UH Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialist Tailors Care to Patients with Critical Thinking

UH Clinical Update | June 2025

It takes a person with strong self-awareness to shift the type of medicine they are practicing, but Keivan Zandinejad, MD, felt certain he was making the correct decision – and he was right.

Keivan Zandinejad, MD

Dr. Zandinejad had already been on an atypical journey to becoming a physician. He received his medical degree from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 1999, then spent a year performing community service, followed by three years as a research fellow at a fertility and endoscopy center, also in Tehran. 

It wasn’t until 2005 that he began a residency in the U.S. - in internal medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 2009 he came to University Hospitals for clinical and research fellowships in the Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care.

“Initially my interest had been in cardiology, but when I did my residency, I was impressed by the attending physicians in the ICU and the variety of patients they would see in pulmonary and critical care,” he says. “And I noted that you see fairly rapid results for the care you provide. Within days, sometimes within hours, you see the patient’s improvement, and that is very rewarding.”

Dr. Zandinejad developed a strong interest in pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease, so he stepped away from patient care for two years of pulmonary research, including a focus on pulmonary hypertension. In 2013, he won the prestigious Entelligence Young Investigator Award for his research into S-nitrosylation therapy for the treatment of hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery hypertension.

Today, he spends much of his time at UH Ahuja Medical Center, treating inpatients with obstructive lung diseases. He is especially known for his blend of critical thinking and problem solving to select the most effective procedure for each patient.

“With these lung diseases, there are airway obstructions, so our treatment is directed to that – we open the airways by using bronchodilators,” he says. “Or we provide inhaled steroids to prevent inflammation, as the inflammation itself can cause the airways to narrow.”

Other methods that provide relief to patients, depending on their condition, include intubation, central line placement, chest tube placement, bronchoscopy, and thoracentesis. The latter involved removing excess fluid from the space between the lung and chest wall with a needle.

Recently, Dr. Zandinejad was recognized with a “Cliff Appreciates/Dinner with the Doc” honor, for his exceptional dedication to patients and their care. One patient at UH Ahuja mentioned him specifically in a letter written to UH leaders after her stay.

He remembers the patient who had been diagnosed with pneumonia. “I often provide consults for inpatient cases, and I provided one for her case on a Saturday afternoon,” he recalls. 

While many physicians may then see a patient the day after the consultation, he prefers to do so the same day. Late that evening, he went to her bedside again because he knew she might have some concerns. 

The patient later wrote, “The pulmonologist, Dr. Keivan Zandinejad, showed up to speak with me at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night. He consulted me about the pneumonia and made me feel comfortable, answering any questions I had and making sure I was constantly tended to. 

“I was so appreciative of his kindness, especially so late at night on the weekend.”

To nominate a physician for this honor, download the Cliff Appreciates Nomination Form.