Aria Jafari, MD

I am committed to recognizing patients’ individual values and preferences towards a shared goal of improving their symptoms and quality of life. I strive to provide compassionate and evidence-based care, using cutting-edge and minimally invasive techniques. It is a privilege to partner with patients, their families, and the exceptional team of providers at UW Medicine.

Aria Jafari, MD, is an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Washington, with adjunct faculty appointments in neurosurgery and ophthalmology. He serves as director of the Neurorhinology-Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery Fellowship. He is a fellowship-trained rhinologist specializing in advanced endoscopic sinus surgery, endoscopic orbital surgery, skull base surgery, and lacrimal surgery. Dr. Jafari provides comprehensive care for patients with chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, revision sinus disease, sinonasal tumors and cancers, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, disorders of smell and taste, thyroid eye disease, orbital tumors, and disorders of the lacrimal (tear duct) system.

Dr. Jafari has particular expertise in minimally invasive endoscopic surgery of the skull base and orbit. Working closely with colleagues in neurosurgery and ophthalmology, he performs advanced endoscopic procedures for pituitary and skull base tumors, selected brain tumors, orbital tumors, orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease, CSF leak repair, lacrimal surgery, and transorbital approaches to the skull base. His practice emphasizes multidisciplinary care, surgical innovation, and individualized treatment plans that maximize outcomes while minimizing recovery time.

Dr. Jafari completed fellowship training in rhinology, endoscopic sinus surgery, and endoscopic skull base surgery at Harvard Medical School. After earning his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, he completed residency training in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Diego, where he also served as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral research fellow.

As a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Jafari's research focuses on chronic rhinosinusitis, patient-reported outcomes, cognitive dysfunction associated with sinonasal disease, and innovations in minimally invasive sinus, orbital, and skull base surgery. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has presented his research nationally and internationally. He has received numerous national awards and research grants, has been recognized as a Seattle Met Top Doctor, Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and Seattle Magazine Top Doctor, and has participated in humanitarian surgical missions throughout Mexico, Central America, and Africa.

Undergraduate Education: University of California, San Diego, B.S. with Honors in Neuroscience, 2008

Medical School: Stanford University School of Medicine, 2013

Residency: University of California, San Diego Medical Center, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, 2019

Fellowship: Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, 2020

Research Training: Postdoctoral Research Fellow (T-32), Scripps Research Institute/ University of California, San Diego, Neuroscience, 2016

• Seattle Met Top Doctor
• Castle Connolly Top Doctor
• Seattle Magazine Top Doctor
• Maurice Cottle Clinical Science Honor Award, American Rhinologic Society
• Outstanding Research Mentor Award, University of Washington School of Medicine
• Committee of Excellence Award, Rhinology & Allergy Education Committee, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Foundation