Amid weeks of unrest in Iran, Emory University School of Medicine Dean Sandra Wong announced in an email to medical school faculty on Jan. 24 that a doctor who is also the daughter of a senior Iranian government official is no longer a University employee.
The announcement follows a Jan. 19 protest where Iranian-American demonstrators gathered outside Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute to oppose the employment of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani by the University.
Ardeshir-Larijani is the daughter of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security Secretary Ali Larijani. The Supreme Council for National Security is the group responsible for Iran’s defense. In August 2025, Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved Larijiani to serve as the council’s secretary and represent Khamenei on the council.
Before her departure from Emory, Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani was an assistant professor in the department of hematology and medical oncology at the medical school. Her Emory faculty page and Emory Healthcare pages are no longer visible as of Jan. 24.
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani's Emory University faculty webpage is no longer available following her termination.
The Winship Cancer Institute cited the situation as a “personnel matter” and declined to comment further, according to a statement from Associate Director of Public Relations Andrea Clement.
“Emory is committed to advancing patient care, research, and education,” Clement wrote. “Our employees are hired in full compliance with state and federal laws and other applicable requirements.”
On Jan. 15, the United States government sanctioned Ali Larijani, writing in a press release that he advocated for a violent response to protests against the Iranian government, citing his public support for suppressing dissent against the Iranian government and Khamenei.
Since December 2025, anti-government protests have spread across Iran in response to a growing economic crisis marked by rising inflation and a collapsing currency. In the past several weeks, Iranian authorities have detained and opened fire on protesters. Additionally, the government has shut off civilians’ internet access for over two weeks. On Jan. 23, U.S. President Donald Trump said an American “armada” is headed to Iran amid the unrest.
The Iranian government stated that there have been at least 3,117 people killed during the protests, but some estimates place the death toll as high as 20,000.
On Jan. 22, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) shared a letter on social media that he wrote to Interim University President Leah Ward Sears (80L), urging the University to terminate Ardeshir-Larijani’s employment and for the state to suspend her medical license.
“Allowing an individual with immediate familial ties to a senior official actively calling for the death of Americans to occupy such a position poses a threat to patient trust, institutional integrity, and national security,” Carter wrote.
Carter also previously called for the termination of Anna Kenney on X, citing her social media comments about the assassination of right-wing political figure Charlie Kirk. Kenney, who worked as an associate professor at Emory until the University fired her in September 2025, replied, “good riddance,” in a comment reacting to Kirk’s death. She also called Kirk’s ideology “disgusting.”
Siya Kumar (she/her) (28C) is a news editor at The Emory Wheel. She is from New Orleans, La., majoring in Economics and Creative Writing on the pre-law track. Outside of the Wheel, Kumar is a market news analyst for the Emory Economics Investment Forum and a writer for the Emory Economics Review. She loves baking, reading, and drinking coffee.
