Project Description

Darya Fadavi, MD

Biography

Dr. Fadavi grew up in Newport Beach, California. She attended the University of California, Berkeley where she graduated with High Honors with her Bachelors of Science in Bioengineering. At Berkeley, she was part of Dr. Mohammad Mofrad’s Molecular Biomechanics Lab, where she modeled mechanotransduction, the transmission of mechanical forces inside cells. She also began her path towards Plastic Surgery through studying the regenerative potential of Stromal Vascular Fraction as a part of Dr. Alan Widgerow’s research group.

Coming from a family of engineers, Dr. Fadavi was the first person in her family to pursue medicine when she went on to attend the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. While at Hopkins, her passion for Plastic Surgery grew through the mentorship she received from other student and residents through Dr. Justin Sacks’s research group. Her experiences with mentorship and teaching at UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins have been an important and rewarding part of her career, and she looks forward to being a mentor to students and residents throughout her career as a surgeon.

In her free time, she loves to travel, both through weekend road trips and trips abroad, and has visited over 20 different countries so far. Locally she enjoys hiking, learning new languages (currently at 4), and finding all the hidden gems of Pittsburgh.

Why Pitt?

Part of what makes Pitt one of the most renowned residency programs in the field of Plastic Surgery is the emphasis on resident education that is built into all aspects of the program. From our structured educational curriculum, monthly journal clubs, and the opportunity to delve into areas of Plastic Surgery that most interest you, to the constant support for and openness to feedback from the residents.

Being here, you see how the program is structured around creating the future generations of great plastic surgeons. The core pillar of that being our faculty, who pride themselves on being excellent teachers and mentors for the residents, in addition to world class surgeons for their patients. Residents at Pitt aren’t treated as a resource, but rather as valued members of the department.

Pittsburgh itself is also a great city to be in for residency training. It has a great mix of concerts, sports teams, breweries, and corner bakeries, with a variety of neighborhoods that each have a distinct feel. Pittsburgh is also rapidly establishing itself as a tech hub, so it is a great place for the next step in your significant other’s career as well. The nature in Western Pennsylvania is beautiful, and I love how trees and gardens are incorporated into the city itself.

Awards

  • PEO Foundation Ruth G. White Scholarship – March 2021
  • PEO Foundation Ethel O. Gardner State Scholarship – March 2021
  • PEO Foundation Elizabeth P. Armstrong Scholarship – March 2021
  • Dr. Farideh Toorany Memorial Scholarship – Iranian American Academics and Professionals – Dec 2020
  • Edith Seville Coale Medical Scholarship – Zonta Club of Washington DC – May 2020
  • Cannon Fellowship – American Association of Plastic Surgeons – Jan 2020
  • Momeni Foundation Scholarship – Aug 2018
  • Lipson Merit Scholarship, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – Aug 2018 – May 2022
  • Moskowitz Merit Scholarship, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – Aug 2018 – May 2022
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Academic Honor Society – May 2017
  • Outstanding Graduate Award, Association of Professors & Scholars of Iranian Heritage – May 2017
  • Koret Research Fellowship May 2017
  • UCSF Surgical Innovations Pitch Competition, $25,000 Grand Prize – April 2017
  • Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship – Rose Hills Independent – April 2017
  • Tau Beta Pi UC Berkeley Chapter Scholarship – May 2017
  • UC Berkeley Regents’ and Chancellor’s Research Fellowship – Oct 2016
  • Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society, UC Berkeley – 2015-2017
  • Bioengineering Honor Society, UC Berkeley – 2014-2017
  • UC Berkeley Dean’s List – 2013-2017
  • UC Berkeley Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar –Aug 2013 – May 2017
  • Berkeley Science Network S-STEM Scholar – Aug 2013 – May 2017
  • UC Berkeley Rose Hills Scholar – Aug 2013 – May 2017
  • National Merit Scholar –  May 2013           

Publications

  1. Chen J, Chow A, Lee E, Wesson T, Karius A, Wallam S, Generoso M, Fadavi D, He W, Yesantharao P, Long C, Cooney CM, Broderick KP. Reintroducing Flap Reconstruction: One Institution’s Safe Return to Flap Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery. 2022
  2. Xun H, Fadavi D, Darrach H, Fischer N, Yesantharao P, Kraenzlin F, Nickles Fader A, Segars JH, Sacks JM. Recognizing the Vulnerable: Perspectives, Attitudes, and Interest of Women with Uterine Factor Infertility towards Uterus Allotransplantation. Cureus. 2021 doi:10.7759/cureus.18891
  3. Chen J, Chow A, Fadavi D, Long C, Sun A, Cooney CM, Broderick KP. The Zoom Boom: How Video Calling Impacts Attitudes Towards Aesthetic Surgery in the COVID-19 Era. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2021. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjab274.
  4. Musavi L, Chin P, Pfaff M, Fadavi D, Aliu O, Yang R. Treatment of Facial Fractures at Safety Net Hospitals: A National Analysis of Inpatient Burden and Cost. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. 2021 doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000007573
  5. Xun H, Clarke S, Baker N, Shallald C, Lee E, Fadavi D, Wong A, Brandacher G, Kang SH, Sacks JM. Method, Material and Machine: A Review of the Basic 3Ms for the Surgeon Utilizing 3D Printing for Accelerated Device Production. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2021
  6. Yesantharao P, He W, Shetty P, Aravind P, Quan A, Fadavi D, Aliu O. The Impact of Policy Reform on Utilization of Popular Reconstructive Procedures. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2020 doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000002608
  7. Musavi L, Fadavi D, He W, Sacks J, Aliu O. Impact of Payer Status and Hospital Volume on Outcomes after Head and Neck Oncologic Reconstruction. American Journal of Surgery. 2020 doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.11.026
  8. Fischer N, Xun H, Lossie A , Fadavi D, Darrach H, Yesantharao P, Kraenzlin F, Singh B, Sacks JM, Segars J. Perspectives of 281 Patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome on Uterine Transplantation. Fertility and Sterility. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.10.044
  9. Fadavi D, He W, Kraenzlin F, Darrach H, Shetty P, Chopra K, Xun H, Sacks JM. Risk and Reward: Public Perception of Gluteal Fat Grafting. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2020 doi 10.1007/s00266-020-01728-9
  10. Fadavi D, Haley A, Khavanin N, Kraenzlin F, Bos T, Cho B, Carl H, Bhat D, Ostrander B, Manahan M, Rosson G, Sacks JM. Post-Operative Free Flap Breast Protocol Optimizing Resources and Patient Safety. Journal of Reconstructive Medicine. 2019 doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1701698
  11. Jahed Z, Hao H, Thakkar V, Vu U, Valdez V, Rathish A, Tolentino C, Kim S, Fadavi D, Starr D, Mofrad M. Role of KASH domain lengths in the regulation of LINC complexes. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2019. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E19-02-0079.
  12. Panahiazar M, Fadavi D, Aljabban J, Safeer L, Aljabban I, Hadley D. Large Scale Advanced Data Analytics on Skin Conditions from Genotype to Phenotype. Informatics. 2018. doi: 10.3390/informatics5040039
  13. Jahed Z, Vu U, Fadavi D, Ke H, Rathish A, Kim S, Feng W, Mofrad M. A Molecular Model for LINC Complex Regulation: Activation of SUN2 for KASH Binding. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2018. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E18-04-0266.
  14. Jahed Z, Fadavi D, Vu U, Asgari E, Luxton GW, Mofrad M. Molecular insights into Mechanisms of SUN1 Oligomerization in the Nuclear Envelope. Biophysical Journal. 2018. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.01.015.
  15. Nguyen A, Guo J, Banyard D, Fadavi D, Toranto J, Wirth G, Paydar K, Evans G, Widgerow A. Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 1: Current concepts and review of the literature. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. vol. 69. no. 2. pp. 170-179. 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2015.10.015.
  16. Guo J, Nguyen A, Banyard D, Fadavi D, Toranto J, Wirth G, Paydar K, Evans G, Widgerow A. Stromal vascular fraction: A regenerative reality? Part 2: Mechanisms of regenerative action. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. vol. 69. no. 2. pp. 180-188. 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2015.10.014.

Areas of Interest

Tissue engineering, biomedical devices, complex reconstruction, and aesthetic surgery