Prof KOOHSARI founded and leads the Urban Design Science for Health Lab. He is a faculty member at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. He is also an Academic Affiliate with the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, United States, and a Visiting Researcher with the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University, Japan.
He obtained his PhD in Urban Design from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and another PhD in Health & Sport Sciences from Waseda University, Japan. His research focuses on developing scientific methods to understand how the spatial structure of cities influences population health, with a particular emphasis on urban contexts in the Asia–Pacific region. He applies spatial analysis, epidemiological modelling, and artificial intelligence (AI)–based computational techniques to generate evidence relevant to current and future urban health challenges.
Prof. Koohsari has a publication record with over 140 refereed journal articles (such as in Nature Reviews Cardiology). In 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, he was recognised in the top 2% of most influential researchers worldwide across all scientific disciplines (Stanford University & Elsevier).
Additionally, he is also included in the ‘Top Scientists’ list in the field of ‘Social Science & Humanities’ for the years 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026 (Research.com). He is an editorial board member of several international journals, such as Landscape & Urban Planning, npj Exercise Medicine & Health, Clinical eHealth, and Heart & Mind.