Shahpar Najmabadi

Shahpar Najmabadi, MPH, MS, PhD

Languages spoken: English, Farsi

Academic Information

Divisions: Public Health

Academic Office Information

s.najmabadi@utah.edu

Research Interests

  • Fertility and Subfertility
  • Reproductive Epidemiology
  • Maternal and Fetal Health
  • Fecundability Modeling
  • Menstruation Science
  • Environmental & Behavioral Determinants of Reproductive Health
  • Ovulatory Function

Shahpar Najmabadi, PhD, MPH, MS, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Utah School of Medicine. As a public health professional and researcher with a clinical background, she is deeply committed to improving reproductive health outcomes. Her research advances evidence-based healthcare practices aimed at reducing preventable mortality and morbidity and promoting the lifelong well-being of women. Her current work includes investigating menstrual cycle biomarkers as indicators of reproductive health issues and conducting maternal and child health needs assessments to inform equitable and effective public health interventions. She is also engaged in healthcare workforce research, advocating for policies that foster fairness and sustainability within the U.S. healthcare system.

Dr. Najmabadi earned her MPH and PhD in Public Health from the University of Utah; completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Utah; and holds an MS in Midwifery/Education and a BS in Midwifery from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Education History

Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Utah School of Medicine
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Certification University of Utah
 Certificate
Doctoral Training University of Utah School of Medicine
 PhD
Certification University of Utah
 Certificate
Graduate Training University of Utah School of Medicine
 MPH
Graduate Training Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
 MS
Undergraduate Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Loder R, Najmabadi S, Rolls J, Elrod L, Barry C, Dunbar H, Coombs J, Rodriguez JE, Honda T (2026). Undergraduate Grade Point Average Mediates the Relationship Between Childhood Socioeconomic Indicators and Likelihood of Physician Assistant/Associate Matriculation. J Physician Assist Educ.
  2. Johnson B, Najmabadi S, Goetz P, Ure S, George S, Greenberg J, Rolls J (2026). Disparities in depression screening following adoption of universal screening protocol. JAAPA, 39(4), 29-33.
  3. Stanford JB, Najmabadi S, Chang CE, Agyemang DO, Rivet K, Porucznik CA (2025). Pregnancies, intentions, and fertility behaviors during use of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System after initial intention to avoid pregnancy: Results from the Creighton Model effectiveness, intentions, behaviors assessment study. PLoS One, 20(7), e0328806.
  4. White RD, Najmabadi S, Valentin V (2024). PA scope of practice reform: History informing the future. JAAPA, 38(1), e20-e24.
  5. Najmabadi S, Valentin V, Rolls J, Showstark M, Elrod L, Barry C, Broughton A, Bessette M, Honda T (2024). Non-native English-speaking applicants and the likelihood of physician assistant program matriculation. Med Educ Online, 29(1), 2312713.
  6. Rolls J, Showstark M, Najmabadi S, Loder R, Barry C, Honda T (2024). Gender Minority Physician Assistant/Associate Applicants and Likelihood of Matriculation: A Retrospective Analysis. J Physician Assist Educ, 36(2), 113-119.
  7. Ecochard R, Stanford JB, Fehring RJ, Schneider M, Najmabadi S, Gronfier C (2024). Evidence that the woman's ovarian cycle is driven by an internal circamonthly timing system. Sci Adv, 10(15), eadg9646.
  8. Ryujin D, Coombs J, Sturges D, Najmabadi S, Rodrguez JE, Maldonado M, Loder R, Yole-Lobe M, Bradley-Guidry C (2023). Academic Rank Disparities in Minoritized and Racialized Physician Assistant Educators. J Physician Assist Educ, 35(1), 32-39.
  9. Broughton A, Landry A, Showstark M, Barry CL, Najmabadi S, Rolls J, Honda T (2024). Military Veteran Matriculation in US Physician Associate/Assistant Programs. J Physician Assist Educ.
  10. Boyle P, Andralojc K, van der Velden S, Najmabadi S, de Groot T, Turczynski C, Stanford JB (2024). Restoration of serum estradiol and reduced incidence of miscarriage in patients with low serum estradiol during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study using a multifactorial protocol including DHEA. Front Reprod Health, 5, 1321284.
  11. Rolls J, Najmabadi S, Barry C, Showstark M, Hamilton C, Quella A, Honda T (2023). Gender minority PA applicants and matriculation likelihood. JAAPA, 36(12), 1.
  12. Loder R, Coombs J, Najmabadi S, Henry T, Ryujin D, Valentin V (2023). Gender Disparities in Physician Assistant Educator Promotion and Compensation: A Mixed Methods Approach. J Physician Assist Educ, 34(1), 3-8.
  13. Showstark M, Bessette M, Barry CL, Najmabadi S, Rolls J, Hamilton C, Valentin VL, Quella A, Honda T (2022). PA applicant U.S. citizenship status and likelihood of program matriculation. BMC Med Educ, 22(1), 887.
  14. Duane M, Schliep K, Porucznik CA, Najmabadi S, Stanford JB (2022). Does a short luteal phase correlate with an increased risk of miscarriage? A cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 22(1), 922.
  15. Valentin VL, Najmabadi S, White R (2022). State scope of practice laws and PA employment. JAAPA, 35(12), 1.
  16. Najmabadi S, Schliep KC, Simonsen SE, Porucznik CA, Egger MJ, Stanford JB (2022). Characteristics of menstrual cycles with or without intercourse in women with no known subfertility. Hum Reprod Open, 2022(4), hoac039.
  17. Stanford JB, Parnell T, Kantor K, Reeder MR, Najmabadi S, Johnson K, Musso I, Hartman H, Tham E, Winter I, Galczynski K, Carus A, Sherlock A, Golden Tevald J, Barczentewicz M, Meier B, Carpentier P, Poehailos K, Chasuk R, Danis P, Lipscomb L (2022). International Natural Procreative Technology Evaluation and Surveillance of Treatment for Subfertility (iNEST): enrollment and methods. Hum Reprod Open, 2022(3), hoac033.
  18. Valentin V, Najmabadi S, Warner M, White R, Dehn R (2022). Initial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physician Assistant Education. J Physician Assist Educ, 33(2), 78-86.
  19. Duane M, Opoku Agyemang D, Najmabadi S, Stanford J (2022). Fertility Treatment in Utah: A Pooled Analysis of 2009–2015 Utah Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Data. Utah Womens Health Rev, 6.
  20. Valentin VL, Najmabadi S, Honda TJ (2021). Associations between state scope of practice laws and US physician assistant wages from 1997 to 2017: a longitudinal analysis. BMJ Open, 11(8), e052849.
  21. Najmabadi S, Schliep KC, Simonsen SE, Porucznik CA, Egger MJ, Stanford JB (2020). Cervical mucus patterns and the fertile window in women without known subfertility: a pooled analysis of three cohorts. Hum Reprod, 36(7), 1784-1795.
  22. Valentin VL, Najmabadi S, Everett C (2021). Cross-sectional analysis of US scope of practice laws and employed physician assistants. BMJ Open, 11(5), e043972.
  23. Honda T, Henry TD, Mandel ED, Quella A, Rodrguez JE, Najmabadi S, Valentin VL (2021). Maximizing Black applicant matriculation in U.S. PA programs: associations between the number of submitted applications and likelihood of matriculation. BMC Med Educ, 21(1), 127.
  24. Valentin V, Najmabadi S, Warner ML, Jones I, Van den Brink G, Dehn RW (2021). COVID-19 impact on International Physician Associate Educational Programs. MedEdPublish.
  25. Valentin VL, Najmabadi S, Jones J, Everett CM (2020). State Scope of Practice Laws: An Analysis of Physician Assistant Programs and Graduates. J Physician Assist Educ, 31(4), 179-184.
  26. Najmabadi S, Honda TJ, Hooker RS (2020). Collaborative practice trends in US physician office visits: an analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), 2007-2016. BMJ Open, 10(6), e035414.
  27. Najmabadi S, Schliep KC, Simonsen SE, Porucznik CA, Egger MJ, Stanford JB (2020). Menstrual bleeding, cycle length, and follicular and luteal phase lengths in women without known subfertility: A pooled analysis of three cohorts. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol, 34(3), 318-327.
  28. Najmabadi S, Gren LH, Frost CJ (2019). Secondary data analysis of non-communicable diseases among adult female refugees arriving in Utah between 01/01/2012 and 12/31/2015. Utah Womens Health Rev, 1(1), 105-109.

Other

  1. Najmabadi S, Baron KG, Sleeth DK, McFarland MM, Henry TD, Elbarbary M, Suh M, Eum K, Honda TJ (2020). Impact of airborne particulate matter on human sleep; Protocol for applying a systematic review to an environmental hazard. PROSPERO.
  2. Najmabadi S (2015). Benefits of consistent family meals. University of Utah School of Medicine.

Report

  1. Stanford JB, Schliep KC, Najmabadi S, Hemmert R, Tuttle C, Simonsen SE, Sanders JN, Peterson CM (2018). Infertility and fertility treatment in Utah. Utah Legislature.