Marta Comes Carsí | Psychiatry and ophthalmology | Women Researcher Award

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Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí | Psychiatry and ophthalmology | Women Researcher Award

Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Spain

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí is a Spanish ophthalmologist from Valencia with extensive clinical and academic expertise in visual sciences, retina, and ocular pathologies. Born on November 12, 1992, she currently serves as a Facultativo Especialista in Ophthalmology at the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia. Her medical career is marked by specialized training across top hospitals in Spain, including Barcelona and Valencia, and advanced postgraduate studies in retina, uveitis, and clinical ophthalmology. With multiple master’s degrees and international certifications from the European Board of Ophthalmology and the International Council of Ophthalmology, Mrs. Comes Carsí combines a strong academic foundation with practical excellence. Her research explores structural and functional alterations of the retina, especially in psychiatric conditions, and has been published in prestigious ophthalmological journals. Fluent in English and Catalan, she actively contributes to continuing medical education and integrates evidence-based practices in clinical care.

Profile

🎓 Education

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí obtained her medical degree from the Universitat de València in 2016, laying a strong foundation for her specialization in ophthalmology. She then completed a Master’s in Clinical Medicine at Universidad Camilo José Cela (2017), followed by multiple postgraduate degrees at Universidad Tecnológica de las Islas Canarias in Retina and Uveitis, Clinical Ophthalmology, and Ocular Pathologies (2024). She earned the European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma (EBO) and multiple certifications from the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) in Clinical Ophthalmology, Visual Sciences, and Optics. Her extensive additional training includes accredited university courses in surgical techniques, pediatric glaucoma, corneal diseases, and ocular inflammation. This multidisciplinary academic background equips her with the knowledge to manage complex ocular conditions and to contribute significantly to academic research and clinical teaching. Her education reflects a continuous commitment to staying updated with evolving practices and innovations in visual science and eye health.

🧪 Experience

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí has accumulated a wide range of clinical experience through her progressive roles in leading Spanish medical institutions. She began her residency at Hospital Clínico y Provincial de Barcelona in 2017 and continued at the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia from 2020 to 2024. Her dedication and expertise earned her a permanent position as a Facultativo Especialista in Ophthalmology at the same Valencia hospital, where she now works part-time. Mrs. Comes Carsí’s clinical work spans general ophthalmology, retinal pathologies, anterior segment imaging, and pediatric ocular disorders. Her experience also includes performing ophthalmologic surgeries and diagnosing complex visual system disorders. She actively participates in scientific and academic programs, blending patient care with educational involvement. Her clinical background, enriched with hands-on training and high-level certifications, reflects a comprehensive and evolving practice in visual health, making her a reliable clinician, researcher, and educator in the field of ophthalmology.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí’s commitment to academic and clinical excellence has been recognized through several prestigious achievements. She was awarded the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) Diploma in 2024, a significant credential demonstrating her advanced expertise across European standards. Additionally, she earned certifications from the International Council of Ophthalmology in Clinical Ophthalmology, Visual Sciences, and Optics—honors that underscore her global standing in ophthalmic education. Her dedication to continuing education is evident in her completion of specialized university-accredited courses in glaucoma, surgical ophthalmology, corneal diseases, and pediatric pathologies. These honors signify her commitment to lifelong learning and delivering the highest standards of care in ophthalmology. Her active involvement in continuing education programs and international evaluations confirms her drive for excellence and positions her as a highly respected ophthalmologist committed to best practices, academic advancement, and patient-centered care.

🔬 Research Focus

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí’s research primarily focuses on the intersection of ophthalmology and systemic or neuropsychiatric conditions, particularly studying structural and functional retinal changes. Her recent work includes investigations into visual function and retinal morphology in patients with bipolar disorder, indicating a multidisciplinary approach that integrates psychiatry and ophthalmology. She also contributes to anterior segment imaging studies, such as iris abnormalities using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Her publications, appearing in Archivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmología, highlight her emphasis on evidence-based clinical advancements. Mrs. Comes Carsí applies her research findings to refine diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic approaches in complex ocular pathologies. Her focus on retinal diagnostics and systemic ocular manifestations supports the advancement of personalized ophthalmic care. By combining advanced imaging, clinical insight, and inter-disciplinary research, she is contributing to a broader understanding of ocular biomarkers relevant to both ophthalmology and systemic disease diagnosis.

✅ Conclusion

Mrs. Marta Comes Carsí exemplifies the integration of clinical expertise, academic rigor, and research innovation in modern ophthalmology. With a solid educational foundation, diverse hospital experience, and internationally recognized certifications, she advances patient care while contributing to scientific understanding of ocular diseases. Her work stands at the forefront of visual science and clinical excellence.

Publications

  • Marta Comes Carsí; Delia Hernández Pérez; Antonio Miguel Duch Samper. Subretinal hemorrhages
    with subfoveal involvement after blunt ocular trauma, in a patient with pseudoxanthoma elasticum and
    angioid streaks. Archivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmología (English Edition). 99 – 9, pp. 412.
    Elsevier BV, 22/06/2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.oftale.2024.05.013. Epub 2024 Jun 22.>. ISSN 2173-5794

  • Marta Comes Carsí; Noemí Ruiz Del Río; Antonio Miguel Duch Samper. Myopic macular pit with
    scleral dehiscence in highly myopic patient. Archivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmología
    (English Edition). Elsevier BV, 20/07/2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.oftale.2024.07.008>. ISSN 2173-5794
  • Marta Comes Carsí; Elena Gracia Rovira; Laura Manfreda Domínguez; Vicente Tomás Pérez
    Torregrosa; John Paul Liscombe Sepúlveda; Antonio Miguel Duch Samper. Oclusión combinada de
    vena central de la retina y arteria ciliorretiniana en dos pacientes jóvenes. Archivos de la Sociedad
    Espanola de Oftalmologia. Elsevier BV, 19/08/2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oftal.2024.08.006.>.
    ISSN 0365-6691
  • Noemí Ruiz Del Río; Marta Comes Carsí; Leyre Sanz Gallen. Roséola sifilítica iridiana. Utilidad de la
    tomografía de coherencia óptica de segmento anterior. Archivos de la Sociedad Espanola de
    Oftalmologia. Elsevier BV, 24/08/2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oftal.2024.08.004>. ISSN 0365-6691
  • Marta Comes Carsi; José Miguel Vilaplana Mora; Laura Manfreda Domínguez; Carlos Cañete
    Nicolás; Antonio Miguel Duch Samper. Alteraciones en la función visual y en la estructura retiniana
    de los pacientes con trastorno bipolar. Archivos de la sociedad española de oftalmología. (España):
    elsevier, 05/2025. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oftal.2025.03.007>.
  • Marta Comes Carsí; Sergio Alfredo Maugard Tepper; Antonio Miguel Duch Samper. Mamilaciones
    de iris bilaterales. Imagen de tomografía de coherencia óptica del segmento anterior.ARCHIVOS DE
    LA sociedad española de oftalmología. 04/2025.<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oftal.2024.11.005>.
  • Marta Comes Carsí; Sergio Alfredo MAUGARD TEPPER; Amparo Lanuza García; Antonio Miguel
    Duch Samper. Orbital abscess surgery in a patient with odontogenic pansinusitis. Acta
    ophthalmologica. 100 – S275, pp. 1755 -3768. John Wiley & Sons, 20/12/2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2022.0267>. ISSN 1755-375X

 

said Pournaghash-tehrani | Neuroscience | Best Faculty Award

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Dr. said Pournaghash-tehrani | Neuroscience | Best Faculty Award

 

Profile

  • Googlescholar
  • Researchgate

Education

Said Pournaghash-Tehrani earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology in 1993 from The American University in Washington, D.C., where he also completed his Master of Arts in Psychology in 1990. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Distributive Science from the same institution, which he obtained in 1986. Fluent in English and German, he also has familiarity with French. He can be reached via email at spournaghash@yahoo.com or by telephone at 011-98-09122074388.

Work experience
  • Said Pournaghash-Tehrani has extensive academic and research experience in psychology. He served as a Research Associate in 2001 at the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. In 2002, he took a sabbatical as a researcher at the Department of Psychology, Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, focusing on cross-cultural studies related to Iranian attitudes towards the West. Since 2002, he has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Tehran University, having previously held the same position at Azzahra University in Tehran from 1996 to 2001. Additionally, he was a member of the Scientific Council on Energy and Economic Studies at the Institute for International and Political Studies (IPIS) from 1998 to 2000, where he also worked as a political researcher. His early academic career included serving as a Teaching and Research Assistant at The American University’s Department of Psychology from 1987 to 1990, where he contributed to courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Neuroscience Seminar, Psychopharmacology, Neuropsychology, Biological Basis of Behavior, and Learning and Behavior.

Books

–Fundamentals of Clinical Psychopharmacology, (2007); Samt Publications
-Drugs and Behavior, (2004); Samt Publications.
-Physiological Psychology, Tehran University Publication.
-Intimacy; Alzahra University Publication.
-Theories of Addiction, Alzahra University Publication.

Conference Presentations

Said Pournaghash-Tehrani has contributed extensively to neuroscience and psychology research, presenting his findings at prestigious conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience and the Eastern Psychological Association. His work has focused on drug discrimination learning, conditioned taste aversion, and the effects of opioids and their antagonists. In 1987, he co-authored studies assessing the discriminative stimulus properties of naloxone and the failure of cholecystokinin to counteract morphine sulfate’s effects. His later research explored the antagonism of morphine stimuli, the role of buprenorphine in opiate-naive and dependent animals, and the impact of RO15-4513 on ethanol-induced taste aversion. He has collaborated with notable researchers, including A.L. Riley, contributing to investigations on diazepam exposure and behavioral toxicology. His presentations in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Boston, and other major research venues highlight his significant role in advancing psychopharmacology and behavioral neuroscience.

Publication

Wei Jiang | Cognitive and neuropathology | Women Researcher Award

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 Dr. Wei Jiang | Cognitive and neuropathology | Women Researcher Award

Medical University of South Carolina , United States

Her academic focus includes microbiome, B cell/autoantibody interactions, and disease pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on HIV, addictive drugs, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She is involved in several clinical and translational research projects, including R01DA059854 (Jiang & Sheng), investigating the impacts of drug abuse on autoantibodies and immune reconstitution in HIV. She also works on CSRD Merit I01 CX002422, exploring B cell-mediated immunological failure in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy. Additionally, she contributes to NIDA-funded studies, such as R01DA055523, examining the oral microbiome’s effect on cognition in HIV-infected cannabis users, and R01DA059538, investigating HIV persistence in cocaine users. Furthermore, she collaborates on a Translational Science Award project exploring the oral microbiome’s impact on cognition in Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

Profile

Education:

She earned her M.S. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Case Western Reserve University, Medical School, Cleveland, USA, in 2012. Prior to that, she completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, Medical School, Cleveland, USA, in 2008. She holds an M.S. in Immunology from Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, which she completed in 2001. She also received her M.D. in Internal Medicine from Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, in 1997.

BRIEF RESEARCH INTEREST STATEMENT:

She has 8 years of clinical experience in infectious diseases and 22 years of translational research experience in disease immunopathogenesis. As a corresponding author, she has published 52 peer-reviewed articles on microbiome and disease immunopathogenesis in high-profile journals like Microbiome, Arthritis & Rheumatology, J Autoimmunity, and EbioMedicine, bringing her total number of peer-reviewed publications to 101. As a physician-scientist, she has served as Principal Investigator on five R01 grants from NIAID or NIDA, along with a VA clinical merit grant, focusing on microbiomes, drug abuse, autoimmunity, and HIV immunopathogenesis. Her research primarily focuses on two major areas. The first is understanding the role of B cell perturbation and autoantibodies in disease pathogenesis, particularly in HIV and SLE. In 2017, her team first determined that autoimmunity impacts antiretroviral therapy outcomes in HIV without inducing autoimmune disease. This concept was later corroborated in studies on COVID-19. Her team is currently developing monoclonal autoantibodies and inhibitors to prevent anti-CD4 autoantibody binding, aiming to improve CD4+ T cell recovery and reduce morbidity in HIV patients. The second area of focus is the role of microbiomes in disease pathogenesis, including HIV, SLE, and drug abuse. She has identified the impact of disease-associated pathobionts on immune perturbations and disease progression, with findings validated in animal models. Her microbiome research is supported by R01DA055523.

TRAINING, PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

She currently serves on the Appointment, Promotion & Tenure (APT) committee in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, a position she has held since 2024. She was promoted to Full Professor with tenure in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine at the same institution in 2023. She has been a Faculty Senator for the College of Medicine and a Research Health Scientist at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center since 2022. Additionally, she is a member of the Translational Science Laboratory IAC (2020-2022) and the MUSC College’s Curriculum Committee (2019-Present). She has held various positions at MUSC, including Associate Professor (2018-2022) and Assistant Professor (2012-2018) in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Since 2018, she has been a member of the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC and has served on the award committee for the Advancement, Recruitment, and Retention of Women in Science. Her academic career began as an Instructor (2008-2012) and Research Associate (2002-2008) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH.

AWARDS

She received her Chinese Board of Internal Medicine certification in Infectious Diseases in July 1997 and was certified as an Attending Medical Doctor in Infectious Diseases in November 1999 (No: 10203C089758). In July 1997, she also earned a Teacher Qualification from the Educational Institute, National Educational Committee in China (No: 971100071069382). Her licensure is from Beijing, China.

She has received several awards throughout her career, including the Laboratory Travel Grant from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) in 2019, the MUSC High Impact Research Publication Award in 2019, and multiple travel grants from AAI for various international immunology congresses. She was awarded the Early Career Faculty Travel Grant by AAI and ECI in 2018 and 2017, and received the Travel Award and HIV Section Chair recognition at the 2016 International Congress of Immunology. In 2015, she was honored with the MUSC Foundation Developing Scholar Award and an Early Career Faculty Travel Grant from AAI. Her earlier achievements include multiple Young Investigator Awards from the 13th and 15th Conferences on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (2006, 2008) and the Keystone Meeting on HIV Pathogenesis (2006, 2008). Additionally, she was recognized as an Outstanding Student Leader for five consecutive years during her medical school years from 1986 to 1991.

OTHER EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

She has held several key professional roles and memberships throughout her career. Since 2024, she has been serving as a mentor for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship (FLMF) Program. She is a member of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology 2024 committee and has been a Treasurer Elect for the Association of Chinese Virologists in America from 2022 to 2024. She has been a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) since 2021 and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) since 2020. She has also been serving on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology since 2019 and is a member of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. Additionally, she has been part of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA) and the American College of Rheumatology since 2018. She has contributed as an award committee member for the Advancement, Recruitment, and Retention of Women in Science at the Medical University of South Carolina since 2017 and is an associate member of the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC.

She is also an active member of the MUSC Oral Health Center, College of Dental Medicine, and the Medical University of South Carolina College of Graduate Studies. Her previous memberships include being part of the American Association of Immunologists from 2011 to 2021, the Center for AIDS Research from 2008 to 2012, and the AIDS Clinic Trial Group since 2008. Her certification in Chinese Board of Internal Medicine in Infectious Diseases dates back to 1997, along with her teacher qualification from the Educational Institute, National Educational Committee, China.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

She is currently leading several impactful research projects. As the Principal Investigator (PI) on R01DA059854 (9/30/2024-5/31/2029), funded by NIDA with a total of $3,924,302, she is studying the impacts of drug abuse-mediated inflammatory perturbations on affinity maturation of anti-CD4 autoantibodies and poor immune reconstitution from ART in HIV. This project aims to understand the role of cocaine in autoimmunity and immune recovery in HIV patients. Her role in this project is as PI (25% effort).

She is also a multiPI on R01DA059538 (9/30/2023-7/31/2028), with a total of $1,724,585 from NIDA, investigating host gene isoforms contributing to HIV persistence in cocaine users. The study focuses on identifying gene isoforms associated with HIV infection in elite controllers and its implications for cocaine users. Her role is PI (25% effort).

In addition, she is the PI on I01CX002422 (3/1/2022-2/28/2026), funded by the VA Medical Center CSRD Merit with a total of $1,195,899. This project examines the mechanism of autoreactive B cell-mediated immunological failure in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy despite virologic suppression. She is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of anti-CD4 IgG-producing B cells and the pathologic effects of anti-CD4 autoantibodies. Her role is PI with 62.5% effort.

Additionally, she is involved as multiPI on R01DA055523 (9/30/2022-7/31/2027), with a total funding of $1,731,992, where she is working alongside Fitting to investigate the effects of microbiome-related mechanisms on H

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