design and 3D animation utilizing such program as Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, QuarkXpress, and 3D Studio Max. I also have a personal passion for photography. In regards to my personal assets, being exposed to different cultures and living in different countries throughout my life has given me the advantage of being very aware, flexible, and effective in communication. In my profession as a medical artist, I strive to excel and advance personally with each project in creating useful and accurate illustrations, and learning a new technique in the process. Ultimately, I would like to teach and contribute my knowledge and experiences in cultivating the next generation of artists and enthusiasts.

I am a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

If you have a project in mind please feel free to contact me. I would gladly discuss your needs with you and the best approach to illustrate them.