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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Eleonora (Nora) Lad, MD, PhD, is a clinician scientist and retinal ophthalmologist with the primary goal of developing novel strategies for early diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Dr. Lad specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of macular diseases, such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular diseases. She is involved in clinical trials and innovative therapies for the treatment of macular diseases. Dr. Lad is the recipient of the VA Merit Award I01, Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) Award from the National Eye Institute, 2016 Research to Prevent Blindness Ernest & Elizabeth Althouse Special Scholar Award, 2016 ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award, Heed Foundation award; and Duke Institute for Brain Sciences incubator award, among others. She is a member of the Macula Society, Retina Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, International Society for Eye Research, Society of Heed Fellows, Society for Neuroscience, and American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair.

Andreas Lauer, MD, completed his undergraduate training at the University of Rochester followed by medical school and an internship at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Lauer completed his ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal fellowship training at OHSU-Casey Eye Institute. He has served as ophthalmology residency program director, retina fellowship program director, and head of the vitreoretinal division. He has served as investigator in clinical trials in the areas of ocular gene therapy, age-related macular degeneration, inherited retinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, and retinopathy of prematurity. Dr. Lauer serves as a director for the American Board of Ophthalmology and Chair of its Continuing of Certification program. Dr. Lauer is Chair for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Review Committee for Ophthalmology and is a member of the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology Board of Trustees. In 2018, Dr. Lauer was appointed as Chair for the Department of Ophthalmology at OHSU-Casey Eye Institute.

Dr. Leroy completed his MD at and his PhD in medical sciences at Ghent University in Belgium. He completed residencies in clinical genetics and ophthalmology and a fellowship in medical retina and visual electrophysiology at Ghent University in Belgium. He also completed a fellowship in medical retina, inherited retinal diseases, visual electrophysiology, and molecular genetics at Moorfields Eye Hospital & Institute of Ophthalmology in London. Dr. Leroy is an associate professor of ophthalmic genetics and visual electrophysiology at Ghent University. As director of the Ophthalmic Genetics and Retinal Degenerations clinics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Dr. Leroy is involved in the ongoing gene therapy research work for inherited retinal blindness at CHOP. Dr. Leroy is past president for the European Organization for Vision & Eye Research, as well as a member of the International Society for Genetic Eye Disease & Retinoblastoma, the Société de la Génétique Ophtalmologique Francophone, and the Academia Ophthalmologica Belgica.

Mark Pennesi, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, OHSU. He holds the Kenneth C. Swan Endowed Professorship and is the Chief of the Ophthalmic Genetics Division at the OHSU-Casey Eye Institute. Dr. Pennesi pursued a combined MD/PhD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He received numerous awards while in graduate school, including the John J. Trentin Award for earning the highest GPA in his class and the BRASS scholarship for playing an active role in community service. This was followed by a residency in ophthalmology at University of California, San Francisco, where he was awarded the Hogan-Garcia Award for having the best resident research project. In 2011 Dr. Pennesi received the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award. He is also the recipient of a Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) career development award, a Research to Prevent Blindness career development award, and an FFB enhanced career development award. He was awarded the Alcon Young Investigator Award in 2014 and a Residency Teaching award in 2015. He has also been elected to both the Macula Society and Retina Society.

Elias Traboulsi, MD, MEd, is Head of the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Director of the Center for Genetic Eye Diseases at Cleveland Clinic's Cole Eye Institute. He is Professor of Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University and Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at Cleveland Clinic. He is also Director of the Department of Graduate Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Traboulsi is the Executive Vice President of the International Society for Genetic Eye Disease and Retinoblastoma and Editor-In-Chief of Ophthalmic Genetics. He also serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. He is a frequent guest speaker at national and international meetings, and the author of more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters. His book, Genetic Diseases of the Eye, published by Oxford University Press in 1999, is one of the major references on this topic.