“Being plant-based is the most powerful and compassionate choice we can make - for our health, for animals, and for the planet.”

Zahra is a radiation oncologist at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre, in Ontario, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto. Her clinical focus is in gastrointestinal and breast cancers. She obtained her medical degree in 1995, followed by specialist training in Clinical Oncology in the UK. She completed clinical and research fellowships at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto.

Zahra is board certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and serves as co-chair of the Canadian Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group within the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

In 2019, she co-founded Plant-Based Canada, a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based education on the benefits of whole food plant-based nutrition for health, sustainability, and planetary well-being. She is co-author of Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions (2022), written in collaboration with her sister Shireen, and co-editor of the academic textbook Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice (2022).

Zahra promotes sustainable nutrition in healthcare through her roles in healthcare organisations. She serves as a food advisor to the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, and is a member of the PEACH Food Committee, the National Advisory Committee on Planetary Health for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Green is Health Member Group of the Ontario Medical Association, and the Climate and Sustainability Working Group of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists.

How my plant-based journey started:
My compassion for animals inspired me to become an ethical vegan. Over time, it evolved into a professional commitment to plant-based nutrition as a powerful force for preventing chronic disease, enhancing cancer care, and protecting our planet.