Yalda Afshar, MD, PhD

• Maternal congenital heart disease
• Fetal congenital heart disease
• Abnormal placentation
• Placenta accreta spectrum disorders
• Cardio-obstetrics
• Invasive diagnostic testing
• Ultrasound
• Vascular biology
• Reproductive genetics

Link to Dr. Afshar's PubMed publications

Link to Dr. Afshar's Google Scholar publications

10 Selected Publications (see Google scholar): 

1. Williamson CG, Altendahl M, Martinez G, Ng A, Lin JP, Benharash P, Afshar Y. Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy: Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Associated Burdens From a National Cohort at Delivery. JACC Adv. 2024 Jul 2;3(8):101071. doi: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.101071. PMID: 39050813; PMCID: PMC11268102.
2. Afshar Y, Ma F, Quach A, Jeong A, Sunshine HL, Freitas V, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Helaers R, Li X, Pellegrini M, Wohlschlegel JA, Romanoski CE, Vikkula M, Iruela-Arispe ML. Transcriptional drifts associated with environmental changes in endothelial cells. Elife. 2023 Mar 27;12:e81370. doi: 10.7554/eLife.81370. PMID: 36971339; PMCID: PMC10168696.
3. Afshar Y, Yin O, Jeong A, Martinez G, Kim J, Ma F, Jang C, Tabatabaei S, You S, Tseng HR, Zhu Y, Krakow D. Placenta accreta spectrum disorder at single-cell resolution: a loss of boundary limits in the decidua and endothelium. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Jan 29:S0002-9378(23)00729-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.10.001. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38296740.
4. Desmond A, Imany-Shakibai H, Wong D, Kwan L, Satou G, Sklansky M, Afshar Y. Prenatal Congenital Heart Disease and Placental Phenotypes: Preserved Neonatal Weight Despite Small Placentas. JACC Adv. 2023 Jun 30;2(4):100383. doi: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100383. PMID: 38938228; PMCID: PMC11198356.
5. Afshar Y, Hogan WJ, Conturie C, Sunderji S, Duffy JY, Peyvandi S, Boe NM, Melber D, Fajardo VM, Tandel MD, Holliman K, Kwan L, Satou G, Moon-Grady AJ. Multi-Institutional Practice-Patterns in Fetal Congenital Heart Disease Following Implementation of a Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plan. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Aug 3;10(15):e021598. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.021598. Epub 2021 Jul 28. PMID: 34315235; PMCID: PMC8475692.
6. Afshar Y, Dong J, Zhao P, et al. Circulating trophoblast cell clusters for early detection of placenta accreta spectrum disorders. Nat Commun. 2021 Aug 3;12(1):4408. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24627-2. PMID: 34344888; PMCID: PMC8333096.
7. Yin O, Kallapur A, Coscia L, Constantinescu S, Moritz M, Afshar Y. Differentiating Acute Rejection From Preeclampsia After Kidney Transplantation. Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Jun 1;137(6):1023-1031. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004389. PMID: 33957644; PMCID: PMC8141043.
8. Yin O, Kallapur A, Coscia L, Kwan L, Tandel M, Constantinescu SA, Moritz MJ, Afshar Y. Mode of Obstetric Delivery in Kidney and Liver Transplant Recipients and Associated Maternal, Neonatal, and Graft Morbidity During 5 Decades of Clinical Practice. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Oct 1;4(10):e2127378. PMCID: PMC8491100.
9. Mok T, Woods A, Small A, Canobbio MM, Tandel MD, Kwan L, Lluri G, Reardon L, Aboulhosn J, Lin J, Afshar Y. Delivery Timing and Associated Outcomes in Pregnancies With Maternal Congenital Heart Disease at Term. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Aug 16;11(16):e025791. Epub 2022 Aug 9. PMID: 35943056; PMCID: PMC9496287.
10. Desmond A, Nguyen KL, Watterson CT, Sklansky M, Satou GM, Prosper AE, Garg M, Van Arsdell GS, Finn JP, Afshar Y. Integration of Prenatal Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Congenital Heart Disease. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Nov 20;12(22):e030640. PMID: 37982254; PMCID: PMC10727279.

• UCLAHealth, New explanation for why placenta may not separate, Jan 30, 2024
• Drug Target Review, Advancing the understanding of placenta accreta spectrum disorder, Feb 1, 2024
• UCLAHealth. For mom of 4, journey to motherhood includes coming to terms with congenital heart disease, July 3, 2023
• UCLAHealth. Baby delivered at 29 weeks for heart surgery now thriving, May 10, 2023
• UCLAHealth, Conflict on the Maternal-Fetal Front, March 13, 2023
• UCLA. How Dr. Yalda Afshar became a trusted COVID spokesperson, May 9, 2022
• Born Into a Pandemic, 2020
• Researchers seek COVID-19 effects on pregnancy, 2020
• What to know about being pregnant during the covid-19 pandemic, 2020
• UCLA, UCSF Doctors Create Registry to Study Coronavirus Effects on Pregnancy, 2020
• Late-term pregnancy risks: Should doctors induce labor or 'wait-and-see'?, 2020
• Doctors at UCLA, UCSF create registry to study coronavirus effects on pregnancy, 2020
• A Birth Plan Can Help Smooth the Plan to Baby's Arrival, 2019
• Why Do Miscarriages Happen? 5 Miscarriage Myths We Need to Stop Believing. Straight from a gynecologist, 2017
• Birth Plans: Managing Patients' Expectations [Podcast], 2017
• Trimester zero, 2017
• The Birth Plan: How to Make It Work for You and Your Patients, 2017
• If pregnant travelers do their research, there's no need to eclipse a babymoon, 2014
• What Every Woman Needs To Know About A Silent Or Missed Miscarriage, 2014

Note: News website links may expire without notice.

• Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021, 2023, 2024
• Southern California Rising Stars, Super Doctors®, 2023, 2024
• 40 Voices in Maternal Fetal Medicine, 2020
• Editorial Board, Journal of the American Heart Association
• Editorial Board, Contemporary OBGYN
• Editorial Board, Scientific Reports
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund, NextGen Pregnancy Fund, PI (2022-2026)
• Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, Foundation Bridge Grant, PI (2024-2025)
• Gates Foundation Grant, 2020-2022     
• Center for Disease Control Foundation Grant, 2020-2022
• UCLA Iris Cantor Women's Health Center/ CTSI Pilot Award, 2018-2020
• Vascular Biology Training Grant, NIH/NHLBI, UCLA
• Stanley Harris Resident Research Award, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2016
• Leo Rigler, MD Award for Academic Achievement, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2016
• Gregory Dantzler, MD Chief Resident Teaching Award, , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2016
• Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Award, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2016
• Quilligan Scholar, Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, 2015-2017
• Eugertha Bates Prized Memorial Award, Volunteer Award, 2012
• Chancellor’s Student Service and Leadership Award, 2012
• Ervin G Erdös, M.D. and Sara F Rabito Erdös, M.D. Prize for Excellence in Basic Science, 2012
• Jay G Hirsch and William A Tito Memorial Award for the Class of 2012
• Gold Humanism Honor Society, Gold Foundation, 2012
• Foundation for Women’s Wellness, Barbara & Jack Krulewitz Women’s Health Fellowship, 2010-2011
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Predoctoral Award, 2009-2010

• UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Research Lab of Dr. Yalda Afshar