University of California San Francisco

Shahram Aarabi, MD, MPH

Shahram Aarabi
Shahram
Aarabi
MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Surgery
UCSF-East Bay Surgery Program
Chief, Vascular Surgery, Alameda Health System, Highland Hospital
Assistant Trauma Director, Alameda Health System, Highland Hospital

 

Biography

Dr. Aarabi is a vascular surgeon interested in care of underserved populations as well as novel therapeutics for use in resource limited settings. His current research is focused on limiting ischemic damage in traumatic limb injuries as well as automated ultrasound monitoring of critically ill patients.

Education

Institution Degree Dept or School End Date
University of Washington Vascular Surgery Fellowship 05/2017
University of Washington Surgical Critical Care Fellowship 05/2015
University of Washington General Surgery Residency 05/2013
Harvard University MPH Epidemiology & Statistics 05/2010
University of Washington General Surgery Internship 05/2008
New York University MD Medicine 05/2007
University of California BA Mathematics & Philosophy 05/1999

Board Certifications

American Board of Surgery, General Surgery
American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
American Board of Surgery, Vascular Surgery

Awards & Honors

Award Conferred By Date
Visiting Early Career Faculty Mentorship & Sponsorship Program Awardee University of California 2024
Outstanding Presentation in Clinical Research University of California, San Francisco Department of Surgery 2024
Candidate Capital Factory, Austin, TX 2020
Graduate, Creative Destruction Lab University of British Columbia 2020
Finalist, Seattle Social Venture Partners Fast Pitch Competition 2017
Best fellow research presentation Strandness Vascular Symposium, Wailea, HI 2017
Finalist, Business Plan Competition University of Washington 2017
Graduate, Foster and Jones Business Accelerator University of Washington 2017
Rosenkranz research award, given to the best reseident research presentation at the annual meeting American Academy of Pediatrics, San Francisco, CA 2010
Dean's academic scholarship Harvard School of Public Health 2009
Award for medical student excellence in scientific research American Association for the Advancement of Science 2006
Foundation grant, awarded to NYC medical students with demonstration of excellence in the arts The Collins Foundation 2003/2006
University academic scholarship New York University School of Medicine 2001
Department of Philosophy honors University of California at Berkeley 1999
Dean's list University of California at Berkeley 1997/1999
Regents' full academic scholarship University of California at Berkeley 1994

Mentoring and Training Narrative

I am currently mentoring several UCSF medical students and UCSF East Bay surgical residents. Among these, Dr. Emily Kao, who is a UCSF East Bay general surgery resident, recently completed a successful research year with me. In one year, she submitted four original manuscripts for publication, had abstracts accepted at four national academic meetings, and helped write three funded grant applications totaling over $3 million in total costs. Another UCSF East Bay general surgery resident, Sahil Patel, is currently spending two dedicated research years with me focusing on two translational research projects: the first to investigate isolated limb hypothermia to treat traumatic injuries and the second to investigate venous ultrasound scanning to monitor intravascular volume status. I am proud of my mentoring relationship with several current and past UCSF East Bay general surgery residents who were interested in vascular surgery. Three have gone on to do vascular surgery fellowships, including Dr. Camille Jackson, who recently completed her fellowship training at UCSF and is joining our team at UCSF East Bay as a vascular surgeon. Several current UCSF East Bay general surgery residents have informed me that they are planning to apply for vascular surgery fellowship. Finally, since my arrival at UCSF, I have mentored two UC Berkeley undergraduate students interested in surgery as a career path. Both are currently participating in clinical research projects with me and are in the process of applying to medical school.

Collaboration Interests

I am interested in:

  • academic collaboration
  • academic senate committee service
  • multicenter clinical research
  • community and partner organizations
  • companies and entrepreneurs
  • press

Clinical Expertise

Vascular Surgery

Trauma Surgery

General Surgery

Surgical Critical Care

Grants and Funding

  • Wearable Machine-Learning Ultrasound Monitor | Department of Defense | 2024-07-01 - 2027-06-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pre-hospital thermal regulation for the prolonged field care of traumatic injuries | Department of Defense | 2023-10-12 - 2026-04-05
  • Wearable machine-learning ultrasound monitor to detect hemorrhage and guide prolonged damage control resuscitation | Department of Defense | 2022-11-16 - 2025-05-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pre-Hospital Thermal Regulation For The Prolonged Field Care of Traumatic Injuries | Department of Defense | 2022-03-01 - 2025-05-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Therapeutic Limb Cooling to Prevent Amputation in pDCR | DoD CDMRP | 2017-10-01 - 2022-09-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pre-Hospital Thermal Regulation For The Prolonged Field Care of Traumatic Injuries | Department of Defense | 2021-04-12 - 2021-07-12 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • VascuSight (3D ultrasound monitoring of critically ill patients) | University of Washington | 2018-06-01 - 2020-06-01 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • A Feedback Controlled Pressure Monitoring System for Limb-Stabilizing Medical Air Splints | Amazon | 2018-04-01 - 2019-04-01 | Role: Co-Investigator
  • LC-tourniquet (a novel life and limb saving cooling tourniquet) | University of Washington | 2016-01-01 - 2018-01-01 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • A novel life and limb saving cooling tourniquet | University of Washington | 2015-09-01 - 2016-09-01 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • A novel life and limb saving cooling tourniquet | Wallace H. Coulter Foundation | 2015-06-01 - 2016-06-01 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Adult endothelial progenitor cell trafficking | NIH/NCCR | 2005-09-01 - 2006-09-01 | Role: Principal Investigator

Research Narrative

Dr. Aarabi's research interests are in the areas of vascular trauma, public health, and surgical innovation.  He has recently been working on novel devices for the care of critically ill patients, has filed several patents related to this work at the University of Washington, and has been awarded a $1.5 million Department of Defense award for research and development of a novel limb cooling tourniquet device. 

His research plans at UCSF are to continue the development of these medical devices so that they will be able to translate to the care of critically ill patients at the bedside.  Further, Dr. Aarabi plans to continue participating in clinical collaborations with trauma-vascular surgeons nationally and internationally and to systematically study vascular trauma at high volume level 1 trauma centers such as Highland Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital. 

Research Interests

Surgical innovation

Public health and health systems improvement

Management of vascular trauma

Publications

MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 10
  1. Endovascular stenting of chronic retrohepatic inferior vena cava interruption in Budd-Chiari syndrome.
    Mathur T, Tabesh A, Kolli KP, Aarabi S| | PubMed
  2. Morbidity and mortality associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury after prolonged tourniquet use: A wartime single-center treatment algorithm.
    Lukiianchuk V, Linchevskyy O, Dorlac WC, Russo RM, Andreatta PB, Aarabi S, Patel S, Butler FK, Polk TM, Holcomb JB| | PubMed
  3. A delayed venous repair strategy after penetrating vascular trauma.
    Patel S, Khan S, Mathur T, Jackson C, Aarabi S| | PubMed
  4. EFFECTS OF LOCAL HYPOTHERMIA ON LIMB VIABILITY IN A SWINE MODEL OF ACUTE LIMB ISCHEMIA DURING PROLONGED DAMAGE-CONTROL RESUSCITATION.
    Kao E, Patel S, Wang X, Ringgold K, Snyder JM, Stern S, Bulger E, White N, Aarabi S| | PubMed
  5. Is Repeat Computed Tomography Angiography for Asymptomatic Grade 1 Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries Cost-Effective?
    Susai CJ, Alcasid NJ, Banks KC, Mendoza AE, Jackson C, Aarabi S, Senekjian L, Victorino GP| | PubMed
  6. Collateral circulation in a patient with combined traumatic radial and ulnar artery injuries.
    Patel S, Klein S, Mathur T, Ingraham C, Jackson C, Aarabi S| | PubMed
  7. A Novel 4D Volumetric M-Mode Ultrasound Scanning Technique for Evaluation of Intravascular Volume and Hemodynamic Parameters. Journal of World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, Open Access. Jul 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wfumbo.2024.
    Patel S, Kao E, Wang X, Ringgold K, Thiel J, White N, Aarabi S, Leotta DF.| | UCSF Research Profile
  8. Therapeutic limb hypothermia for the treatment of traumatic acute limb ischemia.
    Kao E, Germany JO, Shasheendra A, Mhetre K, Wang X, Ringgold K, Patel S, Emery A, Bulger EM, White N, Aarabi S| | PubMed
  9. Critical systolic blood pressure threshold for endovascular aortic occlusion-A multinational analysis to determine when to place a REBOA.
    Ordoñez CA, Parra MW, Caicedo Y, Rodríguez-Holguín F, García AF, Serna JJ, Serna C, Franco MJ, Salcedo A, Padilla-Londoño N, Herrera-Escobar JP, Zogg C, Orlas CP, Palacios H, Saldarriaga L, Granados M, Scalea T, McGreevy DT, Kessel B, Hörer TM, Dubose J, Brenner M, AAST-AORTA Investigators*, ABO Trauma Registry Group*| | PubMed
  10. Zone 1 Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta vs Resuscitative Thoracotomy for Patient Resuscitation After Severe Hemorrhagic Shock.
    Cralley AL, Vigneshwar N, Moore EE, Dubose J, Brenner ML, Sauaia A, AAST AORTA Study Group| | PubMed