Getting to Know our Neighbors: Rouzbeh Taghizadeh

Continuing our series, “Getting to Know our Neighbors,” we’d like to introduce Rouzbeh Taghizadeh who has been a resident of the Esplanade since 2010. He remembers that, as an MIT  graduate student, taking the Red Line over the Longfellow Bridge looking longingly at the Esplanade. “I’d see the building every day and knew that that was where I wanted to live.”  He accomplished that along with his many other accomplishments but first let’s learn a bit more about Rouzbeh.

In the midst of his graduate studies at MIT, Rouzbeh competed and was a semi-finalist in the 50K Business Plan Competition in 2004. During the one-year process of developing a business plan (“a mini-MBA”) for the competition, he realized that his talents were not only in advancing science and technology but also in business strategy and entrepreneurship. Shortly after receiving his Ph.D. in Stem Cell Bioengineering in 2006 from the Biological Engineering Department and subsequently completing a two-year post-doctorate, Rouzbeh co-founded AuxoCell in 2008 and lead the scientific advancement and business development of the company as Chief Scientific Officer — a company focused on developing novel technologies to enable use of cells and stem cells for cellular based therapeutics and regenerative medicine —which not only fulfills Rouzbeh’s life-long penchant of “helping people” but also provides advancements in new platforms and technologies to enable the use of the body’s natural healing capacity in treating and ultimately curing patients of their ailments. Rouzbeh’s philosophy is that with harnessing and understanding the body’s natural healing capacity, novel therapeutics using these cells can be used to assist the body to heal itself and be far better at it than the traditional medical paradigm of “treating with pharmaceuticals.” Rouzbeh has pioneered advancements in bone marrow, organ, umbilical cord blood and tissue transplantations. But amongst the many challenges that exist in advancing new paradigms in medicine, Rouzbeh has been focusing on developing platforms and novel technologies that standardize the processing and manufacturing of cell-based therapeutics for clinical use. Due to his work, Rouzbeh travels all around the world to advance the company’s mission. He added that he continues to get questions from patients from all over the world and that is “very rewarding to be able to hear from and help patients directly.”

Rouzbeh discovered that the pandemic slowdown provided an opportunity to “reset and find a balance in my life and focus on things that I have been neglecting.” Before the pandemic, Rouzbeh was traveling on average one out of every three days and “it was too much. Although I love traveling, I also love being home and spending time with my family and friends.” Finding a work-life balance includes his many interests. Rouzbeh has had more time to spend with his family. In fact, his mother, Koli, a retired MIT scientist, and sister, Nazbeh, a physician, also live in the Esplanade, in their own units, and they have had Sunday dinner together every week (virtually and, then, in person). Rouzbeh also has a younger sister, Shadbeh, who had been away completing her orthodontics residency and has recently moved back to Cambridge. Koli and Nazbeh followed Rouzbeh’s lead who was able to buy his condo in 2010. “While on a business trip to Europe, I learned of a unit newly listed for sale at the Esplanade and as soon as I returned from my business trip, I toured the unit and put an offer on it immediately!” He has since bought a second unit in the building and noted “not only is the Esplanade a wonderful place to live with a great community but also a great investment.”

Another “passion,” as Rouzbeh describes it, is his love of his culture — all things Persian. Although he was born and raised in the US and grew up in Winchester, both of his parents - originally from Iran - came to the US to pursue their doctorate studies in the mid-70’s (before the revolution in Iran). They then went back to Iran in the early 80’s and, after a short period of time, his mother, whom he describes as “the bravest, strongest, smartest person he knows,” decided that “post-revolutionary Iran is not a place that I want to raise my kids” and returned to the US. Rouzbeh over the years visited his grandparents in Iran regularly and has “a strong connection to my Iranian heritage” and is very proud of that beautiful and rich culture. Rouzbeh has grown up in the Persian community here in Boston and has many Iranian friends in the Boston area as he has been part of the community since childhood. He added that there is a “rich Persian culture in the Boston area”. He was President of the Persian Student Association at MIT. And not to mention, he has friends from all parts of the world. Rouzbeh adds, “with all my travels, I love learning about new cultures and that is manifested in the various diverse group of friends that spend time with.”

Music is also another interest of the multi-talented Rouzbeh – “Persian, and all kinds of international music.” In fact, he has been a DJ at many events—just recently at a friend’s wedding. Perhaps, he could be at DJ at one of ECG’s Pot Luck get togethers? He said “Sure, but it can’t be too loud.” We’ll see! Other interests include art (that he has begun to collect especially from an artist friend Ali Sabet in California); technology; spending time with friends; and “pushing myself physically, safely of course.” To that end, he is an active member of the CrossFit community. 

Rouzbeh would also like to get more involved with helping the Esplanade become more advanced technologically. He stresses that “the building, staff and management are amazing and have been terrific throughout the years, especially during the pandemic.” But, he added, we could become more efficient and eco-friendly, mentioning thermostats, windows, renewable energy options, and becoming more of a green building.  In fact, he had suggested charging stations in 2014 and that is becoming a reality now; he also suggested bringing Starry to the Esplanade and now that has become reality as residents are switching from Comcast. For tech savvy Rouzbeh, all these updates add to the value of the building. To continue contributing, he would like to get even more involved with the Esplanade community and hopes to help out in any way. In fact, this would include helping residents with technological problems and he welcomes requests! Energetic and generous with his time, Rouzbeh is an asset to our building. So, when you see him, say
”Hi” or “Salaam.”

---Jane Hilburt-Davis