Reza Ronaghi, MD

Dr. Ronaghi is a pulmonologist with a career-long record of medical operations, research development, and patient care success for leading organizations.

Dr. Ronaghi specializes in the treatment of airway diseases such as lung cancer, COPD, and asthma who regularly performs interventional procedures such as bronchial thermoplasty for treating asthma patients as well as bronchoscopic lung volume reduction surgery.

He has a talent for aligning healthcare strategy and objectives with established diagnosis and treatment paradigms to achieve maximum care impacts.

Dr. Ronaghi has worked at Kaiser Permanente Southern California for 2 years and now works at UCLA. He is an exceptionally dedicated professional who not only has impressive interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, but is also credited with the paper publication, presentation, and project management expertise.  His extensive research experience includes the publication of numerous papers on lung cancer in addition to several presentation projects at various international conferences.

Dr. Ronaghi has given talks on interventional pulmonary, lung cancer, COPD, and asthma around the world. His work has been published in numerous journals. He has also authored several book chapters for board review material.

Dr. Ronaghi is also very big in international health and has served as a member of numerous projects in Africa and South America.

In his free time, he enjoys skiing and playing hockey, and spending time with his family.

Professional Highlights

• Teaching Clinical Instructor Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of California – Los Angeles
• Pulmonary and Critical Care/Hospitalist Kaiser Permanente – West Los Angeles
• Locum Tenens Hospitalist at Sound Physicians – Los Angeles
• Faculty Instructor for American Thoracic Society (ATS) Resident Boot Camp
• Global Health Work for Tanzania-UCSF, Tanzania

Research Experience 

• Interventional Pulmonary Research, UCLA – June 2019 to Present
• Lung Cancer Screening Research, USC – May 2017 to Present
• Interventional Pulmonary Research, USC – May 2017 to Present
• Lung Nodule Research Project, UCSF – September 2012 to Present
• Pulmonary Hypertension Research, UCSF – September 2012 to 2017
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Clinical Research, UCSF – September 2012 to July 2016
• Urogynecology Research, Columbia University – September to October 2011
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Research – December 2008 to December 2009
• Optometry Lab, University of California, Berkeley – January 2004 to May 2007
• Plant Pathology Laboratory, University of California, Riverside – August 2004 to 2006

Certification

• ABIM Internal Medicine – Board Certified
• ABIM Pulmonary Medicine – Board Certified
• ABIM Critical Care Medicine – Board Eligible

Awards and Honors 

• First place oral research presentation at the Southern California Research Symposium (2019)
• Fellow Symposium Track awardee – ATS (2017)
• ATS Resident boot camp awardee – ATS (2016)
• Best Research Project – American Thoracic Society Conference (2015)
• ACP Doctor’s Dilemma Northern California Winner (2014)
• Award for Best Research Cocci Study Group Conference (2014)
• Dean’s List – Medical School (2008)
• Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Award for best undergraduate research project (2006)
• Graduated Valedictorian from Martin Luther King High School (2003)
• California Senator Best Student Award (2002)

Professional Affiliations

• American College of Physicians
• American Thoracic Society (ATS)
• CHEST
• European Respiratory Society (ERS)
• American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP)

Memberships

• Trudeau Medical Society – Steering Committee
• Code Blue Committee – University of Southern California
• Mortality Committee – University of Southern California
• Quality Improvement Committee – UCSF

Presentations and Publications 

• The role of Vitamin C, Hydrocortisone, Thiamine in the treatment of Septic Shock in the ICU. Oral Presentation. Breath LA. Harbor-UCLA. Ronaghi R., et al. April 2019.
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis – Experience of a Single Center (HYPE). Ronaghi R., et. al. Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Conference 2013, San Diego, CA.
• Differentiating Lung Nodules due to Coccidioidomycosis from Lung cancer using Clinical and Radiographic Features. Ronaghi R., Rashidian A., Mills P., Peterson M.W. Cocci Study Group Conference 2014 Oral Presentation. Phoenix, AZ.
• A Retrospective Study of the incidence and presentation of Methamphetamine induced Cardiomyopathy in the central San Joaquin Valley. Kiel R., Khatri B., Bhullar M., Nalbandyan M., Ronaghi R., Ambrose J. UCSF Fresno Research Day 2014, Fresno, CA.
• Central Valley Lung Nodule Calculator: A Prospective Analysis of a Newly Developed Calculator in a Coccidioidomycosis Endemic Area. Ronaghi R., Rashidian A., Mills P.K., Peterson M.W. Cocci Study Group Conference. April 2015. Oral Presentation. San Diego, CA.
• Modified Lung Nodule Calculator. Ronaghi R., Rashidian A., Mill P.K., Peterson M.W. ATS 2015 Poster Discussion Session. Denver, CO.
• Diagnostic Yield of cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Evaluation of Dyspnea: a single-center experience. Reagle Z., Andrews S., Ratcliff S., Ronaghi R., Vempilly J.J. ATS 2015. Thematic Poster Session. Denver, CO.
• Accuracy of Pulmonary Nodule Malignancy Risk Calculators in a Coccidioidomycosis Endemic Area. Sahota GP., Sachdeva M., Ronaghi R., Mills PK, Peterson M.W. ATS 2015. Thematic Poster Discussion. Denver, CO.
• Connect Tissue Disease-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (CTD-PH) – Prognosis, Predictors, and Outcomes. Ronaghi R., et al. CHEST 2016.
• Comparison of sample adequacy and diagnostic yield of the 19G and 22G EBUS-TBNA needles. Ronaghi R. et al. Chest 2017. oral presentation.
• Factors associated with the diagnosis of infections in the patient undergoing EBUS-TBNA for hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Chaddha U., Ronaghi R. et al. Chest 2017. Oral presentation.
• The accuracy of Pulmonary fellow use of ultrasound and the effects of an official course. Ronaghi R., et al. ATS 2018. Oral presentation.
• Molecular testing in pleural fluid samples. Book Chapter. Oh S., Ronaghi R., Cai G., Semin Respir Critical Care Med. Sept 2019.
• Comparison of sample adequacy and diagnostic yield of the 19G and 22G EBUS-TBNA needles. Ronaghi, R. et al. Journal of Interventional Pulmonology. March 2018.
• Morning Report for Pediatric Cases. Cystic Fibrosis Chapter 23. Ronaghi, R. et al. Elsevier.
• Morning Report for Surgical Cases. Respiratory Failure Chapter. Ronaghi, R. et al. Elsevier.
• Complications and yield od CT guided transthoracic core needle biopsy of lung nodules at a High-Volume Academic Center. Sachdeva M., Ronaghi R., Mills PK., Peterson MW. Lung. 2016 (194-3 pg 379-385)
• Type III secretion-dependent modulation of innate immunity as one of the multiple factors regulated by Pseudomonas aeruginsa RetS. Zolfaghar I, Evans DJ, Ronaghi R, Fleiszig SMJ. Infection & Immunity, July 2006 74(7)

Procedural/Technical Skills

• Chest Tube (Surgical and Pigtail)
• Pleur-X (indwelling pleural catheter) placement
• Bronchoscopy (including navigational bronchoscopy)
• Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy (EBUS)
• Endotracheal/bronchial stent placement
• Pulmonary Artery Cather Placement
• ECMO Cannulation and Management
• Intra-aortic Balloon Pump Insertion and Management
• Cerner, MediTech, and EPIC EMR trained
• Arterial Lines
• Intubations
• Tracheostomy
• Ultrasound
• Central Lines
• Cryobiopsy
• Pleuroscopy
• Thoracoscopy

Education

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Saba University School of Medicine, Netherlands
• Master of Science (MSc) In Hyperbaric Medicine from Saba University, Netherlands
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) In Chemical Biology from University of California – Berkeley, College of Chemistry, Berkeley, California
• High School Diploma, Graduated Valedictorian from Martin Luther King High School, Riverside, California
• Fellowship – Interventional Pulmonary University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
• Fellowship – Pulmonary and Critical Care University of Southern California (USC), California Chief Fellow
• Chief Resident – Internal Medicine University of California (UCSF), San Francisco, Fresno, California
• Resident Physician Internal Medicine University of California (U CSF), San Francisco, Fresno, California