Heeding the Call: Mehran Pestehei on Machine Learning, Career Development and Collaboration
Mehran Pestehei
Senior Machine Learning Scientist | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Joined Weir Motion Metrics in 2020
16 August 2022
Fueling your ambition to be a leader in your field takes a lot of effort, grit and drive. But for Mehran Pestehei, it is all worth it if he can share his knowledge with those around him.
From an early age, Mehran was fascinated by electronics and computers. In high school, he began writing code, and his thirst for artificial intelligence and robotics and research became insatiable. Originally from Iran, Mehran stayed close to home earning his bachelor’s in computer hardware engineering and completed artificial intelligence in pursuit of his master’s from University of Isfahan and the Sharif University of Technology.
Everything he studied pointed him toward computer vision and the field of artificial intelligence. From working as a project director at a state-of-the-art research center in Iran to earning his doctorate of philosophy in machine learning from the University of British Columbia, he continued to push himself forward. Most of his career has been spent applying his machine learning knowledge in the medical field. Years later, that experience led to a career in mining.
“I feel very lucky to have developed in this field,” said Mehran, “and be part of the evolution of AI in real-time. It drives me to grow more.”
Mehran feels right at home with Weir Motion Metrics (WMM). A senior machine learning scientist, he contributes his talents to three AI research and development teams—giving him purpose, ambition and belonging to his daily work.
Day to day, Mehran and his team members are working on cutting-edge computer vision and machine learning algorithms designed to improve mining efficiency and safety. One of their most recent projects was the third generation of ShovelMetrics™, a contribution that makes Mehran proud.
“The impact we make from developing these solutions is what brings a lot of meaning to what I do,” Mehran said. “One of the major driving forces of our team is to be bold and take risks. And we are encouraged to do that.”
Outside of his own development, Mehran makes it a priority to help others grow. He regularly volunteers to review papers for STEM events, such as the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Interventions, or MICCAI, Conference. He also spends time mentoring his fellow WMM engineers through programs and work sessions to teach the basics of machine learning models.
“Collaboration is key for me,” said Mehran. “I love being challenged and taking that challenge as a team, and working as hard as possible to overcome it and provide tangible results. That to me is really inspiring.”
