An experienced, passionate team with a proven track record in collaborative clinical development and commercialization of novel therapies. Our team is focused on delivering strategic solutions that better the lives of patients, eyecare professionals, and more. With expertise in ophthalmology and retinal diseases, we welcome the challenges of the future.
Our Story
Iveric Bio is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of treatments for retinal diseases with significant unmet medical needs.
Who We Are
What We're Doing
Our strategy is focused on developing multiple, complementary assets to treat a broad spectrum of retinal diseases. We intend to do this by potentially studying Zimura in indications beyond geographic atropy secondary to dry AMD and autosomal recessive Stargardt disease and by advancing the development of IC-500 our HtrA1 inhibitor.
Having both Zimura and IC-500 in our pipeline positions us to potentially provide treatments for patients with various types and stages of AMD, the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. We are also developing novel gene therapy technology to treat orphan inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). IRDs can be caused by many different mutations of a single gene. Our strategy is to develop mutation independent treatment options to potentially treat the entire group of patients with a particular IRD.
Many Perspectives, One Vision.
We are a collection of inquisitive minds leveraging decades of clinical expertise and marketing knowledge. Discover more about our experience, and what makes Iveric Bio unique, by clicking the photos below.
Leadership
Glenn P. Sblendorio
Chief Executive Officer
Glenn Sblendorio, MBA, is Chief Executive Officer of Iveric Bio. He joined the Company in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer and was appointed President in January 2017 while continuing to serve as Chief Financial Officer. He ceased being CFO in April 2017. Mr. Sblendorio served as a member of the board of directors of Iveric Bio from 2013 to 2016 and rejoined the board in May 2017. Prior to joining Iveric Bio, he served as President and Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors of The Medicines Company from 2006 to 2016. Mr. Sblendorio served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2002 through 2005 when it was sold to OSI Pharmaceuticals. From 2000 through 2002, he held the title of Senior Vice President of Business Development for The Medicines Company. His pharmaceutical experience also includes 12 years at Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. in a variety of senior financial positions. Mr. Sblendorio currently serves on the board of directors of Amicus Therapeutics and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Sblendorio received his BA from Pace University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Pravin U. Dugel, MD
President
Pravin U. Dugel, MD, is President. Dr. Dugel was previously Managing Partner, Retinal Consultants of Arizona and the Retinal Research Institute; Clinical Professor, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; and Founding Member, Spectra Eye Institute in Sun City, Arizona. Dr. Dugel has authored more than 200 papers, 35 book chapters, and has been invited to lecture at several marquis medical meetings and to serve as a visiting professor at universities worldwide, including in Japan, India, China, Malaysia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Canada, and Australia. He is on the editorial board of several major medical journals. Dr. Dugel is internationally recognized as a major clinical researcher and has been a principal investigator in over 100 multicenter clinical trials. His research and educational contributions earned him the prestigious Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). He has been elected and previously served as the Retina Subspecialty Day Board Chairman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, as a member of the board of directors of the largest retina society in the United States, the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), and the largest retina society in Europe, EURETINA.
Dr. Dugel is a member of the board of directors and current Chair of Orbis International’s Medical Advisory Board/Medical Strategic Committee. Orbis International is a non-profit organization focused on ophthalmology training and education in the developing world. With Orbis, Dr. Dugel travels to developing countries to teach surgical techniques to local ophthalmologists and provide free surgery for those suffering from preventable blindness.
Dr. Dugel graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University in New York City. He then attended UCLA School of Medicine. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine. Thereafter, he completed his medical retina fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and his surgical retina fellowship at the USC Eye Institute, where he was elected to serve on the faculty as the Resident Director.
Keith Westby
Chief Operating Officer
Keith Westby is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Iveric Bio. Mr. Westby joined the Company in 2007 and has over 20 years of experience in program and strategic alliance management and manufacturing operations in biotechnology companies. Mr. Westby was most recently Senior Vice President, Development Operations. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Westby worked at Pharmasset, Inc., as Director, Project and Alliance Management. He also served in positions of increasing responsibility at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, including Director, Alliance & Project Management, leading multifunctional project teams in the New Drug Application filing and marketing approval of Macugen. Previously, Mr. Westby worked at Tunnell Consulting, where he was a Senior Consultant in the firm’s Life Sciences practice focused on manufacturing operations and process improvement. Mr. Westby holds a BS in applied physics from the State University of New York, College at Geneseo, a MS in engineering management from Drexel University, and a MBA degree from Columbia Business School.
David F. Carroll
Chief Financial Officer
David Carroll, M.B.A, is the Chief Financial Officer of Iveric Bio. Mr. Carroll joined the Company in 2016 and has more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Carroll spent eight years at The Medicines Company in several senior financial leadership roles, including Vice President, Controller, and most recently, Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer. Earlier in his career, Mr. Carroll served in various financial management positions of increasing responsibility for Genentech, Novartis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Mr. Carroll is a certified public accountant and received a BA from Ursinus College magna cum laude and an MBA from Rutgers University.
Chris Simms
Chief Commercial Officer
Chris Simms is Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Iveric Bio. Mr. Simms is an accomplished healthcare leader with more than 20 years of diverse commercial leadership experience at Johnson & Johnson, Genentech, and Novartis, including focused experience in retina, ophthalmology, and optometry. Most recently, he was the Vice President and Head of the Novartis US Ophthalmics business unit which includes the brands BEOVU® and Xiidra®. He joined Novartis in 2017 to build the commercial launch strategy for BEOVU® after leading commercial efforts on Lucentis® at Genentech. Prior to Genentech, he spent 16 years at Johnson & Johnson working with leading brands across their vision care, diabetes and consumer goods businesses in Canada, Japan, and the US. Mr. Simms has a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MBA from York University, Toronto, Canada.
Abraham Scaria, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Scaria has more than 25 years of experience in gene therapy, ranging from discovery research to early-stage clinical trials. For much of his career, Dr. Scaria has specialized in viral gene therapy vectors and ocular gene therapy, having served as Senior Scientific Director of Gene Therapy and Ophthalmology at Genzyme-Sanofi and subsequently Head of Gene Therapy Research at Sanofi. Most recently, Dr. Scaria was Vice President and Head of Ophthalmology at Casebia Therapeutics, where he oversaw efforts to develop gene-editing–based therapies for inherited retinal diseases. He earned his doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from Indiana University School of Medicine and conducted postdoctoral research at St. Louis University School of Medicine and at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Scaria has more than 45 publications and currently serves on several committees for the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy.
Amy Sheehan
Chief Human Resources Officer
Amy Sheehan is the Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Iveric Bio. Ms. Sheehan joined the Company in 2014 and brings over 20 years of human resources experience in the biotechnology and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining Iveric Bio Ms. Sheehan led Human Resources for the Electronic Systems Division of Parker Hannifin, a publicly traded Fortune 250 global company. Earlier in Ms. Sheehan’s career she held leadership positions of increasing responsibility in human resources at OSI Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biotechnology company. Throughout Ms. Sheehan’s career she oversaw Human Resources teams and led successful HR strategies in talent acquisition, culture, total rewards, leadership development, and training. She holds a MS in human resources management and a BA in psychology from Hofstra University.
Dhaval Desai, PharmD
Chief Development Officer
Dhaval Desai, PharmD, is Senior Vice-President and Chief Development Officer at Iveric Bio. Dr. Desai joined Iveric Bio as Chief of Staff in 2020 after serving as Vice President and Medical Unit Head of US Ophthalmics at Novartis. During his time at Novartis, Dr. Desai was responsible for the establishment of a US Ophthalmics unit and developing a comprehensive franchise strategy. Prior to Novartis, Dr. Desai held multiple leadership roles in ophthalmology-focused companies including Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Strategic Officer, and ThromboGenics, where he served as Global Director, Medical Affairs. Dr. Desai received his PharmD and completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University.
Evelyn Harrison
Chief Clinical Operations Officer
Evelyn Harrison, MBA, is the Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Operations Officer of Iveric Bio. She brings more than 23 years of management and clinical research experience. Prior to joining Iveric Bio, Ms. Harrison was with Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she held the management positions of Vice President and Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Development. While at Eyetech, Ms. Harrison played a key role in the development and approval of Macugen® (pegaptanib sodium) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.
Ms. Harrison’s professional career began in clinical research at a major New York City teaching hospital. She then moved to Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., where she was Director of Clinical Operations, responsible for the development and implementation of strategic programs for Roche’s oncology franchise.
Ms. Harrison has worked on all phases of global clinical trials and has extensive experience in multiple therapeutic areas such as bone marrow transplantation, organ transplantation, oncology and virology.
Ms. Harrison holds a BA degree in biology from Hofstra University and an MBA from Manhattan College.
Guangping Gao, PhD
Chief Strategist, Gene Therapy
Dr. Gao is the Co-Director, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research; Director, Horae Gene Therapy Center and Viral Vector Core; Professor of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Penelope Booth Rockwell Professor in Biomedical Research, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is an elected fellow of both the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the American Academy of Microbiology; and the current President of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.
Dr. Gao is an internationally recognized gene therapy researcher who has played a key role in the discovery and characterization of a new family of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes, which was instrumental in reviving the gene therapy field, providing technology to enable potential treatments for many currently untreatable human diseases. For nearly 30 years of his scientific research career, Dr. Gao has primarily focused on molecular genetics and viral vector gene therapy for rare genetic diseases, with research encompassing disease gene cloning, causative mutation identification, pathomechanism investigation, animal modeling, novel viral vector discovery and engineering for in vivo gene delivery, vector biology, preclinical and clinical gene therapy product development, and viral vector manufacturing for preclinical and clinical gene therapy applications, as well as development of technology platforms for novel approaches for human gene therapy.
Dr. Gao has published 267 research papers, 6 book chapters, and 5 edited books and serves as Editor of Human Gene Therapy, Senior Editor of the Gene and Cell Therapy book series, Associate Editor of Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, and on the editorial boards of several other gene therapy and virology journals. Dr. Gao holds 135 patents with 239 additional patent applications pending. Dr. Gao's inventions have been licensed to and are currently in development by over 10 pharmaceutical companies. Recently, Dr. Gao was ranked as #4 on Nature Biotechnology’s list of the World’s Top 20 Translational Researchers for 2017.
Snehal Shah, PharmD
Chief Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance
Dr. Snehal Shah is Senior Vice President, Chief Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance Officer at Iveric Bio. Dr. Shah brings over 16 years of global experience in Regulatory Science and Pharmacovigilance, gained at leading pharmaceutical companies including Hoffmann La-Roche/ Genentech, Noven Pharmaceuticals (Member of the Hisamitsu Group) and Kyowa Kirin.
Dr. Shah has led both biologics and small molecule development programs focusing on rare orphan diseases, oncology, neurology, virology, transplantation, inflammation, endocrinology, and women’s health; at all product lifecycle phases through commercialization. Most notably Dr. Shah has provided strategic Regulatory leadership to successfully bring over a dozen market applications from filing through approval, allowing new treatment options for patients. This includes first in class treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Shah holds a B.S. in pharmacy from Rutgers University and a Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Kansas. He also completed the American Course of Drug Development and Regulatory Sciences Certification program at the University of California, San Francisco.
Xiao-Ping Dai, PhD
Chief Technical Officer
Dr. Xiao-Ping Dai is Chief Technical Officer of Iveric Bio, responsible for manufacturing and CMC development of the product pipeline. She joined the company in 2019.
Dr. Dai has more than 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, specialized in product and process development and manufacturing. She has successfully developed processes and managed overall CMC development for more than 30 different biological products including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, pegylated proteins, ADCs, multi-specific antibodies and vaccines, from preclinical development through commercialization, including Opdivo and Yervoy. Dr. Dai has a proven track record of internal and external development, with CDMOs/CMOs, managing multiple partnerships and collaborations, technology transfers, scale-ups, process performance qualifications (PPQ) and regulatory filings.
Prior to joining Iveric Bio, Dr. Dai was Chief Technologist and VP of Process and Technology Development at WuXi Advanced Therapy, a CDMO where she built and led an organization engaged in process and technology platform development, serving cell and gene therapy clients. Prior to joining WuXi, Dr. Dai was Sr. Director of Biologics Development and Manufacturing at Celgene Corporation, where she built and led a strong technical team and successfully delivered on multiple internal and external programs. Prior to Celgene, Dr. Dai had over 13 years of effective functional and cross-functional leadership and technical experience in Biologics Development at BMS, Medarex and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and before that at NJIT, where she received her PhD in Chemical Engineering.
Todd D.C. Anderman
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Todd D.C. Anderman is Sr. Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Iveric Bio. Mr. Anderman joined the Company in 2015 after representing the Company since 2012 while practicing corporate law at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. While at WilmerHale, Mr. Anderman’s practice focused on representing life sciences and technology companies. Mr. Anderman began his career as a corporate attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Mr. Anderman has extensive experience advising on merger, acquisition, divestiture, licensing, and financing transactions. Mr. Anderman received his BA in government and philosophy from the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Kathy Galante
Investor Relations
Kathy Galante is Senior Vice President, Investor Relations at Iveric Bio. Ms. Galante joined the Company in 2013 and has more than 25 years of investor relations experience in the biotechnology industry. Prior to Iveric Bio, Ms. Galante was a Senior Vice President at Burns McClellen, where she was responsible for creating and implementing investor relations programs for both publicly traded and privately held life science companies. Before that, Ms. Galante spent more than two decades at then Nasdaq-listed OSI Pharmaceuticals, where she was instrumental in the development of the company’s investor relations and corporate communications strategy, as well as managing public relations around the launch of Tarceva®. During her tenure at OSI Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Galante was a key member of the management team that transformed a small, $200 million research-based biotechnology company into a profitable, $4 billion biopharmaceutical organization with discovery, development, and commercialization capabilities.
Board of Directors
Adrienne L. Graves, PhD
Chairman of the Board, Former Chief Executive Officer, Santen. Inc.
Adrienne L. Graves, PhD, is a visual scientist by training and a global industry leader in ophthalmology. As the former Chief Executive Officer of Santen Inc., the US subsidiary of the 130-year-old Japanese pharmaceutical company, she successfully established a strong global presence, brought multiple ophthalmic products through development to approval and commercialization, and led global teams through successful acquisitions and partnerships. At Santen, Dr. Graves served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Clinical Development (US, Europe, and Japan) for seven years and Chief Executive Officer for eight years. Prior to Santen, she spent nine years at Alcon, joining as Senior Scientist to establish Alcon’s first Retinal Electrophysiology Laboratory. She progressed through roles of increasing responsibility in R&D, including directing clinical development in multiple therapeutic areas and serving as Director of International Ophthalmology.
Dr. Graves currently serves as an independent director on multiple corporate boards including Greenbrook TMS, Nicox S.A., Oxurion NV, and Surface Pharmaceuticals. She is also a director on the following foundation boards: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Foundation, Glaucoma Research Foundation, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Foundation (Emeritus), Himalayan Cataract Project, Foundation Fighting Blindness Retinal Degeneration Fund, Retinal Global and KeepYourSight Foundation.
Dr. Graves co-founded Glaucoma 360 (Glaucoma Research Foundation) and Ophthalmic World Leaders (OWL). She received her AB in psychology from Brown University, her PhD in psychobiology from the University of Michigan, and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in visual neuroscience at the University of Paris.
Axel Bolte
President and CEO, Inozyme Pharma, Inc.
Mr. Bolte has served as a member of our board of directors since August 2007. Since February 2017, Mr. Bolte has served as president and chief executive officer of Inozyme Pharma Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company. Mr. Bolte previously served as a managing member of Healthcare Advisors GmbH, a private healthcare advisory company. From February 2017 to September 2019, Mr. Bolte served as a venture partner to HBM Partners AG, a provider of investment advisory services in the life sciences industry, and where he previously served as an investment advisor from March 2003 through January 2017. From March 2001 to February 2003, Mr. Bolte was an investment manager of NMT New Medical Technologies AG, a Swiss venture capital company focused on life sciences. Prior to joining NMT New Medical Technologies AG, Mr. Bolte served as a scientist at Serono SA, a biotechnology company. Mr. Bolte currently serves on the board of directors of Nabriva Therapeutics AG and previously served on the board of directors of PTC Therapeutics, Inc., both of which are publicly traded biotechnology companies. Mr. Bolte received a degree in biochemistry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland and an MBA from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Calvin Roberts, MD
President and CEO, Lighthouse Guild
Calvin W. Roberts, MD is a renowned specialist in cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Roberts is credited with developing surgical therapies, over-the-counter products for vision care, prescription ocular therapeutics, and innovative treatment regimens. Dr. Roberts is the President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild, the leading provider of services to those with vision loss. Formerly, Dr. Roberts served as Senior Vice President and the Chief Medical Officer, Eye Care at Bausch Health Companies. Since 1982, Dr. Roberts has been a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and a founding member of the board of directors of Alimera Sciences. Dr. Roberts previously served as a consultant to Allergan, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. Dr. Roberts holds patents on the wide-field specular microscope, used for corneal endothelial studies, and was a pioneer in the use of ophthalmic non-steroidals.
Dr. Roberts received an AB from Princeton University and his MD from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Dr. Roberts completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Roberts also completed cornea fellowships at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston. Dr. Roberts currently serves as an Independent Director on multiple corporate boards.
Glenn P. Sblendorio
Chief Executive Officer Iveric Bio
Glenn Sblendorio, MBA, is Chief Executive Officer of Iveric Bio. He joined the Company in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer and was appointed President in January 2017 while continuing to serve as Chief Financial Officer. He ceased being CFO in April 2017. Mr. Sblendorio served as a member of the board of directors of Iveric Bio from 2013 to 2016 and rejoined the board in May 2017. Prior to joining Iveric Bio, he served as President and Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors of The Medicines Company from 2006 to 2016. Mr. Sblendorio served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2002 through 2005 when it was sold to OSI Pharmaceuticals. From 2000 through 2002, he held the title of Senior Vice President of Business Development for The Medicines Company. His pharmaceutical experience also includes 12 years at Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. in a variety of senior financial positions. Mr. Sblendorio currently serves on the board of directors of Amicus Therapeutics and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Sblendorio received his BA from Pace University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Jane Pritchett Henderson
Chief Financial Officer, Adagio Therapeutics, Inc.
Jane Pritchett Henderson has more than 32 years of experience in the life sciences industry and health care investment banking. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at Adagio Therapeutics, a company developing best-in-class antibodies that can broadly neutralize SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and additional pre-emergent coronaviruses. Previously Ms. Henderson served as Chief Financial Officer at Turnstone Biologics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company. Prior to Turnstone, Ms. Henderson served as CFO and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Voyager Therapeutics, a publicly-traded, clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases. Prior to Voyager, Ms. Henderson served as Chief Financial and Business Officer of Kolltan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., having joined the privately held biopharmaceutical company in 2013 and leading the sale of Kolltan to Celldex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in late 2016. Previously, Ms. Henderson served as Vice President, Business Development of ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., until ISTA Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Bausch + Lomb. Prior to ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Henderson served as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development at Axerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In addition to her industry experience, Ms. Henderson’s extensive healthcare investment banking experience includes the execution of more than 95 mergers and acquisitions, advisory and financing deals as managing director and other senior roles at HSBC Holdings plc, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers. Ms. Henderson holds a B.S. in psychology from Duke University and currently serves on the board of directors of Sesen Bio Inc., a publicly-traded biologics oncology company, and Akero Therapeutics, a publicly traded, clinical-stage company focused on NASH.
Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD
HJ Smead Professor Emeritus, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University
Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD, MMS, is HJ Smead Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University, where he is the co-director of the Ophthalmic Innovation Program. Dr. Blumenkranz is a co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Kedalion Therapeutics and currently serves as a director of Verana Health, BVI Visitec, Combangio Corporation, and One Medical (ONEM:NASDAQ). Dr. Blumenkranz is also a Managing Director of Lagunita Biosciences, an early stage biotechnology and medical investment company and incubator.
He was a co-founder and served on the boards of Optimedica Corporation (acquired by AMO), Peak Surgical (acquired by Medtronics), Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM:NASDAQ), and Oculeve (acquired by Allergan). He also co-founded Verana Health (formerly Digisight Technologies) and Combangio Corporation, both clinical-stage privately held venture-backed companies in Silicon Valley, and continues to serve on their boards. In the past he served as an independent Director at Oculex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan), and Presbia.
Dr. Blumenkranz has a longstanding interest and expertise in university corporate technology transfer and early stage biomedical company formation and is the author of more than 160 peer-reviewed articles and more than 18 issued patents including the Pascal and Catalys lasers. He is a past president of the American University Professors of Ophthalmology, the Retina Society, the Macula Society, and a Fellow Emeritus of the Corporation of Brown University, where he served as the Chair of the Medical School Committee.
Dr. Blumenkranz received his undergraduate, graduate, and medical degrees at Brown; his ophthalmic residency training at Stanford; and a fellowship in vitreo-retinal diseases at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. He served as the Chair of the Ophthalmology Department at Stanford from 1997 until 2015 and played a leading role in the planning, fundraising, and construction of the Byers Eye Institute there.
Scientific Advisors
- Visionary
- Steering
- Imaging
Jeffrey Heier, MD
Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston
Dr. Jeffrey Heier is the Co-President and Medical Director of Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston (OCB). He is a leading researcher for new treatments in vitreoretinal disease, surgical techniques, and diagnostic imaging of the retina. Dr. Heier is on the Executive Board of the Retina Society and the ASRS and is Immediate past president of the New England Ophthalmological Society. He is a scientific advisor to many biotechnical or pharmaceutical companies, lectures nationally and internationally, and has authored numerous, peer-reviewed works. Dr. Heier received his medical degree from Boston University, did an internship and residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, and vitreoretinal fellowship at OCB/Tufts School of Medicine. Dr. Heier served as a physician in a Combat Support Hospital in the Persian Gulf War, where he was awarded a Bronze Star.
Peter Kaiser, MD
Cole Eye Institute
Dr. Peter K. Kaiser graduated magna cum laude with Highest Honors from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute before joining the vitreoretinal department of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. As a National Institute of Health-funded investigator, Dr. Kaiser leads a team involved in the evaluation of vascular biology in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, Dr. Kaiser is actively involved in clinical research as Study Chairman of five major, multi-center, international clinical trials, and principal investigator in numerous studies for AMD, DR, and other retinal disorders. He is the founder and director of the Digital Optical Coherence Tomography Reading Center (DOCTR). Complementing his research endeavors, Dr. Kaiser serves on numerous scientific advisory boards and addresses his research interests as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. He is a major contributor to the medical literature having authored seven textbooks, and more than 250 peer-reviewed papers. He is Editor-in-Chief of Retinal Physician, Associate Editor of International Ophthalmology Clinics, and serves on the editorial boards of Retina, Retina Today, and Ocular Surgery News. Dr. Kaiser has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists with Senior Achievement Awards and is listed as one of the “Best Doctors in America.” Finally, he is the team ophthalmologist for the Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association).
Adnan Tufail, MBBS, MD
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Dr. Adnan Tufail is a leading ophthalmologist in London, specializing in medical retina disorders and cataract surgery in the context of retinal diseases. He is the clinical and research lead at Moorfields Eye Hospital for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), co-leads the €16 million Macustar Consortium, which unites industry and academia to drive dry AMD research, and is the clinical lead of the largest-ever UK Medical Research Council grant to develop novel non-VEGF anti-angiogenic therapies.
Dr. Tufail’s current areas of clinical research include novel drug and cell therapies for AMD, diabetic retinopathy and myopic degeneration, as well as a number of rare and complex retina disorders. Professor Tufail has published extensively in clinical and scientific journals and is invited to lecture widely around the world.
Anat Loewenstein, MD
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Anat Loewenstein is Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Sidney Fox Chair of Ophthalmology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at the Tel Aviv University, and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Medical Center. She completed her residency in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, and her fellowship in vitreoretina at the Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.
She was the leader behind the development of novel technology for early detection of macular degeneration, as well as the development of automated technology for detection of retinal disease activity and the development of augmented virtual reality to replace the operating microscope. She has published more than 380 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and contributed multiple chapters to ophthalmology textbooks.
She serves as the editor of the journal Case Reports in Ophthalmology, is the chair of the Ministry of Health’s ethics committee and a member of the National Council of Surgery and Anesthesia.
Arshad Khanani, MD, MA
Sierra Eye Associates
Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, is Managing Partner, Director of Clinical Research, and Director of Fellowship at Sierra Eye Associates and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. He is a fellowship-trained vitreoretinal specialist and is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. As an undergraduate, Dr. Khanani was honored twice with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Award. During his medical training, he received several research awards and designed multiple prospective clinical trials, which led to publications in major ophthalmology journals.
Due to his strong interest in clinical research, Dr. Khanani founded the clinical research section at Sierra Eye Associates. He has been a principal investigator for more than 50 clinical trials and has been a top enroller in the world for multiple Phase 1-3 trials. Dr. Khanani also serves as a member of clinical trial steering committees and scientific advisory boards for multiple companies. His articles have been published in top ophthalmology journals. Dr. Khanani has also presented his work at major ophthalmology meetings worldwide and has been invited multiple times as a guest speaker nationally and internationally.
Dr. Khanani has received numerous awards of distinction. He is an elected member of the Retina Society. He has received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also received the Honor Award and the Senior Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists for his contributions. Dr. Khanani has also been consistently named one of America’s Top Ophthalmologists and has also been included in The Leading Physicians of the World publication. In 2019, he received the Nevada Business Magazine Healthcare Heroes Physician of the Year award for his continued dedication to the field of ophthalmology.
Carl D. Regillo, MD, FACS
Wills Eye Hospital
Dr. Carl D. Regillo is the Director of the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital and Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and performed both his ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital. He is the founder and former Director of the Wills Eye Clinical Retina Research Unit, former Chairman of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Retina Basic and Clinical Science Course, former Chairman of the Wills Eye Institutional Review Board, and prior Director of the Wills Eye Retina Fellowship.
He has authored over 200 publications along with over 50 book chapters and eight major books. He has been an investigator on numerous major clinical trials developing new treatments for retinal disorders such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He lectures worldwide. He has served on the scientific editorial board for the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Review of Ophthalmology, Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, Yearbook of Ophthalmology, Retinal Physician, and Retina Today. He is a recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement, Senior Achievement, and Secretariat Awards along with the American Society of Retina Specialists Honor and Senior Honor Awards. He also has been listed multiple times through the years as a retina “Top Doctor” in the Philadelphia Magazine, Philadelphia Life, Mainline Today, and South Jersey Magazine.
Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD
Retina Consultants of Houston
Dr. Charles C. Wykoff is Director of Research at Retina Consultants of Houston and elected Deputy Chair of Ophthalmology for the Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from MIT, received his PhD from Oxford University in England while on a Marshall Scholarship, and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. As a medical student he co-authored the book Fighting Global Blindness. He completed ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute where he served as Chief Resident/Co-Director of Ocular Trauma and was awarded a Heed Fellowship and the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Award. Dr. Wykoff is passionate about translational research and clinical trial design, and has published over 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
His research interests pertain to angiogenesis and retinal vascular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and venous occlusive diseases, as well as vitreoretinal surgical topics such as retinal detachment and macular surgery. Dr. Wykoff has been awarded the AAO Secretariat and Achievement Awards as well as the ASRS Honor and Senior Honor Awards. He was a founding member of the Ophthalmology Retina Editorial Board and is involved with multiple scholarly societies including the Macula Society, the Retina Society, and the Vit-Buckle Society. He is actively involved in entrepreneurial activities and serves on multiple scientific advisory boards for companies spanning the innovative process from early to late stage development. His guiding philosophy is to build and strengthen innovative, ethical teams focused on developing new approaches to improving outcomes for blinding diseases.
David S. Boyer, MD
Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group
Dr. David S. Boyer is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in the treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous. He is Senior Partner at Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group with offices in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, North Hollywood, Torrance, Pasadena, and Tarzana, California. Dr. Boyer is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology with the University of Southern California/Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA. He has an extensive research background and is currently an investigator for various clinical trials. He is one of the leading retinal clinical researchers in the country for new treatments in macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. A widely published author and avid lecturer, Dr. Boyer lectures nationally and internationally on retinal research and the innovative approach to the treatment of retinal diseases.
Donald J. D'Amico, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College
Dr. Donald J. D’Amico, Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital, is an internationally recognized leader in vitreoretinal diseases. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he completed his residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and a fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Dr. D’Amico is a distinguished national and international lecturer and is the recipient of many honors, including the Life Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is highly active in professional societies, including past president of the Retina Society, and he is the immediate past president of the prestigious international retinal society Club Jules Gonin.
Frank Holz, FEBO, FARVO
University of Bonn
Prof Holz is professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Bonn, Germany. His scientific interests include the pathogenesis, prognostic factors, biomarkers and treatment of macular and retinal diseases, and innovative retinal imaging technologies. He trained at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and completed a fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, with Professor Alan C. Bird.
Professor Holz is a co-founder of the Priority Program AMD of the German Research Council (DFG) and the GRADE Reading Centre in Bonn. He is a board member of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and EURETINA, member of the European Academy of Ophthalmology, the Macula Society, the Club Jules Gonin, editor-in-chief of Der Ophthalmologe, and serves as a reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals. He has received numerous awards, including the Leonhard-Klein Award for Ocular Surgery, the Alcon Research Institute (ARI) award and the Senior Achievement Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has published more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the editor of several books on retinal disease.
Giovanni Staurenghi, MD, FARVO, FEBO
Luigi Sacco Hospital
Dr. Giovanni Staurenghi is presently Professor of Ophthalmology and Chairman of the University Eye Clinic and director of the University Eye Clinic Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science “Luigi Sacco” at the Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy. He received his medical degree at the University of Pavia and his residency training at the University of Milan, both in Italy. He was a research fellow and, subsequently, a visiting scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute.
Dr. Staurenghi is a member of the Macula Society, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Ophthalmic Photographer Society, and American Academy of Ophthalmology; a member of the editorial board of IOVS; and a reviewer for many international scientific journals. He was a member of the Annual Meeting Program Committee of ARVO from 2008 to 2010, is a scientific advisor for the Digital Angiography Reading Center, and a visiting professor and consultant for the Belfast Ophthalmic Reading Center at the Central Angiographic Resource Facility.
Jordi Monés, MD, PHD
Institut de la Màcula
Dr. Jordi Monés is the Director of the Institut de la Màcula and the Director, Principal Investigator, and one of the founder governors of the Barcelona Macula Foundation: Research for Vision.
Dr. Monés earned his degree and his PhD cum laude in medicine and surgery at the Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. He specialized in ophthalmology at the Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona from 1986-1989. He completed his Research Retina Fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) at Harvard University, Boston, USA in 1990 and 1991 and a Clinical Retina Fellowship at the Hospital San José at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Mexico in 1992.
Dr. Monés was also board member of Futbol Club Barcelona and the Commissioner of the Barça Innovation Hub and of the Sports Science Department (Medical, Performance, and Technology) from 2010 to 2017. In his commitment for improving public health, he envisioned and achieved the FCB stadium smoke-free policy, the only one in Spain even today. This accomplishment resulted in several prizes and public recognition, including from the European Commission.
His research fields of interest are the pathophysiology, imaging, and emerging therapies for AMD and retinal degenerative diseases, with particular interest in the end-stage atrophic form, regenerative approaches with stem cells and gene therapy, microbiome, and clinical biophotonics.
Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PHD
Lariboisere University Hospital
Dr. Ramin Tadayoni is Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Paris and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Lariboisière University Hospital (Paris, France). He has authored more than 140 medical and scientific articles and has made numerous contributions to ophthalmology textbooks. Dr. Tadayoni completed undergraduate training in medicine at the University of Marseille, and his MD and internship at Paris V University. He completed his studies with a retina fellowship at Lariboisière University Hospital. Simultaneously, he pursued his PhD in science at Paris VII University and the Paris Vision Institute.
Tien Wong, FRCS, PHD, FARVO
Singapore National Eye Centre
Dr. Tien Wong is currently the Professor and Chair of the Ophthalmology and Visual Science Program and Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Center. He is concurrently Vice-Dean, Office of Clinical Sciences at the Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore. He was previously Executive Director of the Singapore Eye Research Institute, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the National University of Singapore and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Wong balances clinical practice in ophthalmology, focusing on retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, with a broad-based research program comprising epidemiological, clinical, and translational studies of Asian eye diseases, and on the use of retinal imaging to predict disease risk. He has authored >1,000 peer-reviewed papers, including papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, JAMA, and Nature; given >300 invited plenary, symposium, and named lectures; and received >US$50 million in grant funding. He has received numerous awards, including the Alcon Institute Research Award, the Arnall Patz Award from the Macula Society, and Singapore's President’s Science Award.
Yuichiro Ogura, MD
Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Dr. Yuichiro Ogura is Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. Dr. Ogura's research interests focus on microcirculation of the retina and choroid, ocular drug delivery systems, and the pathophysiology of vitreoretinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has been an active member of ISER, ARVO, and AAO for many years. He is an Executive Board Member of The Japan Ophthalmological Society and other related societies in Japan. Dr. Ogura has presented many papers at various international congresses and organized several symposia at the recent ICER meetings.
Arshad Khanani, MD, MA
Sierra Eye Associates
Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, is Managing Partner, Director of Clinical Research, and Director of Fellowship at Sierra Eye Associates and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. He is a fellowship-trained vitreoretinal specialist and is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. As an undergraduate, Dr. Khanani was honored twice with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Award. During his medical training, he received several research awards and designed multiple prospective clinical trials, which led to publications in major ophthalmology journals.
Due to his strong interest in clinical research, Dr. Khanani founded the clinical research section at Sierra Eye Associates. He has been a principal investigator for more than 50 clinical trials and has been a top enroller in the world for multiple Phase 1-3 trials. Dr. Khanani also serves as a member of clinical trial steering committees and scientific advisory boards for multiple companies. His articles have been published in top ophthalmology journals. Dr. Khanani has also presented his work at major ophthalmology meetings worldwide and has been invited multiple times as a guest speaker nationally and internationally.
Dr. Khanani has received numerous awards of distinction. He is an elected member of the Retina Society. He has received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also received the Honor Award and the Senior Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists for his contributions. Dr. Khanani has also been consistently named one of America’s Top Ophthalmologists and has also been included in The Leading Physicians of the World publication. In 2019, he received the Nevada Business Magazine Healthcare Heroes Physician of the Year award for his continued dedication to the field of ophthalmology.
Carl Danzig, MD
Rand Eye Institute
Dr. Carl Danzig joined Rand Eye Institute as Director of Vitreoretinal Services in July 2011.
He is experienced in the treatment of macular degeneration, macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, retinal vein occlusion, and other disorders. In order to help patients with these conditions restore or preserve their eyesight, he offers a range of surgical procedures, including intravitreal injections, retina laser treatments, pneumatic retinopexy, scleral buckle, pars plana vitrectomy, and pars plana lensectomy.
He received his medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, completed his internship at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania, and ophthalmology residencies at Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital/Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles and State University of New York-Downstate in Brooklyn, New York.
Subsequent to his residency training, Dr. Danzig underwent a two-year vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Texas/Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmologists, Dr. Danzig is licensed to practice medicine in Texas and Florida. He has lectured internationally and presented at meetings of major ophthalmologic organization. In addition, he has authored numerous articles that have been published in prestigious medical journals.
Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD
Retina Consultants of Houston
Dr. Charles C. Wykoff is Director of Research at Retina Consultants of Houston and elected Deputy Chair of Ophthalmology for the Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from MIT, received his PhD from Oxford University in England while on a Marshall Scholarship, and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. As a medical student he co-authored the book Fighting Global Blindness. He completed ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute where he served as Chief Resident/Co-Director of Ocular Trauma and was awarded a Heed Fellowship and the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Award. Dr. Wykoff is passionate about translational research and clinical trial design, and has published over 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
His research interests pertain to angiogenesis and retinal vascular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and venous occlusive diseases, as well as vitreoretinal surgical topics such as retinal detachment and macular surgery. Dr. Wykoff has been awarded the AAO Secretariat and Achievement Awards as well as the ASRS Honor and Senior Honor Awards. He was a founding member of the Ophthalmology Retina Editorial Board and is involved with multiple scholarly societies including the Macula Society, the Retina Society, and the Vit-Buckle Society. He is actively involved in entrepreneurial activities and serves on multiple scientific advisory boards for companies spanning the innovative process from early to late stage development. His guiding philosophy is to build and strengthen innovative, ethical teams focused on developing new approaches to improving outcomes for blinding diseases.
David Eichenbaum, MD
Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida
Dr. David Eichenbaum is a board-certified ophthalmologist fellowship-trained in diseases and surgery of the vitreous and retina. He has been practicing in Tampa Bay since 2007. He completed his medical degree and ophthalmology residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Eichenbaum completed his two-year surgical retina fellowship at Tufts New England Eye Center and Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.
Dr. Eichenbaum has published in numerous professional journals, textbook chapters, and has presented his work at the American Society of Retinal Specialists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Association of Research and Vision in Ophthalmology meeting. He speaks nationally on molecular eye medications for diseases such as macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusions, and diabetes, and has served on numerous clinical advisory boards. Dr. Eichenbaum is principal investigator for multiple clinical trials in the practice dealing with diabetic and macular degenerative disease.
Dr. Eichenbaum is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, sits on the board of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, and has served as past president of the Tampa Bay Ophthalmic Society. In 2015, he received the Michael R. Redmond, MD Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Award from the Florida Society of Ophthalmology. He is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Vit-Buckle Society, Club Vit, the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, and the Tampa Bay Society of Ophthalmology.
David R Lally, MDD
New England Retina Consultants
Dr. David R. Lally graduated from Vanderbilt University and received a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, and then went on to a fellowship in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery at Tufts/New England Eye Center and Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. Dr. Lally is board certified and is an active member of the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). He is an attending surgeon at Baystate Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of the Department of Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate. In addition, he is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Lally has published numerous research manuscripts and book chapters including over 20 peer-reviewed articles. He has publications in the distinguished New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and JAMA Ophthalmology, and he presents lectures at local and national meetings every year. He has participated as a research investigator in over 20 clinical trials for age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, macular telangiectasia, retinal detachment, and vitreomacular adhesion. He acts as the principal investigator for all clinical trials at the Retina Research Institute at New England Retina Consultants. He also serves as a manuscript reviewer for several academic journals including JAMA Ophthalmology, OSLI Retina, Retinal Cases & Brief Reports, Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
Jared S. Nielsen, MD, MBA
Wolfe Eye Clinic
Dr. Jared S. Nielsen is a board-certified and fellowship-trained retina specialist. He earned his medical degree along with a master’s degree in pathology in a combined degree program at the Chicago Medical School in Chicago, Illinois. Following a transitional internship at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, he completed an ophthalmology residency at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Nielsen completed a vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, where he remains a Clinical Instructor of Ophthalmology. He joined Wolfe Eye Clinic in 2007. He is a frequent lecturer and is the Program Director for Wolfe Eye Clinic’s Retina Fellowship. Dr. Nielsen completed an additional master’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business in 2018.
Dr. Nielsen is known as an active eye care researcher and he participates in clinical trials designed to provide better care to patients who suffer from sight-threatening retinal diseases. He has served as a principal investigator in over 40 clinical trials advancing care for patients who suffer from blinding diseases including: wet and dry macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and central serous chorioretinopathy. He is engaged as an investigator in the DRCR Retina Network, a National Eye Institute sponsored effort to study retinal disease. Dr. Nielsen is also an author and reviewer for peer-reviewed retina journals and presents at major retina meetings throughout the world.
Jason Hsu, MD
Wills Eye Hospital
Dr. Jason Hsu is an attending surgeon on the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital. He graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a BSE in electrical engineering and a certificate in engineering biology. While at Princeton, he received the Manfred Pyka Memorial Physics Prize in 1993, the Newport-Klinger Research Award in 1996, and was elected to the Sigma Xi Research Honor Society. He went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, CA.
Dr. Hsu performed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, Scheie Eye Institute and was awarded a National Eye Institute Travel Fellowship in 2003. He completed his vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital.
Dr. Hsu is board certified in ophthalmology and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retina Specialists, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the Greater Philadelphia Ophthalmic Society. He is a member of the Retina Service at Wills Eye Hospital and an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Hsu serves as a lecturer for the Medical Resident Education Program at Wills Eye Hospital.
Jeffrey Heier, MD
Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston
Dr. Jeffrey Heier is the Co-President and Medical Director of Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston (OCB). He is a leading researcher for new treatments in vitreoretinal disease, surgical techniques, and diagnostic imaging of the retina. Dr. Heier is on the Executive Board of the Retina Society and the ASRS and is Immediate past president of the New England Ophthalmological Society. He is a scientific advisor to many biotechnical or pharmaceutical companies, lectures nationally and internationally, and has authored numerous, peer-reviewed works. Dr. Heier received his medical degree from Boston University, did an internship and residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, and vitreoretinal fellowship at OCB/Tufts School of Medicine. Dr. Heier served as a physician in a Combat Support Hospital in the Persian Gulf War, where he was awarded a Bronze Star.
Peter Kaiser, MD
Cole Eye Institute
Dr. Peter K. Kaiser graduated magna cum laude with Highest Honors from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute before joining the vitreoretinal department of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. As a National Institute of Health-funded investigator, Dr. Kaiser leads a team involved in the evaluation of vascular biology in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, Dr. Kaiser is actively involved in clinical research as Study Chairman of five major, multi-center, international clinical trials, and principal investigator in numerous studies for AMD, DR, and other retinal disorders. He is the founder and director of the Digital Optical Coherence Tomography Reading Center (DOCTR). Complementing his research endeavors, Dr. Kaiser serves on numerous scientific advisory boards and addresses his research interests as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. He is a major contributor to the medical literature having authored seven textbooks, and more than 250 peer-reviewed papers. He is Editor-in-Chief of Retinal Physician, Associate Editor of International Ophthalmology Clinics, and serves on the editorial boards of Retina, Retina Today, and Ocular Surgery News. Dr. Kaiser has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists with Senior Achievement Awards and is listed as one of the “Best Doctors in America.” Finally, he is the team ophthalmologist for the Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association).
Sunil S. Patel, MD, PhD
West Texas Retina Consultants
Dr. Sunil Patel is a distinguished ophthalmologist practicing in Abilene, Texas. He is the founder of West Texas Retina Consultants.
Dr. Patel obtained his bachelor of science in biochemistry at UCLA. He continued furthering his education at the University of Texas Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical where he obtained his doctor of philosophy sciences in immunology and also his doctor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
As a medical doctor he performed his internship at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and his residency specializing in ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute in Los Angeles, California. It is at the Doheny Eye Institute that he completed his fellowship for Surgical and Medical Vitreoretinal and Uveitis.
Dr. Patel has been engaged in clinical research for 20 years, and is the Founder of Integrated Clinical Research dba Retina Research Institute of Texas located in his West Texas office in Abilene. He along with his colleagues strive to stay abreast of the newest innovative treatments and research for the well-being of their patients' vision.
Veeral Sheth, MD, MBA, FACS
University Retina
Dr. Veeral Sheth is a native Chicagoan who specializes in diseases of the retina and vitreous. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Sheth completed his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He went on to complete his ophthalmology residency at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary where he served as Chief Resident. After residency, Dr. Sheth moved to the University of Chicago for fellowship in retinal surgery.
Dr. Sheth joined University Retina after directing retinal services at four hospitals in the Chicagoland area. In addition, he continues to teach physicians and students at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Sheth is actively involved in clinical research including national trials for age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusion, and diabetic retinopathy. His efforts in research have resulted in many peer-reviewed publications, meeting abstracts, and textbook chapters.
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD
UCLA Stein Eye Institute, Doheny Eye Institute
Dr. SriniVas R. Sadda is the President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Doheny Eye Institute, the Stephen J. Ryan – Arnold and Mabel Beckman Endowed Chair, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Geffen School of Medicine. He received his MD from Johns Hopkins University, where he also completed his ophthalmology residency and neuro-ophthalmology and medical retina fellowships (Wilmer Eye Institute).
Dr Sadda’s major research interests include automated retinal image analysis, retinal substructure assessment, and advanced retinal imaging technologies. He has more than 380 peer-reviewed publications and 13 book chapters, and has given over 350 presentations worldwide. Dr. Sadda also serves as an editorial board member of Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers & Imaging, Retina, Graefe’s, Ophthalmology Retina, and Ophthalmology. He is also an editor of the 5th edition of the Ryan’s Retina textbook. Among Dr. Sadda’s awards and honors are a Research to Prevent Blindness Physician-Scientist Award, a Senior Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists, an Achievement Award and a Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, John H. Zumberge Research and Innovation Award, the Macula Society Young Investigator Award, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Achievement Award, The Macula Society Paul Henkind Lecture and Award, and American Society of Retina Specialists Young Investigator Award. He has also received the Silver Fellow designation from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. He has been named to the Best Doctors of America list for several consecutive years.
Frank Holz, FEBO, FARVO
University of Bonn
Prof Holz is professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Bonn, Germany. His scientific interests include the pathogenesis, prognostic factors, biomarkers and treatment of macular and retinal diseases, and innovative retinal imaging technologies. He trained at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and completed a fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, with Professor Alan C. Bird.
Professor Holz is a co-founder of the Priority Program AMD of the German Research Council (DFG) and the GRADE Reading Centre in Bonn. He is a board member of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and EURETINA, member of the European Academy of Ophthalmology, the Macula Society, the Club Jules Gonin, editor-in-chief of Der Ophthalmologe, and serves as a reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals. He has received numerous awards, including the Leonhard-Klein Award for Ocular Surgery, the Alcon Research Institute (ARI) award and the Senior Achievement Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has published more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the editor of several books on retinal disease.
Allen C. Ho, MD, FACS
Wills Eye Hospital
Dr. Allen C. Ho is an internationally recognized retina specialist specializing in state-of-art patient care and is a leader in the development of new medical and surgical treatments for retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, macular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, and surgical retinal diseases. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, receiving highest distinction in all subjects. He graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and was elected Co-Chief Resident during his ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital. He completed a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Diseases at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital where he was awarded a Heed Ophthalmic Fellowship. Currently, he is Attending Surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital and Director of Retina Research at Wills Eye Hospital. He is former Co-Director of the Wills Retina Fellowship, widely recognized as the premier retina training program in the country.
Dr. Ho is Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Board Certified in Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is an active member and leader in several societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, The American Society of Retina Specialists, The Macula Society, The Retina Society, The Society of Heed Fellows, The Vail Vitrectomy Society, The Pennsylvania Academy of Ophthalmology, and The Greater Philadelphia Ophthalmic Society (past president). He serves on the Executive Committee and is President of the Retina Society.
David Brown, MD
Retina Consultants of Houston
Dr. David Brown graduated from Baylor College of Medicine with highest honors and completed ophthalmology and retina training at the University of Iowa where he was a Thomas Heed Fellow, a Hermann Knapp Fellow, and was awarded the Ron Michels Fellowship award presented to the top retinal surgery fellow in the US. His research and clinical interests are focused on macular surgery, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular disease, and diabetic retinopathy. He is an elected member of the Macula Society and the Retina Society and directs one of the largest clinical trial centers for retinal disease in the US.
Giovanni Staurenghi, MD, FARVO, FEBO
Luigi Sacco Hospital
Dr. Giovanni Staurenghi is presently Professor of Ophthalmology and Chairman of the University Eye Clinic and director of the University Eye Clinic Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science “Luigi Sacco” at the Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy. He received his medical degree at the University of Pavia and his residency training at the University of Milan, both in Italy. He was a research fellow and, subsequently, a visiting scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute.
Dr. Staurenghi is a member of the Macula Society, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Ophthalmic Photographer Society, and American Academy of Ophthalmology; a member of the editorial board of IOVS; and a reviewer for many international scientific journals. He was a member of the Annual Meeting Program Committee of ARVO from 2008 to 2010, is a scientific advisor for the Digital Angiography Reading Center, and a visiting professor and consultant for the Belfast Ophthalmic Reading Center at the Central Angiographic Resource Facility.
Glenn J. Jaffe, MD
Duke Health
Dr. Glenn Jaffe is the Robert Machemer Professor of Ophthalmology and a member of the vitreoretinal faculty at Duke University Eye Center. He is chief of the vitreoretinal service and founded and directs the Duke Reading Center. Dr. Jaffe received his medical degree and his ophthalmology residency training at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed a two-year combined clinical and research vitreoretinal fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He joined the faculty at Duke University in 1989.
He has published over 210 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has an active clinical and basic science research program. Dr. Jaffe treats patients with a variety of medical and surgical vitreoretinal and uveitis diseases. His clinical research interests include the use of optical coherence tomography in clinical retinal treatment trials, novel medical and surgical therapies of uveitis and other posterior segment disorders. He has been a pioneer in the development of sustained drug delivery systems to treat ocular disease. He has participated in numerous clinical trials of new therapies for uveitis and vitreoretinal diseases. He directs a basic research program to investigate the mechanisms responsible for macular degeneration.
Jeffrey Heier, MD
Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston
Dr. Jeffrey Heier is the Co-President and Medical Director of Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston (OCB). He is a leading researcher for new treatments in vitreoretinal disease, surgical techniques, and diagnostic imaging of the retina. Dr. Heier is on the Executive Board of the Retina Society and the ASRS and is Immediate past president of the New England Ophthalmological Society. He is a scientific advisor to many biotechnical or pharmaceutical companies, lectures nationally and internationally, and has authored numerous, peer-reviewed works. Dr. Heier received his medical degree from Boston University, did an internship and residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, and vitreoretinal fellowship at OCB/Tufts School of Medicine. Dr. Heier served as a physician in a Combat Support Hospital in the Persian Gulf War, where he was awarded a Bronze Star.
Peter Kaiser, MD
Cole Eye Institute
Dr. Peter K. Kaiser graduated magna cum laude with Highest Honors from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute before joining the vitreoretinal department of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. As a National Institute of Health-funded investigator, Dr. Kaiser leads a team involved in the evaluation of vascular biology in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, Dr. Kaiser is actively involved in clinical research as Study Chairman of five major, multi-center, international clinical trials, and principal investigator in numerous studies for AMD, DR, and other retinal disorders. He is the founder and director of the Digital Optical Coherence Tomography Reading Center (DOCTR). Complementing his research endeavors, Dr. Kaiser serves on numerous scientific advisory boards and addresses his research interests as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. He is a major contributor to the medical literature having authored seven textbooks, and more than 250 peer-reviewed papers. He is Editor-in-Chief of Retinal Physician, Associate Editor of International Ophthalmology Clinics, and serves on the editorial boards of Retina, Retina Today, and Ocular Surgery News. Dr. Kaiser has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists with Senior Achievement Awards and is listed as one of the “Best Doctors in America.” Finally, he is the team ophthalmologist for the Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association).
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