Behzad Najafian, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Educational Background

• Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (1996), M.D.
• University of Minnesota, MN (2001-2003), Postdoctoral Fellowship (Pediatric Nephrology)
• University of Minnesota, MN (2003-2006), Residency (Anatomical Pathology)
• Vanderbilt University, TN (2006-2007), Fellowship (Renal Pathology)

Awards and Grants

• Kenneth Ernst Award (outstanding research in Pathology), Minnesota Medical Foundation, 2005.
• Travel Grant, American Society of Nephrology 2004, St. Louis, MO.
• Kenneth Ernst Award (outstanding research in Pathology), Minnesota Medical Foundation, 2004.

Memberships

• International Society for Stereology (current)
• College of American Pathologists (current)
• American Society for Clinical Pathology (current)
• United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (current)
• European Association for Study of Diabetes (past)

Teaching

Appointments

2007-present: Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Minnesota 

Lectures

• Similarities and Dissimilarities of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetic Patients. April 2006, Pathology Grand Rounds, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
• Diabetic Nephropathy: New Structural Findings. Oct. 2005. Mayo Rochester and the University of Minnesota Nephrology Seminar. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• New aspects of diabetic nephropathy: A structural point of view. Dec 2004, Pathology Grand Rounds, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
• Atubular glomeruli. Jan 2004, Pediatric Grand Rounds, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
• Morphometry, How to measure structures. Sep. 2003, BSBE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
• Atubular glomeruli and glomerulotubular junction abnormalities in diabetic nephropathy. Jan 2003, Pathology Grand Rounds, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Publications

Reviewer For:

• Kidney International
• Diabetologia
• Am J Kidney Dis
• Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews 

Peer-Reviewed Manuscripts

• Toyoda M, Najafian B, Kim Y, Caramori ML, Mauer M. Podocyte detachment and reduced glomerular capillary endothelial fenestration in human type 1 diabetic Nephropathy. Diabetes 56:1-7, 2007
• Clewing JM, Antalfy BC, Lucke T, Najafian B, Marwedel KM, Hori A, Powel RM, Do AF, Najera L, SantaCruz K, Hicks MJ, Armstrong DL, Boerkoel CF. Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia: a clinicopathological correlation. J Med Genet. 2007 Feb;44(2):122-30.
• Najafian B, Crosson JT, Kim Y, Mauer M.  Glomerulotubular junction abnormalities are associated with proteinuria in type 1 diabetes.   J Am Soc Nephrol 17 Suppl 2:S53-60, 2006.
• Fioretto P, Sutherland DER, Najafian B, Mauer M.  Remodeling of renal interstitial and tubular lesions in pancreas transplant recipients.  Kidney Int 69: 907-912,2006.
• Najafian B, Kim Y, Crosson JT, Mauer M: Atubular glomeruli and glomerulotubular junction abnormalities in diabetic nephropathy. J Am Soc Nephrol 14: 908-917, 2003
• Najafian B, Basgen MJ, Mauer M: Estimating mean glomerular volume using two arbitrary parallel sections. J Am Soc Nephrol 13:2697-2705, 2002
• Najafian B, Nakhjavani M, Mirbod P: The effect of chloroquine on experimental diabetic nephropathy. Iranian J Endocrinol Metabol 1(1):3-10, 1999.  

Books and Chapters

• Mauer M and Najafian B: The structural of human diabetic nephropathy. In: Diabetic Nephropathy. Ed. Mogensen CE and Cortes P. Humana Press. (in press)
• Behzad Najafian, Paola Fioretto, and Michael Mauer. Mesangial Expansion as a Central Mechanism for Loss of Kidney Function in Diabetic Patients. In: Perspectives in diabetes. Vol 1. Ed. Gregory Guthrie. American Diabetes Association. (in press)
• Anatomy of Extremities. Chaurasia L, translated to Persian by Najafian B and Nazari R. Amir-Kabir Publication Inc. Tehran, 1992.  

Abstracts

• Luiza Caramori, Barbara C. Hansen, Moshe Levi, Behzad Najafian, Sadaf Aslan, Xiaoxin Wang, Tao Jiang, Michael Mauer. Lipid content and renal lesions in non-humnan primate with type 2 diabetes. ADA 67^th annual meeting, June 2007, Chicago, IL. (poster)
• Masao Toyoda, Behzad Najafian, Youngki Kim, Michael Mauer. Endothelial fenestration is reduced in type 1 diabetic patients. ADA 67^th annual meeting, June 2007, Chicago, IL. (poster)
• Julia Steinke, Behzad Najafian, Michael Mauer. A novel approach to age correction of the glomerular basement membrane width change over time in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus. ASN 2006, San Diego, CA.
• M. Luiza Caramori, Behzad Najafian, Moshe Levi, Michael Mauer, Paola Fioretto, Barbara Hansen: Renal Cortical Lipid Content and Renal Lesions in a Non-Human Primate Model of Type 2 Diabetes. Platform presentation, EDNSG 2006, Finland.
• Najafian B, Caramori ML, Mauer M, Fioretto P: Clustering of type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients based on their structural-functional relationships of diabetic nephropathy . (poster presented in ASN 2005, Philadelphia), J Am Soc Nephrol 16:679A, 2005.
• Najafian B, Caramori ML, Fioretto P, Hansen B, Mauer M: Spontaneously obese rhesus monkeys , a model of nephropathy of type 2 diabetes mellitus. (platform presentated in ASN 2005, Philadelphia), J Am Soc Nephrol 16:75A, 2005.
• Najafian B, Mauer M, Caramori ML, Fioreto P: Diabetic nephropathy structural-functional relationships in type 2 diabetic patients. (poster presented in ASN 2005, Philadelphia), J Am Soc Nephrol 16:679A, 2005.
• Najafian B, Crosson TJ, Mauer M: Propensity of glomerular endothelial cell nuclei to the mesangial zone of capillary lumena: A new method for estimating linear interaction of surfaces. (poster presented in USCAP 2005, San Antonio, TX), Modern Pathol 18(Suppl 1):339A, 2005
• Najafian B, Crosson JT, Kim Y, Mauer M: Predilection of tuft to Bowman’s capsule adhesions for glomerulotubular junction area in type 1 diabetes mellitus. (poster presented in ASN 2004, St. Louis, MO). J Am Soc Nephrol 15: 729A, 2004
• Toyoda M, Najafian B, Groppoli T, Kim Y, Mauer M: Podocyte detachment is associated with less fenestration in glomerular capillary endothelia in type 1 diabetes mellitus. (poster presented in ASN 2004, St. Louis, MO). J Am Soc Nephrol 15: 265A-266A, 2004
• Najafian B, caramori ML, Kim Y, Mauer M: Piecewise Linear vs. multiple regression analyses of structural-functional relationships in diabetic nephropathy. (poster presented in ASN 2004, St. Louis, MO). J Am Soc Nephrol 15: 729A-730A, 2004
• Mauer M, Najafian B, Toyoda M: Podocyte detachment, glomerulotubular junction abnormalities and glomerular filtration rate loss in type 1 diabetes. (platform presented in EDNSG2004). Abstract book of the 17^th Annual meeting of the European Diabetic Nephropathy Study Group EDNSG, May 7-8, 2004, p.39
• Najafian B, Mauer M: Estimating length density of tubular structures in thin vertical sections and its application in evaluating intertubular space changes. (platform presented in EB2003, San Diego, CA). FASEB J 17(5): A1374-A1375, 2003
• Najafian B, Mauer M. Estimating the area of interstitium surrounding a mean tubular profile as an indicator of renal cortical interstitial expansion. (platform presented in EB2003, San Diego, CA). FASEB J 17(5): A1375, 2003
• Najafian B, Crosson JT, Kim Y, Mauer M: A description of proximal tubular atrophy in type 1 diabetic patients. (poster presented in ASN2003, San Diego, CA). J Am Soc Nephrol 14:597A, 2003
• Najafian B, Crosson JT, Kim Y, Mauer M: The contribution of glomerulotubular junction abnormalities in renal function of proteinuric type 1 diabetic patients. (poster presented in ASN2003, San Diego, CA). J Am Soc Nephrol 14:596A-597A, 2003
• Najafian B, Crosson JT, Kim Y, Mauer M: The frequency of glomerulotubular junction abnormalities and atubular glomeruli in relation to albumin excretion rtae in type 1 diabetic patients. (poster presented in ASN2003, San Diego, CA). J Am Soc Nephrol 14:597A, 2003
• Toyoda M, Najafian B, Groppoli T, Basgen J, Kim Y, Mauer M: Problems in the measurement of podocyte structural parameters in proteinuric type 1 diabetic patients. (poster presented in ASN2003, San Diego, CA). J Am Soc Nephrol 14: 389A, 2003
• Najafian B, Kim Y, Mauer M: Atubular glomeruli and atrophic tubules in diabetic nephropathy: A preliminary study. (platform presented in ASN2002, Philadelphia, PA). J Am Soc Nephrol 13: 8A-9A, 2002
• Nakhjavani M., Najafian B.  c-Terminal vs. mid-molecular PTH measurement in diagnosing hyperparathyroidism (a comparative study). The bulletin of the 12^th Iranian Congress of Internal Medicine. May 2001, pp.73-74
• Esteghamati AR., Najafian B., Mahmoodi R.  Precision of fine needle aspiration in thyroid cancer diagnosis. ). The bulletin of the 12^th Iranian Congress of Internal Medicine. May 2001, pp51-52
• Ravanbakhsh AR., Najafian B. Duchenne and Becker's muscular dystrophies.( Review ). Bulletin of the 1st. conference of "The Genetic Basis of Disabilities". University of  Rehabilitation, 12-14 April 1999. p.25.
• Alaii A., Najafian B., Zarindast MR.  Finasteride and prazosin mixed therapy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Bulletin of the 14th Iranian Congress of Physiology and Pharmacology,16-20 May 1999, p.185-186.
• Najafian B., Nakhjavani M., Mirbod P. The effect of chloroquine on experimental diabetic nephropathy.1997, Bulletin of 10th AGM of EDNSG.Bratislava, p.78
• Nakhjavani M., Esteghamati AR., Najafian B. High dose dexamethasone infusion test in comparison with other biochemical tests in patients with the Cushing’s syndrome. 1996. Bulletin of 7th Iranian Congress of Internal Medicine, Tehran, pp.383-384. 

Books and Manuscripts on Non-Medical Subjects

• History of Art. Ed. Najafian B. Janokherad Publication Inc. Tehran, 2000.
• About the rebellion. Ed. Albert Camos. Translated by Najafian B. Baya Magazine;8-9:95-96, 1999.
• Avant-guard Nationalism: Fascism and cultural Elite. Ed. Stanley G. Payne. Translated by Najafian B. Baya Magazine;1-2:67-68, 1999.
• The Doctrine of Fascism. Ed. Benito Mussolini. Translated by Najafian B. Khordad Newspaper, 1(51):6, 1999.
• Najafian B and Ravanbakhsh S: Manifesto in plastic arts. Image (Tasvir), March 1997, pp.64-68.