Soraya Azari, MD

Professor

I was born in southern California but completed my undergraduate and medical school training on the East coast. I returned to California for residency at UCSF in the San Francisco General Primary Care (SFPC) program. I then completed a Chief Residency year at San Francisco General Hospital. I am a current Clinician Educator based at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. I have worked in resident education, serving as an Associate Program Director, and then Interim Program Director for the SFPC Track. I have recently transitioned to serving as the Associate Program Director for the Primary Care Addiction Fellowship program at San Francisco General Hospital. I am board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. I do clinical work in hospital medicine, primary care (Richard Fine People’s Clinic), HIV medicine, and addiction specialty services. I am interested in improving the quality and safety of care for people with substance use disorders and complex chronic pain. I am also interested in creating novel ways to deliver treatment to highly vulnerable groups.
Education
2020 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Residency, 2010 - Internal Medicine, Primary Care, University of California, San Francisco
MD, 06/2007 - , University of Pennsylvania
Honors and Awards
  • Halie T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Teaching Award, 2015
  • Richard Haber Award, 2013
Custom Faculty Group
Core
Publications

  1. Davis J, Bepo L, Suen LW, McLaughlin MM, Adamo M, Abbs E, Lemke G, Azari S. Implementing Heart Plus: Design and Early Results of a Novel Co-Management Clinic for Patients with Stimulant-Associated Cardiomyopathy. Journal of cardiac failure 2023. PMID: 37984791


  2. Tierney HR, Takimoto SW, Azari S, Steiger S, Martin M. Predictors of Linkage to an Opioid Treatment Program and Methadone Treatment Retention following Hospital Discharge in a Safety-Net Setting. Substance use & misuse 2023. PMID: 37194561


  3. Leyde S, Abbs E, Suen LW, Martin M, Mitchell A, Davis J, Azari S. A Mixed-methods Evaluation of an Addiction/Cardiology Pilot Clinic With Contingency Management for Patients With Stimulant-associated Cardiomyopathy. Journal of addiction medicine 2022. PMID: 36729467


  4. Leyde S, Abbs E, Suen LW, Martin M, Mitchell A, Davis J, Azari S. A Mixed-methods Evaluation of an Addiction/Cardiology Pilot Clinic With Contingency Management for Patients With Stimulant-associated Cardiomyopathy. Journal of addiction medicine 2022. PMID: 37267175


  5. Martin M, Snyder HR, Coffa D, Steiger S, Clement JP, Ranji SR, Azari S, Nguyen OK, Lum PJ. Time to ACT: launching an Addiction Care Team (ACT) in an urban safety-net health system. BMJ open quality 2021. PMID: 33500326


  6. Young SR, Azari S, Becker WC, Edelman EJ, Liebschutz JM, Roy P, Starrels JL, Merlin JS. Common and Challenging Behaviors Among Individuals on Long-term Opioid Therapy. Journal of addiction medicine 2019. PMID: 31855919


  7. Leyde S, Azari S. What Should I Know About Opioids and Living With Chronic Pain? JAMA internal medicine 2020. PMID: 32453391


  8. Starrels JL, Young SR, Azari SS, Becker WC, Jennifer Edelman E, Liebschutz JM, Pomeranz J, Roy P, Saini S, Merlin JS. Disagreement and Uncertainty Among Experts About how to Respond to Marijuana Use in Patients on Long-term Opioids for Chronic Pain: Results of a Delphi Study. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) 2020. PMID: 31393585


  9. Shapiro BJ, Azari S, Jones HE. Stigmatizing Language About Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. JAMA 2018. PMID: 30140869


  10. Becker WC, Edelman EJ, Starrels JL, Azari S, Roy P, Young SR, Liebschutz J, Merlin JS. Consensus-Based Treatment Approaches for Managing Concerning Behaviors in Patients on Long-term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain: Case-Based Applications. Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes 2018. PMID: 30225438


  11. Merlin JS, Young SR, Starrels JL, Azari S, Edelman EJ, Pomeranz J, Roy P, Saini S, Becker WC, Liebschutz JM. Managing Concerning Behaviors in Patients Prescribed Opioids for Chronic Pain: A Delphi Study. Journal of general internal medicine 2017. PMID: 29204977


  12. Merlin JS, Young SR, Azari S, Becker WC, Liebschutz JM, Pomeranz J, Roy P, Saini S, Starrels JL, Edelman EJ. Management of problematic behaviours among individuals on long-term opioid therapy: protocol for a Delphi study. BMJ open 2016. PMID: 27154486


  13. Yoneyama-Sarnecky T, Olivas AD, Azari S, Ferriero DM, Manvelyan HM, Noble-Haeusslein LJ. Heme oxygenase-2 modulates early pathogenesis after traumatic injury to the immature brain. Developmental neuroscience 2010. PMID: 20389079


  14. Wang B, Shaham Y, Zitzman D, Azari S, Wise RA, You ZB. Cocaine experience establishes control of midbrain glutamate and dopamine by corticotropin-releasing factor: a role in stress-induced relapse to drug seeking. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2005. PMID: 15930388


  15. Ling, Stephenson, Vasti. Guidelines for Physicians Working in California Opioid Treatment Programs Guidelines for Physicians Working in California Opioid Treatment Programs . PMID: