Research Summary

Dr. Armin Afshar is a vitreoretinal surgeon and ocular oncologist with an academic career blending clinical practice, research, teaching and administration. He is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. Dr. Afshar serves as the Director of the Ocular Oncology Service at UCSF and the Director of Tele Ophthalmology for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. His research program is funded by the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research to Prevent Blindness, and That Man May See.

Dr. Afshar's specialty is in the treatment of eye tumors and disorders of the retina and vitreous. In addition to expertise in retinal diseases and surgery, he has special training and experience in the management of ocular surface tumors of the conjunctiva and cornea, as well as intra-ocular tumors involving the iris, ciliary body, choroid, retina, vitreous and optic nerves. The UCSF Ocular Oncology Service is an internationally renowned center of excellence with longstanding programs of distinction in Retinoblastoma and Uveal Melanoma, and is one of only a handful of centers world-wide offering both Ocular Proton Therapy and plaque brachytherapy.

Dr. Afshar earned his bachelor of science and medical degree in the accelerated honors medical program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, and a master's degree in business administration at the University of Chicago. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Chicago and fellowships in vitreoretinal surgery and ocular oncology at UCSF. He also completed a master's degree in clinical research in epidemiology & biostatistics at UCSF. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists, American Association of Ophthalmic Oncologists and Pathologists and International Society of Ocular Oncology.

Education

University of California, San Francisco, M.A.S., 06/2018, Masters in Clinical Research
University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, B.S., 05/2003, Biological Sciences
University of Illinois College of Medicine, M.D., 08/2003, Medicine
University of Chicago Booth School of Business, M.B.A., 06/2011, Management

Honors & Awards

  • International Society of Ocular Oncology Biennial Meeting - 1st place poster prize (2015)
  • William F. Hoyt, MD Award - University of California, San Francisco Department of Ophthalmology (2014) -- for outstanding resident teaching
  • Harvey Z. Klein, MD Award - University of Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science (2012) -- for outstanding patient care
  • Illinois Ophthalmology Association - Advocacy Award (2012)
  • Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness - awarded $5,000 research grant (2010)Project: Vitreous penetration of orally administered acetazolamide in humans
  • Bamberger Scholarship (2004)
  • University of Illinois College of Medicine Scholarship (2004)
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois with Honors and Departmental Distinction (2003)

Selected Publications

  1. Alabi RO, Haq Z, Bloomer MM, Afshar AR. Clinicopathologic analysis of a case of small cell lung carcinoma metastatic to the retina. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2023 Sep; 31:101863.  View on PubMed
  2. Ahmad TR, Pekmezci M, Bloomer MM, Grenert JP, Afshar AR. Next-generation sequencing of a large uveal melanoma with whole genome doubling and a PBRM1 mutation. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2023 Sep; 31:101861.  View on PubMed
  3. Han LM, Lee KW, Uludag G, Seider MI, Afshar AR, Bloomer MM, Pekmezci M. Prognostic Value of BAP1 and Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma (PRAME) Immunohistochemistry in Uveal Melanomas. Mod Pathol. 2023 04; 36(4):100081.  View on PubMed
  4. Uner OE, Aronow ME, Mruthyunjaya P, Materin MA, Stacey AW, Wilson M, Afshar A, Skalet AH. Uveal Melanoma and the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight): A Pilot Analysis and Future Directions. Ophthalmol Retina. 2023 03; 7(3):284-286.  View on PubMed
  5. Ahmad TR, Li J, Wu F, Rahman S, Bever GJ, Afshar AR. COCCIDIOIDAL ENDOPHTHALMITIS: EXCELLENT RECOVERY OF VISION WITH AGGRESSIVE USE OF INTRAVITREAL ANTIFUNGALS AND VITRECTOMY. Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2022 Jul 01; 16(4):523-527.  View on PubMed
  6. Kavita K. Mishra, Armin R. Afshar, MA Scholey Jessica, Andrzej Kacperek, and Bertil E. Damato. Ocular Malignancies. . 2022 May 12; 201-224.  View on PubMed
  7. Chen TA, Rayess N, Afshar AR, Moshfeghi DM, Duncan JL, de Alba Campomanes AG. Chorioretinal Findings as the Initial Presentation of Chronic Granulomatous Disease. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2022 04; 53(4):234-238.  View on PubMed
  8. Mekonnen ZK, Everett LA, Hetts SW, Afshar AR. Retinal emboli after cervicopetrous junction internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm stenting. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2021 Sep; 23:101164.  View on PubMed
  9. Reeves MR, Afshar AR, Pershing S. Need for Retinal Detachment Reoperation Based on Primary Repair Method Among Commercially Insured Patients, 2003-2016. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021 09; 229:71-81.  View on PubMed
  10. Jay M. Stewart, Armin R. Afshar. Telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening: rationale and practical considerations in mobile imaging with ultra-widefield photography. Annals of Eye Science. 2021 Jan 1; 0(0):0-0.  View on PubMed
  11. Hennein L, de Alba Campomanes AG, Afshar AR, Robbins SL. As the worm turns: An infant with exotropia. Surv Ophthalmol. 2022 Jan-Feb; 67(1):288-292.  View on PubMed
  12. Everett LA, Rahman SA, Afshar AR. A Pediatric Patient With an Asymptomatic, Unilateral Retinal Mass. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 11 01; 138(11):1211-1212.  View on PubMed
  13. K.K. Mishra, A. Kacperek, I.K. Daftari, A.R. Afshar, J. Scholey, B. Damato, D.H. Char, J.M. Quivey. Key Clinical Concepts from Multi-Institutional Experience with Dedicated Fixed Low-Energy Proton Ocular Beamlines. International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics. 2020 Nov 1; 108(3):e827.  View on PubMed
  14. Azad AD, Zhou M, Afshar AR, Bakri SJ, Pershing S. Systemic Corticosteroid Use after Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Diagnosis. Ophthalmology. 2021 01; 128(1):121-129.  View on PubMed
  15. Mishra KK, Scholey JE, Daftari IK, Afshar A, Tsai T, Park S, Quivey JM, Char DH. Oral isotretinoin and topical retinoid use in a series of young patients with ocular melanoma. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2020 Sep; 19:100787.  View on PubMed
  16. Global Retinoblastoma Study Group, Fabian ID, Abdallah E, Abdullahi SU, Abdulqader RA, Adamou Boubacar S, Ademola-Popoola DS, Adio A, Afshar AR, Aggarwal P, Aghaji AE, Ahmad A, Akib MNR, Al Harby L, Al Ani MH, Alakbarova A, Portabella SA, Al-Badri SAF, Alcasabas APA, Al-Dahmash SA, Alejos A, Alemany-Rubio E, Alfa Bio AI, Alfonso Carreras Y, Al-Haddad C, Al-Hussaini HHY, Ali AM, Alia DB, Al-Jadiry MF, Al-Jumaily U, Alkatan HM, All-Eriksson C, Al-Mafrachi AARM, Almeida AA, Alsawidi KM, Al-Shaheen AASM, Al-Shammary EH, Amiruddin PO, Antonino R, Astbury NJ, Atalay HT, Atchaneeyasakul LO, Atsiaya R, Attaseth T, Aung TH, Ayala S, Baizakova B, Balaguer J, Balayeva R, Balwierz W, Barranco H, Bascaran C, Beck Popovic M, Benavides R, Benmiloud S, Bennani Guebessi N, Berete RC, Berry JL, Bhaduri A, Bhat S, Biddulph SJ, Biewald EM, Bobrova N, Boehme M, Boldt HC, Bonanomi MTBC, Bornfeld N, Bouda GC, Bouguila H, Boumedane A, Brennan RC, Brichard BG, Buaboonnam J, Calderón-Sotelo P, Calle Jara DA, Camuglia JE, Cano MR, Capra M, Cassoux N, Castela G, Castillo L, Català-Mora J, Chantada GL, Chaudhry S, Chaugule SS, Chauhan A, Chawla B, Chernodrinska VS, Chiwanga FS, Chuluunbat T, Cieslik K, Cockcroft RL, Comsa C, Correa ZM, Correa Llano MG, Corson TW, Cowan-Lyn KE, Csóka M, Cui X, Da Gama IV, Dangboon W, Das A, Das S, Davanzo JM, Davidson A, De Potter P, Delgado KQ, Demirci H, Desjardins L, Diaz Coronado RY, Dimaras H, Dodgshun AJ, Donaldson C, Donato Macedo CR, Dragomir MD, Du Y, Du Bruyn M, Edison KS, Eka Sutyawan IW, El Kettani A, Elbahi AM, Elder JE, Elgalaly D, Elhaddad AM, Elhassan MMA, Elzembely MM, Essuman VA, Evina TGA, Fadoo Z, Fandiño AC, Faranoush M, Fasina O, Fernández DDPG, Fernández-Teijeiro A, Foster A, Frenkel S, Fu LD, Fuentes-Alabi SL, Gallie BL, Gandiwa M, Garcia JL, García Aldana D, Gassant PY, Geel JA, Ghassemi F, Girón AV, Gizachew Z, Goenz MA, Gold AS, Goldberg-Lavid M, Gole GA, Gomel N, Gonzalez E, Gonzalez Perez G, González-Rodríguez L, Garcia Pacheco HN, Graells J, Green L, Gregersen PA, Grigorovski NDAK, Guedenon KM, Gunasekera DS, Gündüz AK, Gupta H, Gupta S, Hadjistilianou T, Hamel P, Hamid SA, Hamzah N, Hansen ED, Harbour JW, Hartnett ME, Hasanreisoglu M, Hassan S, Hassan S, Hederova S, Hernandez J, Hernandez LMC, Hessissen L, Hordofa DF, Huang LC, Hubbard GB, Hummlen M, Husakova K, Hussein Al-Janabi AN, Ida R, Ilic VR, Jairaj V, Jeeva I, Jenkinson H, Ji X, Jo DH, Johnson KP, Johnson WJ, Jones MM, Kabesha TBA, Kabore RL, Kaliki S, Kalinaki A, Kantar M, Kao LY, Kardava T, Kebudi R, Kepak T, Keren-Froim N, Khan ZJ, Khaqan HA, Khauv P, Kheir WJ, Khetan V, Khodabande A, Khotenashvili Z, Kim JW, Kim JH, Kiratli H, Kivelä TT, Klett A, Komba Palet JEK, Krivaitiene D, Kruger M, Kulvichit K, Kuntorini MW, Kyara A, Lachmann ES, Lam CPS, Lam GC, Larson SA, Latinovic S, Laurenti KD, Le BHA, Lecuona K, Leverant AA, Li C, Limbu B, Long QB, López JP, Lukamba RM, Lumbroso L, Luna-Fineman S, Lutfi D, Lysytsia L, Magrath GN, Mahajan A, Majeed AR, Maka E, Makan M, Makimbetov EK, Manda C, Martín Begue N, Mason L, Mason JO, Matende IO, Materin M, Mattosinho CCDS, Matua M, Mayet I, Mbumba FB, McKenzie JD, Medina-Sanson A, Mehrvar A, Mengesha AA, Menon V, Mercado GJVD, Mets MB, Midena E, Mishra DKC, Mndeme FG, Mohamedani AA, Mohammad MT, Moll AC, Montero MM, Morales RA, Moreira C, Mruthyunjaya P, Msina MS, Msukwa G, Mudaliar SS, Muma KI, Munier FL, Murgoi G, Murray TG, Musa KO, Mushtaq A, Mustak H, Muyen OM, Naidu G, Nair AG, Naumenko L, Ndoye Roth PA, Nency YM, Neroev V, Ngo H, Nieves RM, Nikitovic M, Nkanga ED, Nkumbe H, Nuruddin M, Nyaywa M, Obono-Obiang G, Oguego NC, Olechowski A, Oliver SCN, Osei-Bonsu P, Ossandon D, Paez-Escamilla MA, Pagarra H, Painter SL, Paintsil V, Paiva L, Pal BP, Palanivelu MS, Papyan R, Parrozzani R, Parulekar M, Pascual Morales CR, Paton KE, Pawinska-Wasikowska K, Pe'er J, Peña A, Peric S, Pham CTM, Philbert R, Plager DA, Pochop P, Polania RA, Polyakov VG, Pompe MT, Pons JJ, Prat D, Prom V, et al. Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level. JAMA Oncol. 2020 05 01; 6(5):685-695.  View on PubMed
  17. Mishra KK, Afshar A, Thariat J, Shih HA, Scholey JE, Daftari IK, Kacperek A, Pica A, Hrbacek J, Dendale R, Mazal A, Heufelder J, Char DH, Sauerwein WAG, Weber DC, Damato BE. Practice Considerations for Proton Beam Radiation Therapy of Uveal Melanoma During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic: Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group Ocular Experience. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020 Jul-Aug; 5(4):682-686.  View on PubMed
  18. Afshar AR, Damato BE. Choroidal melanoma overlying scleral buckle evading detection treated with proton beam radiotherapy. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2020 Jun; 18:100688.  View on PubMed
  19. Han LM, Khanafshar E, Afshar AR, Calkins SM. The diagnostic utility of next-generation sequencing on FNA biopsies of melanocytic uveal lesions. Cancer Cytopathol. 2020 07; 128(7):499-505.  View on PubMed
  20. Cunha Rola A, Taktak A, Eleuteri A, Kalirai H, Heimann H, Hussain R, Bonnett LJ, Hill CJ, Traynor M, Jager MJ, Marinkovic M, Luyten GPM, Dogrusöz M, Kilic E, de Klein A, Smit K, van Poppelen NM, Damato BE, Afshar A, Guthoff RF, Scheef BO, Kakkassery V, Saakyan S, Tsygankov A, Mosci C, Ligorio P, Viaggi S, Le Guin CHD, Bornfeld N, Bechrakis NE, Coupland SE. Multicenter External Validation of the Liverpool Uveal Melanoma Prognosticator Online: An OOG Collaborative Study. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Feb 18; 12(2).  View on PubMed

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