Masih Rafi
Biography
Masih Rafi, M.D., is Lab Manager and Clinical Research Manager in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Gulhane School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey, and is ECFMG certified. Rafi leads a multidisciplinary research team conducting preclinical, translational, and clinical studies focused on neurocritical care, investigating mechanisms of consciousness, coma, and neurological recovery following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
In his laboratory research role, Rafi manages complex preclinical studies utilizing advanced in vivo and in vitro techniques in rodent models, including cardiac arrest induction and resuscitation, craniotomy and electrocorticography electrode implantation, and optical imaging of cerebral blood flow and metabolism using Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging and Laser Speckle Imaging. His clinical research portfolio includes serving as co-investigator and clinical research manager for multiple clinical trials and studies across the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuro-ICU, and Medical ICU, where he has established UCI as a trial site and enrolled over 100 patients in multi-center studies. His work focuses on developing and implementing non-invasive optical neuromonitoring techniques, including time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy, for patients with acute brain injuries such as aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and traumatic brain injury.
Rafi has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, including work on vasospasm monitoring, cardiac arrest outcomes, and optical neuromonitoring technologies. He has presented his research at national conferences including the Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting, where his work on time-resolved spectroscopy for vasospasm monitoring was recognized as a Distinguished Abstract. Rafi is a member of the Neurocritical Care Society, the American Neurological Association, and the American Medical Association.
Return to topAreas of Expertise
- Neurocritical Care
- Cardiac Arrest Neurological Recovery
- Optical Neuromonitoring Techniques
- Cerebral Hemodynamics After Resuscitation
- Vasospasm Detection in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Time-Resolved Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
- Endovascular Thrombectomy Perfusion Monitoring
Recent Publications
- Rafi, M., Khachatryan, T., “Prediction of ischemic infarct during endovascular thrombectomy via time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy”, 2025. Presented at NCS, 23rd Annual Meeting, Sept 18-21, 2025.
- Rafi, M., Yi, J., Wong, S., “Effects of Metabolic State on Cardiac Arrest Survival and Neurological Outcome” (opens in new tab), Cardiometabolic Diseases – 1st Edition, Elsevier, pp. 231-251, 2024.
- Rafi, M., Rivera, R., Khachatryan, E., “Time-resolved spectroscopy can detect microvascular perfusion changes during endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke”, 2024. Presented at NCS, 22nd Annual Meeting, Oct 14-17, 2024.
- Rafi, M., Zhang, A., Rivera, R., Khachatryan, E., “Non-invasive assessment of cerebral blood oxygenation pre- and post-endovascular therapy for vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage using time-resolved spectroscopy”, 2024. Presented at NCS, 22nd Annual Meeting, Oct 14-17, 2024.
- Lotfy, R., Rafi, M., “Intracranial pressure oscillations are synchronized with EEG bursts, respirations, and hear rate, and are attenuated after ischemic brain injury”, 2024. Presented at NCS, 22nd Annual Meeting, Oct 14-17, 2024.
- Masih Rafi MD, Justin Yi BS, Tigran Khachatryan MD, PhD, Shirin M Dara MD, Sangwoo Han PhD, Audrey Zhang BA, Rhaviel Rivera BS, Marissa St. Marseille BS, Elina Khachatryan MD, Frank P. Hsu MD, PhD, Kiarash Golshani MD, Jefferson Chen MD, PhD, Shuichi Suzuki MD, PhD, Ichiro Yuki MD, Leonid Groysman MD, Sara Stern-Nezer MD, MPH, Patrick Chen MD, Conrad Manning MD, Walter Valesky MD, Michael Helton PhD, et al., “Continuous noninvasive monitoring of vasospasm in ICU patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage using Time-resolved Spectroscopy”, 2023. Presented at NCS, 21st Annual Meeting, Aug 15-18, 2023.
- Han S, Contreras MI, Bazrafkan A, Rafi M, Dara SM, Orujyan A, Panossian A, Crouzet C, Lopour B, Choi B, Wilson RH, Akbari Y, “Cortical Anoxic Spreading Depolarization During Cardiac Arrest is Associated with Remote Effects on Peripheral Blood Pressure and Postresuscitation Neurological Outcome”, Neurocrit Care, vol. 37, no. Suppl 1, pp. 139-154, 2022.
- Yuliya Medvedeva, Hong Z. Yin, Afsheen Bazrafkan, Alyssa Avilez, Niki Maki, Masih Rafi, Guillian Tian, Eli Weiss-Hung, Sung Ji, Edward Sharman, Yama Akbari, John Weiss, “Blocking mitochondrial Zn2+ accumulation after ischemia reduces mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal injury”, JNeurosci, 2022.
- Azadian M, Tian G, Bazrafkan A, Maki N, Rafi M, Chetty N, Desai M, Otarola I, Aguirre F, Zaher SM, Khan A, Suri Y, Wang M, Lopour BA, Steward O, Akbari Y, “Overnight Caloric Restriction Prior to Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation Leads to Improved Survival and Neurological Outcome in a Rodent Model”, Front Neurosci, vol. 14, pp. 609670, 2021.
Contact Information
Email: rafim@uci.edu
Phone: (714) 456-6608
Address: 837 Health Sciences Rd, Gillespie NRF, Irvine, CA 92617
Return to topThis profile was created with the help of AI.
Last updated on 6/2/2026.