Farhad Hafezi

About Farhad Hafezi

Farhad Hafezi

Medical Director, The ELZA Institute, Zürich; Professor of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Geneva; Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

As a post-doc, Farhad Hafezi identified a gene that can completely inhibit light-induced retinal damage in mice. Today his clinical focus is on corneal and refractive laser surgery, and he is a pioneer of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for the treatment of corneal ectatic disorders like keratoconus. Hafezi was instrumental in building IROC in Zurich, where CXL technology underwent clinical development, and is considered a leading expert on the development and translation of this technique, and its multiple applications in the field. A recipient of the Casebeer and ARVO Foundation/Carl Camras Translational Research Award awards, Hafezi founded the charitable Light for Sight Foundation, along with his wife, Nikki.