School of Medicine
Showing 71-80 of 361 Results
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Houri Esmaeilkhanian
Affiliate, Ophthalmology Research/Clinical Trials
BioDr. Esmaeilkhanian is an accomplished medical doctor who graduated from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) in 2018. Her passion for ophthalmology ignited during her medical studies, leading her to a focused research career in this field. After earning her degree, she dedicated her efforts to serving underprivileged communities while continuing her research at the Eye and Ear Research Institute of IUMS. In 2021, she advanced to the Doheny Eye Institute at UCLA, working in Prof. Vas Sadda’s lab, where she made significant contributions to research on diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), further honing her clinical expertise. In March 2023, Dr. Esmaeilkhanian joined Byers Eye Institute, pioneering treatments for corneal injuries using innovative stem cell therapies and hydrogels. Additionally, she plays a crucial role in collaborative clinical studies involving the first FDA-approved AI device for diagnosing diabetic retinopathy impacting patient care in both the Bay Area and underserved regions.
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Muneeb A. Faiq
Basic Life Research Scientist, Ophthalmology Research/Clinical Trials
BioDr. Muneeb A. Faiq is a behavioral and metabolic neuroscientist and ophthalmology researcher whose work spans molecular biology, neuroimaging, and systems neuroscience. He has made several foundational contributions, including the first functional cloning of CYP1B1 in congenital glaucoma, implicating retinoic-acid signaling in Zika virus–associated microcephaly, identifying central insulin resistance as a mechanistic basis for glaucoma, and providing the first in vivo evidence for a glymphatic pathway in the optic nerve. With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 4,000 citations, Dr. Faiq has earned international recognition, including the Emerging Vision Scientist Award – 2019 from the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research. He is widely regarded as the pioneer and principal architect of the discipline of psychosomatic ophthalmology, a field he helped conceptualize and establish, leading to the integration of ophthalmic clinical practice with mindfulness-based and psychosomatic medicine frameworks. Dr. Faiq is currently advancing the concept of neurometabolic syntax in vision and brain function — a unifying systems-level framework that integrates genetics, metabolism, and behavior to reconceptualize ophthalmic and neurological diseases through a mechanistic and interdisciplinary lens. He has been selected for the prestigious Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Achievement Award 2026.
