Creating Spaces of Care: A Q&A With Nima Fattahi, MD

I was born in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province — a place UNESCO calls the Creative City of Music. Growing up surrounded by music and Kurdish culture meant being steeped in warmth, inclusivity, and strength. But my path to medicine began in a hospital bed. I was nine when I woke up one morning unable to move my legs. Doctors diagnosed Guillain–Barré syndrome, a condition that can be fatal if it reaches the lungs. My uncle, an internist, stayed by my side the entire time. His calm and kindness turned my fear into inspiration. I remember thinking, I want to be that kind of doctor someday.

Kurdistan is one of Iran’s less developed regions, and that shaped my view of medicine. After medical school, I became the head of a rural health center serving 9,000 people across 14 villages. We had no specialists — so in one day I might deliver a baby, treat an infection, and handle an emergency case. I still remember visiting a pregnant woman whose husband refused her prenatal checkups. I drove out to their remote border village, talked to him in Kurdish, and explained why screenings were vital. He finally agreed — and later, they named their son the name I suggested. That moment stayed with me. Medicine, I learned, begins with listening.

When I first arrived, I didn’t know anyone. I met another newcomer on LinkedIn, and we decided to start a WhatsApp group for international arrivals. It began with just the two of us. Now it has nearly 300 people. We help each other find apartments, share rides, and even organize cultural events, like Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. At these events, people often tell me, “I’ve been in New Haven for three years, but this is the first time I’ve felt part of a community.” Hearing that means the world to me.

I’ve always been drawn to liver research — my grandmother died of liver cancer, and my first study in Kurdistan focused on fatty liver disease. Now, I’m studying how alcohol changes the behavior of platelets and their precursor cells, megakaryocytes. We’ve discovered that alcohol actually weakens immune pathways in these cells, which may explain why people with alcoholic liver disease are more vulnerable to infections. We confirmed the same pattern in human cell models, and we will present our findings at an international meeting soon. It’s exciting to see basic science begin to connect with patient outcomes.

I’m applying for internal medicine residency now because I want to bridge the lab bench and the bedside. My Kurdish background taught me inclusion, hospitality, and resilience — values I carry into everything I do. Whether I’m running experiments or hosting newcomers at a community gathering, the goal is the same: to create spaces of care where people feel seen, supported, and hopeful.