Biography

Dr. Azin Azarfar is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and specializes in the treatment of rheumatological conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Sjogren’s disease. She has strong ties to UCF, having completed her residency training at the College of Medicine’s inaugural internal medicine program, which included caring for patients at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and the Orlando VA Medical Center. “Empathy is the compass guiding my care for patients with rheumatological conditions,” she says, “understanding their journey, easing their pain and empowering them towards wellness.”

Education
Dr. Azarfar received her M.D. at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. She completed her internal medicine residency at the UCF College of Medicine, followed by fellowship training in Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at the University of Florida.

Background
In addition to her career in patient care, Dr. Azarfar has extensive research experience. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and poster presentations on a variety of topics including rheumatological conditions, telemedicine and improving quality care for patients. She also participates in an interdisciplinary research team at the VA in Palo Alto, CA and Stanford University.

Publications

• “A Case of Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis and Sclerosing Mediastinitis,” Modern Rheumatology Case Reports (2025) ResearchGate
• “Identifying Provider, Patient and Practice Factors that Shape Long-Term Opioid Prescribing for Cancer Pain: A Qualitative Study of American and Australian Providers,” BMJ Open (2024) ResearchGate
• “Achenbach Syndrome: A Case Series,” Cureus (2022) Cureus
• “Cross Disciplinary Role Agreement is Needed When Coordinating Long-Term Opioid Prescribing for Cancer: A Qualitative Study,” Journal of General Internal Medicine (2021) ResearchGate
• “Sneddon Syndrome: Under-Diagnosed Disease, Complex Clinical Manifestations and Challenging Diagnosis: A Case-Based Review,” Rheumatology International (2021) Hcahealthcare
• “How Patients and Providers Weigh the Risks and Benefits of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Cancer Pain,” JCO Oncology Practice (2021) ResearchGate
• “Chronic Dry Cough: Could it be Your Polymyalgia Rheumatica?” (2021) ResearchGate
• “Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Disturbance, Fibromyalgia, Obesity, and Gastroesophageal Disease in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases,” Current Rheumatology Reviews (2020) Hcahealthcare
• “Awareness and Attitudes Towards Telemedicine Among Medical Students in the United States,” Cureus (2020) ResearchGate
• “Ocular Manifestation of Giant Cell Arteritis vs AL-Amyloidosis: Similar Presentations but Different Approaches,” Modern Rheumatology Case Reports (2020) ResearchGate
• “What Do Providers Want from a Pain Screening Measure Used in Daily Practice?” Pain Medicine (2018) ResearchGate
• “Diffuse Dermal Angiomatosis: Case Report of a Distinct Skin Presentation,” British Journal of Rheumatology (2020) ResearchGate
• “Osteopoikilosis: Rare Case with Incidental Radiographic Findings,” International Journal of Medicine (2020) ResearchGate
• “Shared Decision Making about Opioid Therapy for Cancer Patients: Do Patients and Providers Take the Same Factors into Consideration?” Journal of Clinical Oncology (2019) ResearchGate
• “Signature Informed Consent for Long-Term Opioid Therapy in Patients With Cancer: Perspectives of Patients and Providers,” Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (2019) ResearchGate
• “Shared Decision Making for Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Cancer Pain (SA528A),” Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (2019, conference paper) ResearchGate

Dr. Azarfar has a deep passion for teaching and finds great fulfillment in working with the UCF College of Medicine, where she enjoys mentoring residents and medical students. She takes pride in helping shape the next generation of physicians, sharing not only clinical knowledge but also the empathy-driven approach that defines her own practice.

She calls Florida “a piece of heaven with its nature, the sky, clouds, lakes and sunsets.” In her spare time she enjoys travel, cooking and spending time with her family.