Mehrdad Akbarzadeh is an expert in plant breeding, plant biotechnology, and secondary metabolite analysis, as well as hairy root induction using Agrobacterium rhizogenes. He earned his Master's degree in Plant Physiology and Breeding (Medicinal/Aromatic) from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran, in 2014, and is currently a PhD candidate in Bioscience engineering at Ghent University in Belgium, where he is working on his PhD project focusing on creating diversity in the Geranium genus. Mehrdad has presented his research findings at national and international conferences and has published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. His research interests lie in the field of breeding and biotechnology of horticultural crops, with a particular passion for ornamental and medicinal plants. His research aims to develop new and improved cultivars with desirable traits that can benefit the horticulture industry and the environment.