Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9899
ISSN: 2155-9899
Yureeda Qazi
Clinical Research Fellow of Opthamology
Harvard Medical School
Dr. Qazi joined MEEI in November 2010 with a background in nanoparticle-mediated gene therapy for corneal and choroidal neovascularization for which she was awarded a Fight For Sight Postdoctoral Fellowship, and in vivo imaging in transgenic murine models of retina and refractive development. At MEEI Dr. Qazi developed and validated novel parameters for the assessment of tissue and glandular inflammation to assess disease severity and guide treatment plans in evaporative dry eye patients using laser-scanning in vivo confocal microscopy with progression from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to clinical trials. Dr. Qazi and her mentor Dr. Pedram Hamrah are inventors of a patent on MGD. Furthermore, Dr. Qazi also identified possible reasons for the prevalent symptom-sign disparity in dry eye patients, and ocular pain in post-refractive surgery patients that appear clinically unremarkable. With an interest in developing sensitive and clinically meaningful metrics of assessment, in collaboration with experts at MEEI, Dr. Qazi designed, tested and validated an ocular pain-specific questionnaire (OPAS) that quantified ocular pain intensity and quality of life among 4 other dimensions associated with ocular pain- an unmet need in the field of ocular pain for clinicians and industry. Dr. Qazi is a peer reviewer for IOVS, JAMA Ophthalmology, Eye, Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO), Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, and Journal of Clinical Research and Bioethics; expert board member for IJO; and a guest editor for the age-related macular degeneration supplement of Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases. Dr. Qazi plays an active role in ARVO as a committee member of Members-In-Training (MIT) and Women in Eye and Vision Research (WEAVR), serving in the capacity of a moderator, judge and workshop organizer.
Dry eye, ocular neovascularization, gene therapy, corneal nerves and antigen presenting cells in inflammatory diseases, ocular pain, and in vivo ocular imaging.