In the Spring of 2016, Sepand started graduate school in the Department of Biology at the University of Iowa as a Master's student in the iBio (Integrated Biology) Graduate Program working in the lab of Dr. Steven Green. The research in Dr. Green's lab focuses on molecular auditory neuroscience. Specifically, Sepand is investigating pharmacological approaches to identify potential regenerative and preventative therapies for synapse loss after noise damage in the cochlea.