WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
I grew up and attended medical school in Iran. My father, an ophthalmologist, first introduced me to the world of eyes and ophthalmology. Throughout medical school, I always knew I wanted to be a surgeon, though I was unsure of the specialty. During my ophthalmology rotation, I became fascinated with microsurgery, and retina surgery in particular. After medical school, I moved to the United States and spent 2 years doing bench research in immunology and corneal transplants with Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH. This experience deepened my interest in immunology and cytokines, shaping my future focus on uveitis.
I completed my residency at Kresge Eye Institute, followed by a vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the University of California (UC) Davis and a uveitis fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic.
MY PATH TO RETINA
During residency, I worked with exceptional retina specialists and mentors such as Gary Abrams, MD, whose encyclopedic knowledge of retina history and clinical trials, combined with his patience for complex cases, deeply influenced me. The contagious passion of Rajiv Shah, MD, for uveitis and complex vitreoretinal cases, along with the personalized approach to patient care lauded by Asheesh Tewari, MD, further fueled my interest. Residency in Detroit also gave me a new perspective for caring for underserved and uninsured populations. These experiences solidified my passion for vitreoretinal surgery and uveitis.
SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY
I have had many mentors who have shaped my career, and I am always grateful for their generosity and support. Lawrence Morse, MD, has supported me throughout my career, Glenn Yiu, MD, helped me develop my research interests, and my other mentors at UC Davis include Susanna S. Park, MD, PhD, and Ala Moshiri, MD, PhD. At the Cole Eye Institute, Sunil Srivastava, MD; Sumit Sharma, MD; and Careen Lowder, MD, taught me how to approach the most complicated uveitis cases and tailor treatment based on patient needs. I still reach out to them with questions, and they are always supportive. Along the way, I was fortunate to meet Steven Yeh, MD, and Goldis Malek, PhD, who have been generous in offering mentorship and support, even though they have not worked with me directly.
AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER
A few years ago, I started caring for a patient who had lost one eye to an explosive device overseas and was losing vision in the other due to sympathetic uveitis. Due to socioeconomic challenges, he struggled to maintain systemic immunosuppression. His biggest wish was to see his 6-month-old child, whom he had never been able to see. After months of treatment and surgery, he finally regained enough vision to see his child for the first time. It was an emotional moment that brought everyone in the clinic to tears. I saw him recently, and he told me that he is trying get his driver’s license to help with school dropoff and pickup.
