Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University | Iran
Dr. Zohreh Mashak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control at Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Iran. With a career spanning over 25+ years, she specializes in food safety, microbiology, and antimicrobial research, focusing on innovative preservation techniques and pathogen control in food products.
Professional profile👤
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Strengths for the Awards✨
- Exceptional Research Output
- Broad Research Interests: Dr. Mashak has led impactful research across diverse areas, including food safety, antimicrobial resistance, probiotics, irradiation effects, and mycotoxin detection. Her work bridges microbiology, food technology, and public health.
- High Productivity: She has supervised 100+ student projects (DVM/PhD) and published in peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology, Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Science), demonstrating consistent scholarly contributions.
- Interdisciplinary Impact
- Her research addresses practical challenges in food hygiene (e.g., essential oils as natural preservatives, irradiation for shelf-life extension) and public health (e.g., antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Helicobacter pylori).
- Collaboration with national/international peers (e.g., studies on Listeria in seafood, norovirus detection in fish) highlights translational relevance.
- Leadership and Mentorship
- Extensive supervision of graduate students, many of whom investigated high-priority food safety issues (e.g., mycotoxins in milk, bacterial contamination in ready-to-eat foods).
- Roles as Associate Editor and reviewer for multiple journals (Food Safety, Applied Microbiology) underscore her academic leadership.
- Professional Engagement
- Active membership in scientific societies (e.g., Iran’s Health Food Society, Probiotic Nutrition groups).
- Organizer of workshops/webinars (e.g., food safety certifications, zoonotic diseases), enhancing knowledge dissemination.
- Innovation and Patents
- Development of an antioxidant food packaging film using pine essential oil (patented), showcasing applied research with industrial potential.
Education 🎓
- Ph.D. in Food Hygiene & Quality Control, Islamic Azad University (2004).
- Thesis: Growth/toxicology of Clostridium botulinum under multivariable conditions.
- D.V.M. in Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University (1988).
- Thesis: Metabolic profiles of bovine pregnancy in embryo recipients.
Experience 💼
- Academic:
- Professor at Islamic Azad University, Karaj (1996–2023).
- Lecturer at Ahvaz Medical Science University (1989–1992).
- Research: Extensive supervision of 100+ student projects on food safety, microbiology, and irradiation.
- Food irradiation (meat, fish, eggs).
- Antimicrobial effects of essential oils, biodegradable packaging (chitosan, nano-materials).
- Microbial contamination in dairy, meat, and ready-to-eat foods (Listeria, E. coli, Staphylococcus).
- Mycotoxins in cereals/dairy.
- Halal food authentication (unauthorized tissues in meat products).
Awards & Honors 🏆
- Patent: Antioxidant film for food packaging using pine essential oil (2020).
- Reviewer/Editor: For 15+ journals, including Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology and Enteric Pathogens.
- Scientific Committees: Member of Iran’s Health Food Society, Probiotic Nutrition Asia.
Publications 📜
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One-year prevalence of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus recovered from raw meat
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Authors: A Hasanpour Dehkordi, L Khaji, MH Sakhaei Shahreza, Z Mashak, …
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Year: 2017
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Citations: 125
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Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance in the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospital cockroaches
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Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes isolated from retail chicken meat and giblets in Iran
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Phenotypic and Genotypic Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance and Genotyping of vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA, cagE, and babA2 Alleles of Helicobacter pylori Bacteria …
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Authors: Z Mashak, S Jafariaskari, I Alavi, M Sakhaei Shahreza, …
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Year: 2020
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Citations: 86
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Microbiological Investigation of O‐Serogroups, Virulence Factors and Antimicrobial Resistance Properties of Shiga Toxin‐Producing Escherichia Coli Isolated from …
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Authors: B Hemmatinezhad, F Khamesipour, M Mohammadi, F Safarpoor Dehkordi, …
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Year: 2015
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Citations: 82
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Determination of aflatoxin B1 levels in Iranian rice by ELISA method
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Authors: M Eslami, Z Mashak, A Heshmati, M Shokrzadeh, AS Mozaffari Nejad
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Year: 2015
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Citations: 61
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Chemical and microbial properties of two Iranian traditional fermented cereal-dairy based foods: kashk-e zard and tarkhineh
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Molecular and virulence characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria recovered from hospital cockroaches
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Assessment of AflatoxinM1 contamination in UHT flavored milk samples in Karaj, Iran
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Antimicrobial activities of the combined use of Cuminum cyminum L. essential oil, nisin and storage temperature against Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro
Conclusion 🌟
Dr. Mashak is a pioneer in food safety research, blending traditional methods with cutting-edge technologies (e.g., nano-packaging, irradiation). Her work bridges academia and industry, ensuring safer food systems in Iran and beyond.
