Ashkan Afshin

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Ashkan Afshin

Ashkan Afshin (MD, MPH, MSc, ScD) is a biotechnology entrepreneur, physician and epidemiologist. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Novelna Inc., a company developing proteomics‑based blood tests for multi‑cancer detection. In parallel, he serves as an affiliate associate professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Afshin’s academic work focuses on how diet, obesity and other modifiable exposures influence health; he has contributed to the Global Burden of Disease project and co‑authored studies on comparative risk assessment and early cancer detection.

Early life and education

• Medical and public health education. Afshin earned a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Tehran University of Medical Sciences before pursuing graduate studies in the United States. He completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and went on to obtain an MSc in Health Policy along with dual Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees in Epidemiology and Global Health and Population from Harvard University. The IHME biography notes that he has formal training in health policy, population health, decision sciences, public‑health informatics and health economics.
• Postdoctoral fellowships. Afshin completed postdoctoral training in epidemiology at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, focusing on nutrition, chronic disease and dietary policy.

Academic and research career

Afshin joined the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in 2015. A professional biography indicates that he served as an acting assistant professor from July 2015 to March 2017, assistant professor from April 2017 to July 2021 and associate professor from July 2021 to June 2023 before becoming an affiliate associate professor. At IHME he has collaborated on the Global Burden of Disease project, which quantifies health loss from hundreds of diseases and risk factors worldwide. As part of this work he co‑led the GBD 2017 dietary risk analysis, which assessed how dietary factors relate to mortality in 195 countries and estimated that low consumption of healthy foods and high sodium intake together contributed to about 11 million deaths in 2017. He also co‑authored papers on Burden of Proof methods that evaluate the strength of evidence linking exposures to health outcomes using meta‑analytic techniques.

Beyond diet, Afshin has studied obesity trends and their health impacts. A 2017 New England Journal of Medicine article co‑authored by Afshin analysed data from 68.5 million individuals and reported that the prevalence of obesity doubled in over 70 countries between 1980 and 2015, contributing to 4 million deaths—many among individuals who were not obese.

Afshin’s recent research has shifted toward proteomics and early cancer detection. In 2024 he co‑authored a BMJ Oncology study that developed a blood‑based test measuring over 3 000 proteins; the test identified panels of ten proteins capable of detecting early‑stage cancers in men and women with high sensitivity. The study suggested that such proteomic assays could be cost‑effective tools for multi‑cancer screening.

Entrepreneurial ventures

Afshin founded Novelna Inc. in early 2023 as a Palo Alto‑based biotechnology startup that develops proteomics‑based blood tests for multi‑cancer detection. In interviews he has explained that pan‑cancer tests and single‑cancer assays will likely complement each other and that focusing on low‑abundance proteins can improve sensitivity while maintaining specificity. Afshin noted that reducing cost is essential; the company’s long‑term goal is to lower per‑test expenses from below US$50 to under US$10.

He has also emphasised that multi‑cancer tests will not replace organ‑specific screening but complement them, and that multiplexing low‑abundance proteins and using established platforms can help maintain sensitivity while minimising false positives and keeping costs down.

According to Novelna’s mission statement, the company views early disease detection as a right and highlights accessibility, accuracy and affordability as core values. External profiles describe Novelna as assembling a multidisciplinary leadership team and planning to offer its pan‑cancer test as a laboratory‑developed test by 2027.

In a 2024 International Business Times profile, Afshin stated that prevention and early detection are cornerstones of public health and suggested that future screening measures should use artificial intelligence and proteomic data to personalise tests and make accurate and affordable early detection possible before symptoms appear.

In 2023 Novelna was one of the winners of the NextMed Health MEDy Awards, which recognise early‑stage health‑care startups. The awards page described the firm as developing proteomics‑based diagnostics for early detection of cancer and other chronic disorders and listed categories such as Convergence, One to Watch, NextGen, Outstanding Pitch, Most Disruptive and Most Likely to Scale.

In 2024 the World Economic Forum highlighted Novelna’s sex‑specific protein panel in an article on cancer breakthroughs. Afshin commented in the accompanying press release that combining protein‑based biomarkers with sex‑specific analysis offers a more effective and cost‑efficient way to detect cancer at early stages on a large scale.

Other research and commentary

Before founding Novelna, Afshin co‑authored a systematic review of internet and mobile interventions for improving diet, physical activity, weight, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. The review found that web‑based programmes improved multiple health behaviours and that mobile interventions enhanced physical activity and adiposity, although most studies were short in duration. When the findings were reported in the media, Afshin noted that effective digital programmes often combine goal‑setting, self‑monitoring, personalised messages and support from health‑care providers.

In opinion pieces on health‑care innovation, Afshin and collaborators have argued that new technologies should be evaluated by whether they ease tensions between patients, clinicians and payers and align incentives across stakeholders. They have also proposed a framework for addressing unmet needs across the treatment, process and structural dimensions of care, suggesting that innovations should relieve or eliminate these tensions. These articles underscore his interest in connecting epidemiological evidence with policy and innovation practices.

Professional service and leadership

Beyond his academic and entrepreneurial roles, Afshin has participated in international committees that guide health metrics and policy. A professional profile notes that he has served on leadership teams for the Global Burden of Disease Study and on World Health Organization committees, including the Reference Group on Health Statistics and the Task Force on Risk Factors. His involvement in these groups reflects his commitment to translating epidemiological evidence into actionable policies and to improving global health surveillance.

See also

• Multiomics
• Liquid Biopsy

External links

The following sources provide further reading on Afshin’s research and media coverage:

• The Lancet – “Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017” (2019) – the original GBD dietary risk analysis.
• Nature Medicine – “The Burden of Proof studies: assessing the evidence of risk.”
• New England Journal of Medicine – “Health effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years.”
• Washington Post – “Bad diets kill more people around the world than smoking, study says.”
• New York Times – “Obesity Study: 10 percent of the world is obese.”
• The BMJ – “Transforming the food system to fight non‑communicable diseases.”
• TIME – “Poor Diets Are Linked to 20% of All Deaths Worldwide, Study Says.”
• The Guardian – “Bad diets killing more people globally than tobacco, study finds.”
• ABC News – “When Staring at Your Phone Could Lead to a Healthier Lifestyle.”
• PubMed – author information for “Novel proteomics‑based plasma test for early detection of multiple cancers.”
• STAT News – "Eliminating ‘tensions’ in health care: a litmus test for innovation"
• DeciBio Consulting – “Exploring Proteomics: New Approaches to Early Cancer Detection.”
• International Business Times – “Dr. Ashkan Afshin Is Steadily Unlocking the Potential of Biotechnology to Revolutionize Healthcare.”

References

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