EMAMI LAB

Computational & Precision Ophthalmology

AI · Imaging · Bioinformatics · Precision Medicine

UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science

Personalized, data-driven care for inflammatory and retinal disease.

We combine advanced imaging, clinical data, and computational methods to detect eye disease earlier, stratify risk, predict outcomes, and personalize treatment. Our work spans imaging biomarkers, EHR-based machine learning, bioinformatics, and translational clinical research.

Research

Imaging Biomarkers for Uveitis

We develop noninvasive imaging approaches to characterize inflammation in uveitis, with the goal of creating more accessible and quantitative biomarkers for clinical care and research.

AI & EHR-Based Prediction

We use machine learning and clinical data to study disease activity, treatment response, and complication risk in uveitis.

Imaging & Multiomics in Neovascular AMD

We integrate longitudinal retinal imaging with molecular data to identify biomarkers of disease activity and treatment response in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Clinical Trial Pipeline Optimization

We study how clinical trial workflows, resource allocation, and operational decision-making can be improved to make ophthalmic clinical research more efficient, scalable, and predictable.

Publications

Full publication list

See PubMed / My Bibliography for the current, complete list of peer-reviewed publications.

View publications on PubMed →

Patents

Head-Mounted Device Including Display for Fully-Automated Ophthalmic Imaging
Co-inventor: Iman Soltani Bozchalooi (Granted)

Tactile-Enhanced Display (haptic navigation aid for individuals with visual impairment)
Co-inventors: Iman Soltani Bozchalooi, Jonathon S. Schofield, Mehran Madani, Shuhao Wan (Pending) · U.S. Application Pub. No. US 2026/0229098

Non-Invasive AI-Based Retinal Inflammation Detection & Severity Estimation Using OCT B-Scans
Co-inventors: Amin Ghafourian-Momenzade, Iman Soltani Bozchalooi (Pending) · UC Case No. 2025-573-0

Funding

National Institutes of Health

PI · NIH/NEI K23 (2026–2031) — Personalized prediction of response to treatment and outcomes in patients with non-infectious uveitis
Project No. 1K23EY037862-01A1

Foundations

PI · Alcon Research Institute Early Investigator Grant (2026–2029)

PI · Retina Society Grant (2025–2027) — AI-assisted detection of retinal vascular leakage & vasculitis

PI · Knight Templar Eye Foundation Career Starter Grant, Renewal (2025–2026) — pediatric uveitis imaging biomarkers

PI · Knight Templar Eye Foundation Career Starter Grant (2023–2024) — pediatric uveitis imaging biomarkers

PI · Doris Duke Charitable Foundation & Burroughs Wellcome Fund Grant (2022–2023) — ML in uveitis diagnosis & follow-up

Industry

PI · BRITE-AMD: Biomarkers of Response to Treatment in Patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (2025–2027) — Research Grant from Regeneron

Institutional

PI · UC Davis Department of Computer Science Collaboration Initiation Grant (2025–2027) — gut-retina axis in retinal disease

PI · CITRIS Core Seed Funding (2022–2024) — automated retinal imaging

Co-I · CITRIS Core Seed Funding (2022–2024) — low-vision aid device

PI · UC Davis Academic Federation Innovative Development Award (2021–2023) — automated ocular imaging

PI · Burns Audacious Grants Award (2021–2022) — automated ocular imaging

Co-I · CTSC Pilot Translational and Clinical Studies (2020–2021) — ML in retinal imaging

Support the Lab

Philanthropic gifts help us pursue early-stage, high-risk ideas — new imaging biomarkers, multiomic studies — before they're mature enough for federal funding. If you're interested in supporting our work, we'd love to hear from you.

Sheena Summers

Senior Director of Development, UC Davis Eye Center

smlennie@health.ucdavis.edu

Team

Parisa Emami, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology · Director, Uveitis Division, UC Davis

Dr. Parisa Emami is a vitreoretinal surgeon, uveitis specialist, and physician-scientist at UC Davis. She directs the Computational and Precision Ophthalmology Lab, where her team develops approaches to improve the diagnosis, prediction, and treatment of retinal and inflammatory eye disease. Her research integrates advanced retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, clinical data science, and translational clinical research, and the lab’s work spans imaging biomarkers, EHR-based prediction, multimodal data integration, and methods to improve the efficiency and precision of clinical research. At UC Davis, she directs the Uveitis Division and leads a multidisciplinary clinical and research program focused on translating computational and biologic insights into practical tools for more individualized ophthalmic care.

Students & Alumni

Current Students

Kelvin Chong

Medical Student

Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

Shashank Mahesh, MSc

Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

UC Davis

Alumni

Fateme Montazeri, MD, MPH

Currently: Internal Medicine Resident

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Mohammad Mehdi Johari Moghadam, MD

Currently: Internal Medicine Resident

Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center

Amin Ghafourian, PhD

Currently: ML Software Engineer

Google

News

Lab News & Updates

Now Hiring

We have an immediate Postdoctoral Scholar opening jointly with the LARA Lab at UC Davis.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Medical Imaging, or a related field, with experience in machine learning, computer vision, medical imaging, or healthcare AI.

The position will focus on interdisciplinary work at the intersection of AI, ophthalmic imaging, and clinical data science.

If interested, please send your CV and a brief description of your research background to pemamin@health.ucdavis.edu.

Join the lab

We periodically welcome postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, medical students, and research staff interested in imaging, machine learning, or clinical trial design in ophthalmology.

Get in touch

Contact

Get in touch

For research inquiries, collaboration, or trainee interest, reach the lab through UC Davis Ophthalmology & Vision Science.

Email

pemamin@health.ucdavis.edu

Interested in supporting our research? See Funding.