Research Overview

Dr. Heidary's clinical work focuses on pediatric neuro-ophthalmology and the management of pediatric and adult strabismus.

Dr. Heidary’s primary research interests focus on improving treatment and management of pediatric neuro-ophthalmic disease through clinical and translational research. Recent projects include multicenter collaborations focused on biomarkers of disease progression in NF1-associated optic pathway gliomas, development of a noninvasive method to assess intracranial pressure, a prospective natural history study of pediatric optic neuritis, and the development of quantitative visual field assessment methods in infants and toddlers.

Research Background

Dr. Heidary received her MD, PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the Harvard Medical School Residency Program in Ophthalmology. She is dually fellowship trained, having completed a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus at Boston Children's Hospital and a second fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

 

Education

Undergraduate School

Stanford University
1996 Stanford CA

Graduate School

PhD University of Pennsylvania
2002 Philadelphia PA

Medical School

University of Pennsylvania
2004 Philadelphia PA

Internship

Presbyterian Medical Center
2005 Philadelphia PA

Residency

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
2008 Boston MA

Fellowship

Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus Boston Children's Hospital
2009 Boston MA

Fellowship

Neuro-Ophthalmology Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
2010 Boston MA

Publications

  1. Selective diet induced nutritional optic neuropathy in developmentally normal children. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2025 Mar; 37:102234. View Abstract
  2. Otitic hydrocephalus and papilloedema-re-evaluating a treatment paradigm. Eye (Lond). 2024 Nov 19. View Abstract
  3. Morning Glory Disc Anomaly: Expanding the MR Phenotype. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2024 Aug 09; 45(8):1070-1075. View Abstract
  4. Efficacy and Side Effects of Topiramate in Treatment of Children With Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome. Pediatr Neurol. 2024 Nov; 160:32-37. View Abstract
  5. Prevalence, time course, and visual impact of peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) in pediatric patients with optic nerve pathologies. J AAPOS. 2024 Aug; 28(4):103966. View Abstract
  6. Long-term visual outcomes in spasmus nutans. BMC Ophthalmol. 2024 Jun 12; 24(1):253. View Abstract
  7. Emergence of the natural history of Myhre syndrome: 47 patients evaluated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Myhre Syndrome Clinic (2016-2023). Am J Med Genet A. 2024 Oct; 194(10):e63638. View Abstract
  8. Aberrant regeneration of accommodation in pediatric inferior division oculomotor palsy. J AAPOS. 2024 Jun; 28(3):103917. View Abstract
  9. Artificial Intelligence to Differentiate Pediatric Pseudopapilledema and True Papilledema on Fundus Photographs. Ophthalmol Sci. 2024 Jul-Aug; 4(4):100496. View Abstract
  10. The Relationship Between Choroidal Abnormalities and Visual Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With NF1-Associated Optic Pathway Gliomas. J Neuroophthalmol. 2024 Mar 01; 44(1):5-9. View Abstract
  11. Genetic testing for infantile nystagmus syndrome with or without associated findings. J AAPOS. 2023 10; 27(5):259-264. View Abstract
  12. Levodopa/Carbidopa to Augment the Treatment of Amblyopia: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2023 Nov; 130(11):1221-1227. View Abstract
  13. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the surgical volume of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellows. J AAPOS. 2023 10; 27(5):305-307. View Abstract
  14. Neuro-ophthalmic Complications in Pediatric Leukemia. J Neuroophthalmol. 2023 Dec 01; 43(4):520-524. View Abstract
  15. Aberrant regeneration in an international registry of patients with 3rd-nerve palsy. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2023 Nov; 33(6):2154-2161. View Abstract
  16. The visual morbidity of optic nerve head drusen: a longitudinal review. J AAPOS. 2023 02; 27(1):30.e1-30.e5. View Abstract
  17. The Impact of Strabismus on Psychosocial Equity. Semin Ophthalmol. 2023 Jan; 38(1):52-56. View Abstract
  18. Surgical Treatments to Improve Visual Acuity in Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2023 03; 130(3):331-344. View Abstract
  19. A decline in the strabismus surgical experience of ophthalmology residents in the United States from 2010 to 2019. J AAPOS. 2022 10; 26(5):263-265. View Abstract
  20. An overview of peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2022 Nov 01; 33(6):494-500. View Abstract
  21. Effectiveness of Laser Refractive Surgery to Address Anisometropic Amblyogenic Refractive Error in Children: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2022 11; 129(11):1323-1331. View Abstract
  22. Comparison of fellowship match opportunities and results across pediatric surgical subspecialities. J AAPOS. 2022 06; 26(3):145-148. View Abstract
  23. The Pediatric Optic Neuritis Prospective Outcomes Study: Two-Year Results. Ophthalmology. 2022 08; 129(8):856-864. View Abstract
  24. Interocular Difference in Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Predicts Optic Neuritis in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis. J Neuroophthalmol. 2021 12 01; 41(4):469-475. View Abstract
  25. Impact of Adding Augmented Superior Rectus Transpositions to Medial Rectus Muscle Recessions When Treating Esotropic Moebius Syndrome. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022 05; 237:83-90. View Abstract
  26. Evaluation of the Relationship Between Preferential Looking Testing and Visual Evoked Potentials as a Biomarker of Cerebral Visual Impairment. Front Hum Neurosci. 2021; 15:769259. View Abstract
  27. Adjustable Sutures in the Treatment of Strabismus: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2022 01; 129(1):100-109. View Abstract
  28. Content Validation of Clinician-Reported Items for a Severity Measure for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder. J Child Neurol. 2021 10; 36(11):998-1006. View Abstract
  29. Botulinum Toxin Injection for the Treatment of Strabismus: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2021 12; 128(12):1766-1776. View Abstract
  30. Home- and Office-Based Vergence and Accommodative Therapies for Treatment of Convergence Insufficiency in Children and Young Adults: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2021 12; 128(12):1756-1765. View Abstract
  31. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features and Clinical Findings in Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case-Control Study. Life (Basel). 2021 May 27; 11(6). View Abstract
  32. Cerebral visual impairment in CDKL5 deficiency disorder: vision as an outcome measure. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2021 11; 63(11):1308-1315. View Abstract
  33. A 7-year old female with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, Duane retraction syndrome, and Marcus Gunn phenomenon due to a ZC4H2 gene mutation: a clinical presentation of the Wieacker-Wolff syndrome. Ophthalmic Genet. 2021 10; 42(5):612-614. View Abstract
  34. Office- or Facility-Based Probing for Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2021 06; 128(6):920-927. View Abstract
  35. Assessment of Pediatric Optic Neuritis Visual Acuity Outcomes at 6 Months. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 12 01; 138(12):1253-1261. View Abstract
  36. Visual field outcomes in children treated for neurofibromatosis type 1-associated optic pathway gliomas: a multicenter retrospective study. J AAPOS. 2020 12; 24(6):349.e1-349.e5. View Abstract
  37. Incidence of symptomatic vertical and torsional diplopia after superior rectus transposition for esotropic Duane syndrome and abducens nerve palsy. J AAPOS. 2020 10; 24(5):270.e1-270.e5. View Abstract
  38. Steroid-sparing maintenance immunotherapy for MOG-IgG associated disorder. Neurology. 2020 07 14; 95(2):e111-e120. View Abstract
  39. Imaging Methods for Differentiating Pediatric Papilledema from Pseudopapilledema: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2020 10; 127(10):1416-1423. View Abstract
  40. Reply. J AAPOS. 2020 04; 24(2):128. View Abstract
  41. Update on Pediatric Optic Neuritis. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020 03 03; 20(3):4. View Abstract
  42. Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Semin Neurol. 2019 12; 39(6):704-710. View Abstract
  43. Binocular Treatment of Amblyopia: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2020 02; 127(2):261-272. View Abstract
  44. Outcomes of strabismus surgery in genetically confirmed congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles. J AAPOS. 2019 10; 23(5):253.e1-253.e6. View Abstract
  45. Intraocular Lens Implantation during Early Childhood: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2019 10; 126(10):1454-1461. View Abstract
  46. Rapid onset of orbital cellulitis after uncomplicated strabismus surgery. J AAPOS. 2019 10; 23(5):290-291. View Abstract
  47. Diagnosis and Imaging of Optic Nerve Head Drusen. Semin Ophthalmol. 2019; 34(4):256-263. View Abstract
  48. Imaging Amblyopia: Insights from Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Semin Ophthalmol. 2019; 34(4):303-311. View Abstract
  49. Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment: A Need to Reassess Current Definitions of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2019 10; 31:25-29. View Abstract
  50. Predictors of Primary Intracranial Hypertension in Children Using a Newly Suggested Opening Pressure Cutoff of 280 mm H2O. Pediatr Neurol. 2019 02; 91:27-33. View Abstract
  51. Pediatric Papilledema: Review and a Clinical Care Algorithm. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2018; 58(4):1-9. View Abstract
  52. Neuro-Ophthalmic Manifestations of Pediatric Neurodegenerative Disease. J Neuroophthalmol. 2017 09; 37 Suppl 1:S4-S13. View Abstract
  53. Visual and ocular motor outcomes in children with posterior fossa tumors. J AAPOS. 2017 Oct; 21(5):375-379. View Abstract
  54. Introduction. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2017 05; 24(2):81-82. View Abstract
  55. Analysis of patient outcomes following proton radiation therapy for retinoblastoma. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2017 Jan-Mar; 2(1):44-52. View Abstract
  56. Orbital/Periorbital Plexiform Neurofibromas in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Multidisciplinary Recommendations for Care. Ophthalmology. 2017 01; 124(1):123-132. View Abstract
  57. Update on the evaluation of pediatric idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2016 Nov; 27(6):493-497. View Abstract
  58. Neuroimaging Findings in Patients With Down Syndrome and Nystagmus. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016 Nov 01; 53(6):383. View Abstract
  59. Evaluation and Management of Acute Acquired Comitant Esotropia in Children. Semin Ophthalmol. 2017; 32(1):8-13. View Abstract
  60. Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Age, Gender, and Anthropometric Features at Diagnosis in a Large, Retrospective, Multisite Cohort. Ophthalmology. 2016 11; 123(11):2424-2431. View Abstract
  61. Long-term visual outcomes of optic pathway gliomas in pediatric patients without neurofibromatosis type 1. J Neurooncol. 2016 08; 129(1):173-8. View Abstract
  62. Characterizing Visual Field Deficits in Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Using Combined Diffusion Based Imaging and Functional Retinotopic Mapping: A Case Study. Front Syst Neurosci. 2016; 10:13. View Abstract
  63. Reply: To PMID 24907434. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Jan; 159(1):211. View Abstract
  64. Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to detect optic neuropathy in patients with craniosynostosis. J AAPOS. 2014 Dec; 18(6):543-9. View Abstract
  65. Congenital optic nerve anomalies and hereditary optic neuropathies. J Pediatr Genet. 2014 Dec; 3(4):271-80. View Abstract
  66. Abnormal white matter tractography of visual pathways detected by high-angular-resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) corresponds to visual dysfunction in cortical/cerebral visual impairment. J AAPOS. 2014 Aug; 18(4):398-401. View Abstract
  67. Visual outcomes in pediatric optic neuritis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014 Sep; 158(3):503-7.e2. View Abstract
  68. Optic atrophy and a Leigh-like syndrome due to mutations in the c12orf65 gene: report of a novel mutation and review of the literature. J Neuroophthalmol. 2014 Mar; 34(1):39-43. View Abstract
  69. Morning glory disc anomaly: characteristic MR imaging findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2013 Oct; 34(10):2010-4. View Abstract
  70. Optic nerve appearance in patients with Down syndrome. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2013 Jan-Feb; 50(1):60. View Abstract
  71. Relationship between the timing of cataract surgery and development of nystagmus in patients with bilateral infantile cataracts. J AAPOS. 2012 Dec; 16(6):554-7. View Abstract
  72. Use of optical coherence tomography to evaluate papilledema and pseudopapilledema. Semin Ophthalmol. 2010 Sep-Nov; 25(5-6):198-205. View Abstract
  73. Retinopathy of prematurity: current concepts in molecular pathogenesis. Semin Ophthalmol. 2009 Mar-Apr; 24(2):77-81. View Abstract
  74. Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles. Semin Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb; 23(1):3-8. View Abstract
  75. The association of astigmatism and spherical refractive error in a high myopia cohort. Optom Vis Sci. 2005 Apr; 82(4):244-7. View Abstract
  76. Identification and characterization of the Drosophila tau homolog. Mech Dev. 2001 Oct; 108(1-2):171-8. View Abstract
  77. Exclusion of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) locus as a candidate gene for Rett syndrome. Am J Med Genet. 1998 Jun 30; 78(2):173-5. View Abstract

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