Farjad Sarafian, M.D.
- Infectious Disease Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Associate Clinical Professor
Farjad Sarafian, M.D., F.I.D.S.A., is recognized for advancing groundbreaking treatments and setting new standards in patient care for immunocompromised populations. As a hospitalist, he focuses on coordinating care and ensuring that patients understand and feel confident about their treatment plans.
“When I sit with a patient, I remind myself that the person across from me is not just a case — they are an individual, looking inward, often afraid and uncertain,” he says. “I frequently ask myself: ‘How would I want my loved one to be treated in this situation?’ And I let that guide my care.”
Noted for his clinical research, Dr. Sarafian has been influential in a range of COVID-19 therapeutic trials and influential studies on antiretroviral adherence, sepsis diagnostics, and global infectious disease management.
Before joining City of Hope® Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, he directed a dynamic hybrid practice, balancing outpatient expertise in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary infections with inpatient consultative care at Orange County and Los Angeles hospitals.
A graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine, Dr. Sarafian completed his internal medicine internship and residency and an infectious disease fellowship at University of California Los Angeles, distinguishing himself in research, clinical leadership, and medical education. In addition to English, he is fluent in Persian.
Location
Orange County Cancer Specialty Hospital
Irvine, CA 92618
Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center
Irvine, CA 92618
Education & Experience
- 2025 – Present Associate Clinical Professor, City of Hope Orange County; Irvine, CA
- 2007 – 2025 Infectious Disease Consultant, Farjad Sarafian, MD, Inc., Irvine, CA
- 2006-2007 Infectious Disease Consultant (Locum Tenens), Russel Klein, MD, Tarzana, CA
- 2005-2007 Fellowship, Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- 2001-2007 Attending Physician, Emergency Room, VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- 2003-2005 Internal Medicine Primary Care, Los Angeles Heart Specialists, Tarzana, CA
- 2002-2003 Field Doctor, Doctors Without Borders, Kenya
- 1998-2001 Internship and Residency, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- 1998 Doctor of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1993 Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Awards & Memberships
Memberships
- Fellow, Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA)
- Member, Infection Prevention Committee, Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, CA
- Member, Medicine Executive Committee, Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, CA
- Member, Medecins Sans Frontieres, France
- Member, Doctors Without Borders, USA
- Member, American Medical Association
- UCLA Association of Chemists and Biochemists
Publications
- Remdesivir and Mortality in Patients with COVID-19, Diaz GA, Christensen AB, Pusch T, Goulet D, Chang SC, Grunkemeier GL, McKelvey PA, Robicsek A, French T, Parsons GT, Doherty G, Laurenson C, Roper R, Hadlock J, Cover CJ, Footer B, Robinson P, Micikas M, Marfori JE, Cronenweth C, Mukkamala Y, Mackiewicz J, Rai E, Matson MD, Davila J, Rueda J, Tipton R, Algren H, Ward BC, Malkoski S, Gluckman T, Tallman GB, Arguinchona H, Hammond TC, Standaert S, Christensen J, Echaiz JF, Choi R, McClung D, Pacifico A, Fee M, Sarafian F, Berrington WR, Goldman JD., Clin Infect Dis., 08/14/21, 34409431
- Clinical trial design during and beyond the pandemic: the I-SPY COVID trial., I-SPY COVID Consortium., Nat Med., 01/01/22, 28, 1, 9-11, 35058620
- Hyperimmune immunoglobulin for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 (ITAC): a doubleblind, placebo-controlled, phase 3, randomised trial., ITAC (INSIGHT 013) Study Group., Lancet., 02/05/22, 399, 10324, 530-540, 35093205
- Evaluation of Adherence and Factors Affecting Adherence to Combination Antiretroviral Therapy among White, Hispanic, and Black Men in the MACS Cohort, Debora Lee Oh, Farjad Sarafian, Anthony Silvestre, Todd Brown, Lisa Jacobson, Sheila Badri, and Roger Detels., J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr., 10/01/09, 52, 2, 290, 35093205
- Stress in the emergency room: a simple leukocyte to glass adhesion test provides a
diagnostic tool to differentiate between stress and infection/inflammation related
leukocytosis., Gill Fier, MD, Farjad Sarafian, MD, Shlomo Berliner, MD, PhD, et al., Stress Medicine., 01/01/99, 15, 3, 183-188