Mahnaz Shahidi, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering

Vice Chair for Translational Research, Ralph and Angelyn Riffenburgh Professorship in Glaucoma Research

Chair, Faculty Appointments and Promotion Tenure Committee (FAPTC) Panel A

Image of Mahnaz Shahidi, PhD
Is this your profile? Click to edit

Overview

The research of Mahnaz Shahidi, PhD, is focused on development and application of prototype optical imaging technologies to study pathophysiology and improve diagnostic evaluation of ocular and systemic diseases. Ongoing research projects include: imaging of retinal oxygen delivery and metabolism in experimental models of retinal diseases, characterization of microvascular hemodynamics in ocular and systemic diseases, identification of image-based biomarkers of diabetic retinopathy, and assessment of retinal neurovascular coupling and oxygen metabolism in diabetic retinopathy, sickle cell retinopathy and glaucoma. Dr. Shahidi’s clinical interests include diabetic retinopathy, sickle cell retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Awards

  • Juvenile Diabetes Foundation: Fellowship Award, 1992
  • The Whitaker Foundation: Award, 1995
  • Research to Prevent Blindness: Senior Scientific Investigator Award, 2009
  • Morton F. Goldberg, MD, FACS Professorship, 2010
  • UIC: Inventor of the Year Award, 2012
  • UIC: Faculty of the Year Award, 2014

Education and Training

  • University of Illinois — PhD — 1988 — Physics

Research Funding

  • Retinal Ischemia Treatment by Oxygen Nanobubbles
    NIH · R21EY035371 · Sep 30, 2023 – Aug 31, 2025 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Two-photon Imaging of Oxygen and Blood Flow in Retinal and Cerebral Vasculature
    NIH · R01NS121095 · May 1, 2021 – Apr 30, 2027 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  • Two-photon Imaging of Oxygen and Blood Flow in Retinal and Cerebral Vasculature
    NIH · RF1NS121095 · May 1, 2021 – Apr 30, 2024 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  • Imaging of Retinal Oxygen Metabolism in Diabetic Retinopathy
    NIH · R01EY030115 · Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Center Core Grant for Vision Research
    NIH · P30EY029220 · Sep 30, 2018 – Jun 30, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Ocular Biomarkers of Microvascular, Neural and Metabolic Function in Diabetes
    NIH · DP3DK104393 · Sep 30, 2014 – Aug 31, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Investigating Optical and Neural Causes of Vision Loss
    NIH · I01RX000213 · Oct 1, 2009 – Dec 31, 2014 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Imaging of Retinal Oxygenation and Metabolism
    NIH · R01EY017918 · Dec 1, 2006 – Jan 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Noninvsive Imaging of Chorio-retinal Oxygen Tension
    NIH · R03EY014917 · Aug 1, 2003 – Jul 31, 2007 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Retinal Image Quality in Retinal-diseased Eyes
    NIH · R01EY014275 · Sep 1, 2002 – Mar 31, 2012 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • NONINVASIVE IMAGING OF THE CHORIO-RETINAL INTERFACE
    NIH · R29EY010314 · Feb 1, 1996 – Jan 31, 2002 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • P30 Core Grant for Vision Research
    NIH · P30EY001792 · Sep 1, 1978 – Aug 31, 2026 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Publications

  • Racial Variations in Retinal Oxygen Metabolic Biomarkers in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Pilot Study. J Ophthalmol. 2026; 2026:5621029.. View in PubMed
  • Association of papilledema severity with retinal vessel tortuosity in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2026 May 02.. View in PubMed
  • Diagnosis of High Intracranial Pressure by Non-Optic Nerve Retinal Image Features. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2026 Apr 06; 15(4):2.. View in PubMed
  • Retinal Hypoxia: Relation to Blood Flow and Oxygen Metabolic Biomarkers. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026 03 02; 67(3):32.. View in PubMed
  • A Method for Peripapillary Retinal Vessel Tortuosity Measurement and Its Clinical Correspondence. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2025 Oct 01; 14(10):34.. View in PubMed
  • Conjunctival Venular Hemodynamic Biomarkers in Glaucoma. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2025 Sep 02; 14(9):21.. View in PubMed
  • A Method to Evaluate the Frequency Dependence of Retinal Vascular and Neural Metrics to Stimulus Modulation. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2025 Jul 01; 14(7):3.. View in PubMed
  • Quantifying retinal oxygenation and metabolism by phosphorescence lifetime imaging. Exp Eye Res. 2025 Aug; 257:110422.. View in PubMed
  • Aging affects retinal oxygen and blood flow metrics in mice. Exp Eye Res. 2025 Jun; 255:110363.. View in PubMed
  • Feasibility of a method for measurement of retinal pulse-propagated wave velocity in humans. Microvasc Res. 2025 05; 159:104792.. View in PubMed