Invisible Structures: A Family Legacy of Scientific Mentorship

Throughout scientific history, specific legacies are documented through formal citations, disseminated in textbooks, or, occasionally, engraved in stone. However, some legacies are transmitted more subtly: through the enduring influence of a mentor, in discussions held around a kitchen table, and in the daily demonstration of how to lead a thoughtful life in the pursuit of knowledge. Our family has inherited both forms. 

Our tradition of scientific curiosity can be traced to the 16th-century polymath Sheikh Bahāʾī (1547–1621), a mathematician, scientist, architect, and philosopher whose influence shaped the intellectual landscape of Safavid Iran (1). His designs still outline Isfahan, Iran, and his wide-ranging intellect embodies a Persian ideal: knowledge should be synthesized, not compartmentalized. Centuries later, this vision was carried into the modern era by our uncle, Prof. Mansoor Sheik-Bahae (1956-2023), a scientist whose refined work in nonlinear optics and signal processing and his profound commitment to mentoring guided our paths in contemporary science. Although he passed away on July 10, 2023, the foundation of his influence endures. As an academic neuroscientist or an applied Machine Learning scientist in the industry, we grew up with respect for Mansoor and by his constant presence in our scientific upbringing. From him, we acquired knowledge and a strong ethic: curiosity, mentorship, and interdisciplinary thinking are vital in science, serving as the foundation for its progress.

Mansoor’s Scientific Legacy: A Career of Precision and Principle 

Mansoor was a physicist whose influence endures. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Catholic University of America and completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo. His academic journey began at CREOL, University of Central Florida, before he joined the University of New Mexico in 1994, where he became a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Mansoor shared the 2012 Prize with Eric Van Stryland and was recognized for “Most cited paper in the history of IEEE-JQE,” LEOS 2007. He received the 1996 NSF-CAREER award and the 1990 Engineer of the Year Award, IEEE/LEOS (Orlando, Florida). Mansoor’s creation of the Z-scan technique – a highly sensitive and refined method for assessing optical nonlinearities – has established itself as a standard across photonics laboratories globally (2). This work exemplifies his scientific approach: clarity, efficiency, and a commitment to making complex ideas both accessible and measurable. It is used in labs studying everything from semiconductors to biophotonics. Moreover, his work on the dispersion of bound electron nonlinear refraction remains essential to interpreting wavelength-dependent nonlinearities in solid-state media. Yet his most profound impact, at least in our lives, was not as an inventor or author, but as a listener, a question-asker, and a mentor.

Mentorship as Method

Mansoor’s approach to mentorship echoed the same architectural sense Sheikh Bahāʾī brought to his hydraulic systems and celestial models: invisible structure and long-term stability. He encouraged us not toward any particular field but toward depth, resilience, and interdisciplinary fluency. This mentorship led us in different directions, one toward the biology of brain circuits, the other toward algorithms that interpret digital behavior, but both grounded in a shared philosophy. Whether studying astrocyte-neuron interactions in the brain (3) or building machine learning systems that detect anomalies in cybersecurity infrastructure (4), we work on problems of signal extraction, pattern recognition, and emergent function. And always, somewhere behind our thinking, is Mansoor’s voice asking: What is the structure behind the complexity? What principle ties it together?

The Architecture of Influence

Mansoor was especially attuned to how science is transmitted through journal articles, lectures, conversations, role models, and quiet encouragement. He rarely sought the spotlight but made space for others to find their voice. The researchers he mentored often describe their time with him as technical training and an apprenticeship in integrity. Just as Sheikh Bahāʾī is remembered for designing a bathhouse said to be heated by a single candle, a feat often described more as metaphor than engineering, Mansoor showed us how a single, steady presence can illuminate the career trajectories of others. Mansoor’s life reminds us that building a career is not just about what you know or publish, but about what you pass on. His influence continues to ripple outward, whether through the Z-scan method or a moment of patient advice. As we mentor the next generation of trainees and research teams, we carry forward the questions he taught us to ask:  What structure underlies this system? What patterns give rise to function? What can be measured, and what must be trusted? And when we find answers, we hope they bear the same clarity and humility that Mansoor always sought. In those moments, we find ourselves channeling the same language Mansoor used: simple questions, calm feedback, and an unwavering belief that growth comes not from proving oneself right but from learning to ask better questions.

In science, as in architecture, the most enduring work is often the invisible scaffolding that holds up others – quiet, essential, and lasting. Mansoor understood this. His quiet, consistent mentorship shaped how we and others who interacted with him think, work, and train others. But his legacy reaches beyond individual lives. It reflects a deeper truth: that the strength of science lies not solely in discovery, but in transmission through example, through encouragement, and through the steady cultivation of others. This is how knowledge persists. This is how science endures.

The authors declare no conflict of interest. 

Feature image. Invisible structures. In architecture, the most enduring elements, such as foundations and scaffolds, are often unseen. Yet, it is these hidden structures that hold everything upright. Similarly, in science, invisible mentors play a crucial role. Their guidance shapes the journey by providing support, critique, and belief, laying the groundwork for success and ensuring that knowledge stands tall.

References

1. S. H. Nasr, Science and Civilization in Islam (Kazi Publications, Inc., 2007).

2. M. Sheik-Bahae, A. A. Said, T. H. Wei, D. J. Hagan, E. W. Van Stryland, Sensitive measurement of optical nonlinearities using a single beam. IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 26, 760–769 (1990).

3. S. Sheikhbahaei, E. A. Turovsky, P. S. Hosford, A. Hadjihambi, S. M. Theparambil, B. Liu, N. Marina, A. G. Teschemacher, S. Kasparov, J. C. Smith, A. V. Gourine, Astrocytes modulate brainstem respiratory rhythm-generating circuits and determine exercise capacity. Nat. Commun. 9, 370 (2018).

4. S. Akella, S. Sheikh-Bahaei, Systems and Methods for Device Fingerprinting. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2022).