Aimaz Afrough, M.D.

Aimaz Afrough, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She specializes in multiple myeloma and other plasma cell dyscrasias, developing cellular therapy such as CAR T-cells with or without transplant, and immunotherapy.

Originally from Tehran, Iran, Dr. Afrough earned her medical degree at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran and completed a residency in internal medicine at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore. She then received advanced training through a hematology and oncology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine and a stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in medical oncology and hematology, Dr. Afrough joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021.

Dr. Afrough’s clinical research is focused on improving the therapy and outcome of patients with plasma cell disorders. She is particularly interested in developing novel therapeutic approaches, including adoptive cell therapy to improve the safety and efficacy of therapies in patients with these disorders. She has published numerous academic articles and delivered multiple presentations.

Dr. Afrough is a member of several professional associations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, and the American Society of Oncology.

In 2019, Dr. Afrough received the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Training Award from the Baylor College of Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Training Program.

Medical School

Tabriz University (2008)

Residency

St. Agnes Hospital (2017), Internal Medicine

Fellowship

Baylor College of Medicine (2020), Hematology Oncology

Fellowship

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (2021), Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy

• Developing Cellular Therapy such as CAR T Cells With or Without Tranplant
• High-risk Multiple Myeloma
• Immunotherapy
• Multiple Myeloma and other Plasma Cell Dyscrasia

Featured Publications

HLA-DP mismatch and CMV reactivation increase risk of aGVHD independently in recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Ghobadi A, Milton DR, Gowda L, Rondon G, Chemaly RF, Hamdi A, Alousi A, Afrough A, Oran B, Ciurea S, Kebriaei P, Popat UR, Qazilbash MH, Shpall EJ, Champlin RE, Bashir Q, Curr Res Transl Med 2019 05 67 2 51-55

Impact of Induction Therapy on the Outcome of Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloidosis after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Afrough A, Saliba RM, Hamdi A, Honhar M, Varma A, Cornelison AM, Rondon G, Parmar S, Shah ND, Bashir Q, Hosing C, Popat U, Weber DM, Thomas S, Orlowski RZ, Champlin RE, Qazilbash MH, Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2018 11 24 11 2197-2203

Impact of Hepatitis B Core Antibody Seropositivity on the Outcome of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma.

Varma A, Biritxinaga L, Saliba RM, Stich M, Jauch SF, Afrough A, Honhar M, Popat UR, Shafi MA, Shah N, Bashir Q, Dinh Y, Hosing C, Champlin RE, Qazilbash MH, Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2017 Apr 23 4 581-587

Poor immune reconstitution is associated with symptomatic BK polyomavirus viruria in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients.

Abudayyeh A, Hamdi A, Abdelrahim M, Lin H, Page VD, Rondon G, Andersson BS, Afrough A, Martinez CS, Tarrand JJ, Kontoyiannis DP, Marin D, Gaber AO, Oran B, Chemaly RF, Ahmed S, Abudayyeh I, Olson A, Jones R, Popat U, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K, Transpl Infect Dis 2017 Feb 19 1

Outcomes in hepatitis C virus seropositive lymphoma and myeloma patients after autologous stem cell transplantation.

Varma A, Saliba RM, Torres HA, Afrough A, Hosing C, Khouri IF, Nieto Y, Shah ND, Parmar S, Bashir Q, Ahmed S, Jones RB, Kebriaei P, Olson AL, Shpall EJ, Alousi AM, Qazilbash MH, Champlin RE, Popat U, Bone Marrow Transplant 2016 07 51 7 999-1001

Symptomatic BK Virus Infection Is Associated With Kidney Function Decline and Poor Overall Survival in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Recipients.

Abudayyeh A, Hamdi A, Lin H, Abdelrahim M, Rondon G, Andersson BS, Afrough A, Martinez CS, Tarrand JJ, Kontoyiannis DP, Marin D, Gaber AO, Salahudeen A, Oran B, Chemaly RF, Olson A, Jones R, Popat U, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Winkelmayer WC, Rezvani K, Am J Transplant 2016 05 16 5 1492-502

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in light chain amyloidosis (AL) with renal involvement.

Cornelison AM, Saliba RM, Afrough A, Dinh Y, Nieto Y, Bashir Q, Shah N, Parmar S, Hosing C, Popat U, Shpall E, Champlin R, Qazilbash MH, Bone Marrow Transplant 2016 Feb 51 2 307-9

Outcome of Patients with Immunoglobulin Light-Chain Amyloidosis with Lung, Liver, Gastrointestinal, Neurologic, and Soft Tissue Involvement after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Afrough A, Saliba RM, Hamdi A, El Fakih R, Varma A, Dinh YT, Rondon G, Cornelison AM, Shah ND, Bashir Q, Shah JJ, Hosing C, Popat U, Orlowski RZ, Champlin RE, Parmar S, Qazilbash MH, Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2015 Aug 21 8 1413-7

Central nervous system relapse in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hamdi A, Mawad R, Bassett R, di Stasi A, Ferro R, Afrough A, Ram R, Dabaja B, Rondon G, Champlin R, Sandmaier BM, Doney K, Bar M, Kebriaei P, Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2014 Nov 20 11 1767-71

Predictors that influence contralateral prophylactic mastectomy election among women with ductal carcinoma in situ who were evaluated for BRCA genetic testing.

Elsayegh N, Kuerer HM, Lin H, Gutierrez Barrera AM, Jackson M, Muse KI, Litton JK, Albarracin C, Afrough A, Hortobagyi GN, Arun BK, Ann Surg Oncol 2014 Oct 21 11 3466-72

• Certificate of Added Qualification in Clinical Investigation
  Baylor College of Medicine Clinical Scientist Training Program (2020)
• Reviewer Mentoring Program, Section of JCO Global Oncology
  American Society of Clinical Oncology (2020)
• CPRIT Training Award
  Baylor College of Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Training Program (2019)

• American Society of Hematology (2016)
• American Society of Oncology (2016)
• American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (2019)
• Society of Hematologic Oncology (2015)