Research Summary

Dr. Neel D. Pasricha is an ophthalmologist and surgeon-scientist who cares for patients with cataracts and diseases of the cornea. His expertise includes performing cataract surgery, corneal transplantation, ocular surface surgery, anterior segment reconstruction (repairing structures at the front of the eye), and corneal collagen cross-linking (a way of making weak cornea tissues stronger).

In his research, Pasricha seeks to discover new drugs to prevent eye toxicity from antibody-drug conjugates (compounds used to treat cancer). He serves as the ophthalmology principal investigator for I-SPY 2, a clinical trial platform of more than 30 sites across the country that partner to evaluate new oncology drugs for patients with high-risk breast cancer in early stages. Additionally, Pasricha seeks to discover new drugs for increasing tear production to treat disorders such as dry eye disease. He uses ocular surface electrophysiology (measuring electrical changes in the tear film on the eye's surface) to study ion transport (movement of sodium, chloride and potassium across a membrane).

After earning a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, Pasricha earned his medical degree at the Duke University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at UCSF, where he received the Hogan/Garcia Award for best research by a resident as well as an award recognizing excellence and innovation in graduate medical education for his work on virtual microsurgery training. He completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. While at Bascom Palmer, he received the fellow of the year award and was awarded a merit fellowship from the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation.

Pasricha belongs to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Cornea Society, and Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer.

In his free time, Pasricha loves being with his wife (also an ophthalmologist) and daughter. He also enjoys running Bay Area trails, exploring new restaurants, telling dad jokes, eating cookies, wearing silly socks, and traveling with friends and family.

Research Funding

  • May 1, 2024 - April 30, 2029 - Roles of Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) in Ocular Surface Health and Disease , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NEI, Sponsor Award ID: R01 EY036139
  • February 1, 2023 - January 31, 2028 - Human Ocular Surface Electrophysiology , PI . Sponsor: NIH/NEI, Sponsor Award ID: K08 EY033859
  • December 1, 2024 - November 30, 2026 - Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) for Pediatric Gliomas , PI . Sponsor: Lindonlight Collective, Sponsor Award ID:
  • July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026 - Ocular Surface Electrophysiology for Dry Eye Disease , PI . Sponsor: Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award, Sponsor Award ID:
  • January 1, 2024 - - I-SPY 2 Trial (Investigation of Serial studies to Predict Your Therapeutic Response with Imaging And moLecular analysis 2) , Co-Investigator (Ophthalmology PI) . Sponsor: Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative, Sponsor Award ID:
  • April 21, 2022 - April 20, 2023 - Ocular Surface Ion Transport in Dry Eye Disease , PI . Sponsor: All May See Foundation (AMSF) Research Award, Sponsor Award ID:
  • September 1, 2021 - February 1, 2023 - UCSF-Proctor Clinician Vision Scholars Program , Scholar . Sponsor: NIH/NEI, Sponsor Award ID: K12 EY031372

Education

2021 - Cornea Fellowship, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
2020 - Ophthalmology Residency, University of California San Francisco
2017 - General Surgery Internship, University of California San Francisco
M.D., 2016 - , Duke University School of Medicine
B.A., 2011 - Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University

Honors & Awards

  • Young Investigator Grant, Alcon Research Institute (ARI), 2025
  • Catalyst Award, UCSF, 2025
  • Samuel J. Kimura Faculty Teaching Award, UCSF, 2024
  • Career Development Award, Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), 2022
  • Fellow of the Year, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, 2021
  • Heed Fellowship, Society of Heed Fellows, 2020
  • Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Medical Education Award, UCSF, 2020
  • Hogan/Garcia Resident Research Award, UCSF, 2019

Selected Publications

  1. Pasricha ND, Kim SK, Farooq AV, Lindgren ES, Yan R, Seitzman GD, Chan MF, Shantha JG, Skondra D, Jeng BH, Chamberlain WD, Colby KA, Goldstein DA, Sobrin L, Kim IK, Singh K, Chambers WA, Boyd WM, Silverstein J, Pohlmann PR, Lu J, Glencer AC, Huppert LA, Chien AJ, Rugo HS, Esserman LJ Multicenter Interspecialty Consensus on Experimental Oncology Drug-Related Ocular Adverse Event Reporting.  View on PubMed
  2. Renée S. Landzberg, Julius T. Oatts, Neel D. Pasricha Iris Mammillations in Cri-du-chat Syndrome.  View on PubMed
  3. Yan R, Chen FY, Lindgren ES, Gao Q, Kuo YM, Robertson DM, Cil O, Chan MF, Pasricha ND Optimized Protocol for Isolation and Culture of Primary Human Corneal Epithelial Cells.  View on PubMed
  4. Pasricha ND, Larco P, Miller D, Altamirano DS, Rose-Nussbaumer JR, Alfonso EC, Amescua G Infectious Keratitis Management: 10-Year Update.  View on PubMed
  5. Shreya Menon, Anika Kumar, Neel Pasricha, Maanasa Indaram 227 Genetic testing and clinical correlates in pediatric patients with keratoconus.  View on PubMed
  6. LeVee A, Deutsh A, Lindgren ES, Yan R, Moore H, Pasricha ND, Leventhal J, Dent S, Rugo HS New Drugs, New Toxicities: Side Effects of New and Emerging Breast Cancer Therapies.  View on PubMed
  7. Dalvin LA, Berkenstock MK, Pasricha ND Corneal Changes From Antibody-Drug Conjugates.  View on PubMed
  8. Lindgren ES, Yan R, Kuo YM, Gao Q, de Souza Goncalves L, Chen FY, Chan MF, Verkman AS, Cil O, Pasricha ND Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 3 (LPAR3) regulates ocular surface chloride transport via calcium signaling.  View on PubMed
  9. Jiang AC, Coulter A, Myung D, Schallhorn JM, Pasricha ND Bilateral Light-Adjustable Lens Implantation in a Patient With 50-Cut Radial Keratotomy.  View on PubMed
  10. Eppley SE, Pasricha ND, Seitzman GD, Joye A, Arboleda A, Qureshi A Multimodal Imaging of Posterior Corneal Opacities in Multicentric Osteolysis Nodulosis and Arthropathy (MONA).  View on PubMed
  11. Pasricha ND, Lindgren ES, Yan R, Kuo YM, Chan M, Verkman AS, Chu T, Yottasan P, de Souza Goncalves L, Cil O Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) modulates ocular surface chloride transport and its inhibition promotes ocular surface hydration.  View on PubMed
  12. Neel Dave Pasricha, Ayman Naseri Anterior Chamber IOL.  View on PubMed
  13. Lindgren ES, Yan R, Cil O, Verkman AS, Chan MF, Seitzman GD, Farooq AV, Huppert LA, Rugo HS, Pohlmann PR, Lu J, Esserman LJ, Pasricha ND. Incidence and Mitigation of Corneal Pseudomicrocysts Induced by Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). Curr Ophthalmol Rep. 2024 Jun; 12(2):13-22.  View on PubMed
  14. Neel D. Pasricha, Ethan S. Lindgren, Rongshan Yan, Alan S. Verkman Corneal Epithelium: Transport and Permeability.  View on PubMed
  15. Mahmud H, Ahmad TR, Pasricha ND, Parikh N, Ramanathan S Integrating Internship Into Ophthalmology Residency: Assessment of a National Survey and Structured Microsurgical Curriculum.  View on PubMed
  16. Bui AD, Truong A, Pasricha ND, Indaram M Keratoconus Diagnosis and Treatment: Recent Advances and Future Directions.  View on PubMed
  17. Anh D. Bui, Tessnim R. Ahmad, Stephanie P. Chen, Neel D. Pasricha Anterior Segment: Cornea, Anterior Chamber, and Lens.  View on PubMed
  18. Ahmad TR, Pasricha ND, Indaram M Reply.  View on PubMed
  19. Lindgren ES, Cil O, Verkman AS, Pasricha ND Ocular Surface Ion Transport and Dry Eye Disease.  View on PubMed
  20. Moshirfar M, Payne C, Tauber J, Kang JJ, Mifflin MD, Pasricha N, Djalilian A, Soleimani M Unilateral vortex keratopathy of unknown etiology.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI