Bita Esmaeli, MD, FACS is a leading ophthalmic plastic and orbital surgeon who is internationally renowned for her expertise in oncology. For over 26 years, her practice has focused on the surgical treatment of orbital tumors, lacrimal gland carcinomas, eyelid cancers, melanomas of the eyelid and conjunctiva, and reconstructive surgery in the periocular region.

Dr. Esmaeli’s research interests include the early detection of metastasis, including sentinel lymph node biopsy for ocular adnexal melanomas and carcinomas; multi-disciplinary eye-sparing approaches for lacrimal gland and other orbital tumors; molecular targets for the treatment of ocular and orbital cancers; and neoadjuvant treatments for eyelid and conjunctival cancers with the overarching theme of preserving vision and ocular function while eliminating cancer. She has authored over 320 peer-reviewed manuscripts and more than 60 invited articles, books, and book chapters. She has spearheaded numerous clinical trials and research protocols. She served as co-chair of the National Cancer Institute’s The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project for uveal melanoma. She has trained over 100 fellows, residents, and medical students, and she frequently teaches courses and delivers lectures internationally.

Dr. Esmaeli served as a tenured Professor of Ophthalmology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston from 1998 to 2024. She was Chief of the Section of Ophthalmology from 1998 to 2004 and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Fellowship Program Director from 2001 to 2024.

Dr. Esmaeli received her medical degree from Chicago Medical School in 1990, completed her ophthalmology residency training at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center in 1994, and completed an American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) fellowship at the University of Toronto in 1996.

Dr. Esmaeli serves on the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and is the co-chair of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force. She has received many awards and honors for her research and teaching, including the Merrill Reeh Pathology Award, the Research Award, and the Wendel Hughes award, all given by ASOPRS; the American Academy of Ophthalmology Senior Achievement Award; the American Association of Cancer Research Team Science Award; and the Educator of the Quarter Award at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She has also received accolades for patient care, including Best Doctors in America and Top Doctors awards. She has been a member of the American Ophthalmologic Society since 2012.

Dr. Esmaeli enjoys singing as a soprano in the choir of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston and being a painting student at the Glassel School of Museum of Fine Arts Houston. She also enjoys active travel, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Selected Recent Publications

1. Ford JR, Rubin ML, Frank SJ, Ning J, Debnam JM, Bell D, El-Naggar A, Ferrarotto R, Esmaeli B. Prognostic factors for local recurrence and survival and impact of local treatments on survival in lacrimal gland carcinoma. Br J Ophthalmol 105(6):768-774, 6/2021. e-Pub 7/2020. PMID: 32680839.
2. Esmaeli B. Re: Freitag et al.: Ophthalmic Technology Assessment: Sentinel lymph node biopsy for eyelid and conjunctival malignancy: a report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Ophthalmology. 2020;127:1757-1765). Ophthalmology 128(6):e29, 6/2021. e-Pub 2/2021. PMID: 33583572.
3. Sobel RK, Ford JR, Dong W, Shriver E, Griepentrog GJ, Debnam JM, Esmaeli B. Frequency and clinical course of residual orbital masses after treatment of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma. Am J Ophthalmology
4. Goldfarb JA, Ferrarotto R, Gross N, Geopfert R, Debnam JM, Gunn B, Nagarajan P, Esmaeli B. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Treatment of Periorbital Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Br J Ophthalmol. e-Pub 10/2021. PMID: 34625433.
5. El-Hadad C, Koka K, Dong W, Do T, Haider M, Ursua JD, Ning J, Debnam JM, Esmaeli B. Multidisciplinary Management of Orbital Metastasis and Survival Outcomes. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 37(6):541-545, 11/2021. PMID: 33587417.
6. Koka K, Rahim FE, El-Hadad C, Bell D, Debnam JM, Guo Y, Esmaeli B. Primary Ewing’s Sarcoma with Orbit Involvement: Survival and Visual Outcomes After Eye-Sparing Multidisciplinary Management in Eight Patients. Head Neck 43(12):3857-3865, 12/2021. PMID: 34632670.
7. Hong BY, Ford JR, Glitza IC, Torres Cabala CA, Tetzlaff M, Prieto VG, Parker R, Daniel C, Esmaeli B. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy as an Eye-Preserving Treatment for Locally Advanced Conjunctival Melanoma. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 37(1):e9-e13, 2021 Jan-Feb 01, 2021. e-Pub 6/2020. PMCID: PMC7744319.
8. Vest SD, Coupland SE, Esmaeli B, Finger PT, Graue GF, Grossniklaus HE, Hindso TG, Holm F, Honavar SG, Khong JJ,Kirkegaard MK, McKelvie PA, Mikkelsen LH, Mulay K, Rasmussen PK, Siersma V, Sjo LD, Sniegowski MC, Thuro BA, Vemuganti GK, Heegaard S. Specific Location of Ocular Adnexal Lymphoma and Mortality: An International Multicenter Retrospective Study. Br J Ophthalmol. e-Pub 5/2022. PMID: 35512851.
9. Zhao J, Papp AM, Williams MD, Debnam JM, Esmaeli B. Multifocal Recurrence of Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Lacrimal Gland. Am J Ophthalmol. e-Pub 9/2022. PMID: 35677816.
10. Zhao Z, Frank SJ, Ning J, Jiang X, Wang XA, Schefler AC, Hanna E, Morena A, Gunn B, Ferrarotto, Esmaeli B. Visual Outcome and Ocular Complications in Patients with Lacrimal Gland Carcinoma after Eye-Sparing Surgery and Adjuvant Radiation Therapy. Br J Ophthalmol. e-Pub 10/2022. PMID: 36229179.
11. Zhao J, Esmaeli B. Systemic Neoadjuvant Therapies for Treatment of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Periorbital Region. Int Ophthalmol Clinic 63(3):35- 46, 7/2023. e-Pub 6/2023. PMID: 37439608.
12. Goldberg H, Jiang X, Fan J, Zhao J, Ning J, Williams M, Frank S, Moreno A, Gunn B, Ferrarotto R, Esmaeli B. Lacrimal Gland Adenocarcinoma Clinicopathologic Features and Outcomes Compared with Those of Lacrimal Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg, 2/2024. PMID: 38319188.
13. Goldfarb J, Fan J, De Sousa LG, Akhave N, Myers J, Goepfert R, Manisundaram K, Zhao J, Frank SJ, Moreno A, Ferrarotto R, Esmaeli B. Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Alone or Combined with EGFR-Directed Targeted Therapy or Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Lacrimal Sac and Nasolacrimal Duct Carcinomas. Semin Ophthalmol:1-7, 3/2024. PMID: 38500295.
14. Fan J, Goldberg H, Torres-Caba CA, Stewart J, Nagarajan P, Debnam M, Crouse EC, Lu T, Ferrarotto R, Esmaeli B. Complete Response to Immunotherapy Using Pembrolizumab in a Patient with Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Nodal Metastasis. Ophthlamic Plast Reconstr Surg, 4/2024. PMID: 38687306.
15. Gleber-Netto FO, Nagarajan P, Sagiv O, Pickering CR, Gross N, Ning J, Yeshi MM, Mitku Y, Tetzlaff MT, Esmaeli B. Histologic and Genomic Analysis of Conjunctival SCC in African and American Cohorts Reveal UV Light and HPV Signatures and High Tumor Mutation Burden. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 65(4):24, 4/2024. PMID: 38597722.
16. Pinnix CC, Dabaja BS, Gunther JR, Fang PQ, Wu SY, Nastoupil LJ, Strati P, Nair R, Ahmed S, Steiner R, Westin J, Neelapu S, Rodriguez MA, Lee HJ, Wang M, Flowers C, Feng L, Esmaeli B. Response-Adapted Ultralow-Dose Radiation Therapy for Orbital Indolent B-Cell Lymphoma: A Phase 2 Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2024 July 11: e242112 PMID: 38990564
17. Zhao J, Williams MD, Hernandez M, Kuang G, Goldberg H, Fan J, Ning J, Ferrrarotto R. Esmaeli, B. Prognostic Impact of Notch1 Intracellular Domain, P63, and c-MYC in Lacrimal Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2024 Sept 3; 65(11)4. PMID: 39230995.
18. Hohlbein J, Fan J, Goldberg H, Lu T, Maniakas A, Wong M, Esmaeli B. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Periocular Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Ophthalmology. 2024 Aug 8:0161-6420(24)00463-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2024.08.004. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39127410
19. Esmaeli B, Fan J, Goldberg H, Lu T, Gross ND, Akhave N, Sousa LG, Ferrarotto R. Immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without chemotherapy for orbital, conjunctival, and ocular adnexal squamous cell carcinoma. Can J Ophthalmol. 2024 Jul 20:0008-4182(24)00166-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2024.05.018. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39043259
20. Esmaeli B, Ogden T, Nichols M, Lu T, Debnam J Matthew, Dimitriou F, McQuade J, Glitza I. Rate of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with conjunctival melanoma. Melanoma Res, December 2024, PMID: 39656585.