Kashani leading Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Initiative in several multicenter studies

From left, Peter Gehlbach, Elizabeth Cordia, Peter J McDonnell, Jay Rosser, Amir Kashani, Dennis Cain. Gehlbach, the J Willard Marriott, Jr Professor of Ophthalmology, is a longtime friend of the Pickens family. (Image courtesy of Wilmer Eye Institute)

Amir H Kashani, MD, PhD, the Boone Pickens Professor of Ophthalmology, is lead investigator of the Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Initiative in several multicenter studies funded by the National Institutes of Health and the BrightFocus Foundation.

These studies aim to develop a clinically useful biomarker of retinal capillary changes to monitor the development of a prevalent form of systemic vascular disease and cerebrovascular disease, known as vascular cognitive impairment and dementia — one of the leading types of cognitive impairment, likely on par with Alzheimer’s disease.

Kashani is also a lead investigator for the first clinical trial in humans to test a novel stem cell therapy for severe vision loss from advanced dry age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy.

For this study, he and the research team pioneered a novel surgical procedure to insert a monolayer of healthy stem cell–derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to replace the damaged RPE in patients with these conditions.

Kashani’s work has been recognized by multiple organizations and publications, including Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Science Translation Medicine, Alzheimer’s and Dementia and Best Doctors in America.