Marwan M. Azar, MD

Marwan Azar, MD, is an infectious diseases specialist with a focus on infections in patients with compromised immune systems, including organ transplant recipients and oncology patients. He has particular expertise in fungal infections, which are more common among immuno-compromised individuals.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a biologist, studying zoology and natural ecosystems,” Dr. Azar says. “But I decided to pursue medicine because of the huge and immediate positive impact that doctors have on people’s lives. Once in medicine, I pursued both Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, two specialties that combined my interests in human and non-human (including microbe) biology.”

Dr. Azar says some of his greatest rewards come from caring for patients, especially since infectious diseases are often curable and good treatment can usually help a patient get through a serious infection. He also enjoys helping immuno-compromised patients who may be dealing with multiple medical problems. “This kind of work is truly gratifying,” he says.

In addition, Dr. Azar is a researcher who is working on evaluating the utility of new and emerging methods to diagnose infectious diseases faster and more accurately. He is heavily involved in Yale Medicine’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a member of a Yale New Haven Health Ad Hoc COVID Treatment Team, which is made up of a wide range of specialists who are constantly evaluating the best approaches to treating infected patients.