Farhad Hafezi

Early life and research

Hafezi was born in Remscheid, Germany in 1967, but he moved to Friborg, Switzerland in 1981. He studied medicine in Fribourg and Berne. Starting in 1993, Hafezi participated in a two year-course in experimental medicine and biology at the University of Zürich.

After studying at the ETH Zürich, Hafezi spent 3 additional years at the University Hospital of Zurich. While at the University Hospital, he worked in the Laboratory for Retinal Cell biology, which was part of the Department of Ophthalmology.

His studies in the Zürich laboratory, allowed Hafezi to identify the first known gene that could completely suppress light-induced retinal degeneration by apoptosis. The findings featured as a cover story in the April 1997 edition of Nature Medicine.

Following the findings, Hafezi focused on a number of areas of cell and cell and retinal degeneration. Between 1998 and 2000, two separate publications in journals were published, focusing on findings from his retinal degeneration research. The findings focused on light-induced cell death and the link to absent c-Fos. The findings featured in the journals Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science and Cell Death & Differentiation.

In 2000, the c-Fos research led to the discovery that c-Fos dependable mice could have the functions of c-Fos restored by using Fra-1. Fra-1 is part of the same Fos family of transcription factors as c-Fos, with the findings featuring in Genes & Development. The findings were tested on mice in 2000, with results showing that c-Fos functions could be restored by using Fra-1 as a substitute. In the same year, Hafezi was part of a research group that identified RPE65 as essential for light-induced retinal degeneration. The article was published in Nature Genetics.

Hafezi further focused on light-induced cell death (apoptosis) of retinal photoceptors. In 2001, his work featured in Cell Death & Differentiation. Later that year, he and a team of researchers developed a variation, which increased retinal resistance against light-induced degeneration by slowing rhodopsin regeneration.

Corneal cross-linking

From 2002 onwards, research and his clinical interest led Hafezi to become a corneal specialist. His work in this field allowed him to develop and translate the principles of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) and create different treatment applications.

As a pioneer of the first clinical applications of Corneal collagen cross-linking in Zurich, he translated the initial application method for the treatment of keratoconus to CXL for LASIK-induced ectasia and CXL for thin corneas.

The publications discussing the introduction of these treatments, led Hafezi to become an international expert on the degenerative disorder, keratoconus. His expertise also focused in on the treatment of the disease, by using CXL principles to stop progression of the disease in the corneas. Following its initial practice in 2002, CXL is considered the treatment of choice for progressive keratoconus and ectasia, reducing the need for corneal transplantation by half.

A couple of years later, Hafezi began to work with stem cell treatments in 2005, but the impact of those findings are yet to be determined.

From 2010 onwards, Hafezi's clinical focus has been the cornea and complication management after complicated refractive laser surgery. This was following his early involvement in implementing corneal collagen cross-linking in ophthalmology. This led to him receiving the Innovation award HUG Geneva in 2012.

Hafezi has implemented other CXL treatments in more recent times. The keratoconus treatment via pediatric application and also using CXL principles for treating infectious keratitis.

Hafezi is considered a leading expert for the development of pediatric application for keratoconus treatment. His expertise has led to him aiding in the development of safety standards and also best practice models for treatment.

In 2008, he was part of a team that published a paper discussing the use of UV light and riboflavin to treat harmful pathogens on corneal tissue. This work was the first to announce such a treatment, which recorded high success rates in the killing of bacteria and fungi. Hafezi also hold two medical patents, both related to CXL technology and treatments.

Hafezi's expertise in his field of CXL meant he became a Clinical Professor at University of Southern California.

Media and recognition

Since 2000, Hafezi has won a number of international awards due to his contributions in the advancement of CXL technology and its applications., including the Carl Camras Award 2014 of ARVO, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the Casebeer Award 2014 of the International Society for Refractive Surgery. In 2013, he was interviewed by the EuroTimes regarding CMX complications.

In 2014, he was honoured for his work in the field of ophthalmology, when he was part of the Power100, which is produced annually by The Ophthalmologist. He is currently a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.