About Dr. Zainab Saadi

Dr. Saadi is a physician, parent, Irvine city commissioner, and longtime community advocate focused on the health and wellness of all Irvine residents.

A proud product of Irvine’s public schools, Dr. Saadi is an alumna of Northwood High School and a member of its first complete graduating class. Dr. Saadi then went on to UC Irvine, earning her bachelor’s in neurobiology before beginning her career in medicine at USC Keck School of Medicine. Recently, Dr. Saadi was awarded the prestigious UC Irvine ‘Distinguished Young Alumna’ award in recognition of her exemplary achievements in service to the community, professional excellence, and campus involvement.

For nearly 10 years, Dr. Saadi performed her medical training and residency at USC School of Medicine and LAC+USC Medical Center, where she was exposed to patients in Downtown Los Angeles who came from all walks of life, including unhoused individuals, migrants, and low-income families. Regardless of their background, Dr. Saadi recognizes that everyone is a human being deserving of care and support. 

After her medical training, Dr. Saadi returned home to Irvine to raise her family and continue her career in medicine. Today, she has about 20 years of experience, and currently works as a UC Irvine Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. 

In addition to her work as a physician, Dr. Saadi is a deeply engaged resident throughout Irvine and Orange County. Dr. Saadi’s wealth of experience in geriatric care and her record of community involvement led to her appointment as a Senior Citizens Council Commissioner for the City of Irvine. In that role, Dr. Saadi advises the City Council on policies that center the concerns of Irvine’s older adults. 

At the county and state level, Dr. Saadi supports the Orange County Medical Association (OCMA), and California Medical Association (CMA) where she serves on a committee that makes policy recommendations concerning public health and related issues. Dr. Saadi can also be found regularly helping at community events, previously speaking at the City of Irvine Spring into Health Fitness Challenge, the Irvine Senior Fitness Expo, the Orange County Care Connections Network, and also at wellness events at nearby cities such as Fullerton, Corona Del Mar, and Newport Beach.

Dr. Saadi is an American-Canadian-Arab-Iranian woman who enjoys bringing people together, facilitating understanding to solve problems, and helping improve lives. Focused on positive change, Dr. Saadi envisions an Irvine that represents the needs of all residents, proactively taking steps to promote health, inclusion, and wellness.

When not busy with patient-care or community engagement, Dr. Saadi may be found with her husband and their three young children jogging on one of Irvine’s green paths.