Kian Kamgar–Parsi started out as a physicist at the University of Virginia, where he wrote his bachelor's thesis on theoretical quantum entanglement. During his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, he moved on to something completely different: studying protein-folding biophysics and amyloid proteins. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the molecular-level environmental factors influencing amyloid aggregation of human calcitonin, discovering a novel mechanism of aggregation. Since graduating in 2018, he has worked as a consultant with Lifescience Dynamics, providing strategic support to major pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and abroad.