Her family fled Iran in October 1978, shortly before the Iranian Revolution, when Sabeti was two years old, and found sanctuary in Florida. Growing up in Orlando, Sabeti wanted to be a flower-shop owner, novelist, or doctor. However, she was most passionate about math. Throughout her childhood and into college, Sabeti played competitive tennis. Sabeti went to Trinity Preparatory School in Central Florida. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar and participated on USA Today’s All-USA High School Academic Team. She additionally attributes part of her inspiration towards medical science to the 1995 movie Outbreak.