Eye Tea - Ophthalmology Podcast

This talk was recorded live at ARVO 2024 in Seattle, WA. Join this invigorating talk where our rising medical student James Lai (moderator) and Dr. Gagan Kalra (founder) discuss innovation in ophthalmology with strategic funding, research, and advocacy with Dr. Michael F. Chiang, Dr. Daniel Pelaez, Dr. Whitney Sambhariya and Dan Ignaszewski. This podcast is in collaboration with NAEVR. The National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR), a 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization, constitutes a coalition of nearly 50 professional, patient, consumer, and industry organizations actively engaged in the realm of eye and vision research. Learn about NAEVR's emerging vision scientist program here: https://www.eyeresearch.org/emerging-vision-scientist-program NEI's strategic plan is discussed in this podcast. Here is a reference for your further reading interests: https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/NEI-StrategicPlan-ExecutiveSummary-508c.pdf

In this 3rd and final part of the 3 part deep dive with ⁠Dr. Michael Abramoff⁠,⁠ Dr. Gagan Kalra⁠ (host) delves into the regulatory processes and ethics of medical AI with Dr. Abramoff. Dr. Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, (FARVO) is the Robert C. Watzke, MD Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering, a fellowship-trained retina specialist, computer scientist, and entrepreneur. He is an IEEE Fellow, and an ARVO Gold Fellow.  In 1989-1990, he did a postdoc at the RIKEN neural networks research lab in Japan. As an expert in machine learning and image analysis, Dr. Abramoff was one of the original developers of a widely-used open-source image analysis app, ImageJ. His research has been continuously funded since 2004 by National Eye Institute, the Veterans Administration, the Beckman Foundation and other federal, state and philanthropic funding agencies in the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Abramoff is the Founder and Executive Chairman of ⁠Digital Diagnostics⁠, the Autonomous AI diagnostics company that was the first in any field of medicine to get FDA clearance for an autonomous AI. In primary care, the AI system can instantaneously diagnose diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema at the point of care. This device, IDX-DR, is now part of ADA’s Standard Diabetes Care and Dr. Abramoff has also developed an ethical foundation for autonomous AI that was used during the design, validation, and regulatory and payment pathways for autonomous AI.  As the author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications in this field, he has been cited over 35,000 times, and is the inventor on 17 issued patents and many patent applications. Dr. Abramoff has mentored dozens of engineering graduate students, ophthalmology residents, and retina fellows. His passion is to use AI to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of care.

In this 2nd part of the 3 part deep dive with ⁠Dr. Michael Abramoff⁠,⁠ Dr. Gagan Kalra⁠ (host) delves into his struggles and rewards around building a company, bringing products to market, and skills he needed to develop out of necessity. Referenced reading materials: ⁠~reimbursement of medical AI (Open Access -Free)⁠ Dr. Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, (FARVO) is the Robert C. Watzke, MD Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering, a fellowship-trained retina specialist, computer scientist, and entrepreneur. He is an IEEE Fellow, and an ARVO Gold Fellow.  In 1989-1990, he did a postdoc at the RIKEN neural networks research lab in Japan. As an expert in machine learning and image analysis, Dr. Abramoff was one of the original developers of a widely-used open-source image analysis app, ImageJ. His research has been continuously funded since 2004 by National Eye Institute, the Veterans Administration, the Beckman Foundation and other federal, state and philanthropic funding agencies in the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Abramoff is the Founder and Executive Chairman of ⁠Digital Diagnostics⁠, the Autonomous AI diagnostics company that was the first in any field of medicine to get FDA clearance for an autonomous AI. In primary care, the AI system can instantaneously diagnose diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema at the point of care. This device, IDX-DR, is now part of ADA’s Standard Diabetes Care and Dr. Abramoff has also developed an ethical foundation for autonomous AI that was used during the design, validation, and regulatory and payment pathways for autonomous AI.  As the author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications in this field, he has been cited over 35,000 times, and is the inventor on 17 issued patents and many patent applications. Dr. Abramoff has mentored dozens of engineering graduate students, ophthalmology residents, and retina fellows. His passion is to use AI to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of care.

Niloufar Bineshfar with Eye TeaM interviews Dr. Jay Sridhar (Straight from the cutter's mouth) at the VBS Live 2024 in Miami. Join this on-the-floor conference lobby experience and learn about perspectives from our experts! Dr. Jay Sridhar is the chief of ophthalmology for the Olive View Medical Center, part of LA County hospital system and an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL. He is the creator and host of two award-winning educational podcasts, Straight From The Cutter's Mouth and Experts InSight, the latter being the official podcast of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In addition, he has led instructional courses at the annual AAO and ASRS meetings regarding applying social media skills into clinical practice.

In this 1st part of the 3 part deep dive with Dr. Michael Abramoff, Dr. Gagan Kalra (host) delves into the life story of Dr. Abramoff. Referenced reading materials: ~reimbursement of medical AI (Open Access -Free) Dr. Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, (FARVO) is the Robert C. Watzke, MD Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering, a fellowship-trained retina specialist, computer scientist, and entrepreneur. He is an IEEE Fellow, and an ARVO Gold Fellow.  In 1989-1990, he did a postdoc at the RIKEN neural networks research lab in Japan. As an expert in machine learning and image analysis, Dr. Abramoff was one of the original developers of a widely-used open-source image analysis app, ImageJ. His research has been continuously funded since 2004 by National Eye Institute, the Veterans Administration, the Beckman Foundation and other federal, state and philanthropic funding agencies in the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Abramoff is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Digital Diagnostics, the Autonomous AI diagnostics company that was the first in any field of medicine to get FDA clearance for an autonomous AI. In primary care, the AI system can instantaneously diagnose diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema at the point of care. This device, IDX-DR, is now part of ADA’s Standard Diabetes Care and Dr. Abramoff has also developed an ethical foundation for autonomous AI that was used during the design, validation, and regulatory and payment pathways for autonomous AI.  As the author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications in this field, he has been cited over 35,000 times, and is the inventor on 17 issued patents and many patent applications. Dr. Abramoff has mentored dozens of engineering graduate students, ophthalmology residents, and retina fellows. His passion is to use AI to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of care.

Listen in on this exciting 2nd episode of our military ophthalmology and ophthalmic trauma series! Meet our panelists: Barton Blackorby, MD Dr. Blackorby is an active duty vitreoretinal surgeon with the US Army at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington. He earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, where he served as the Medical School Class President. He also serves as a Deputy Director for Graduate Medical Education for the ophthalmology residency program, and is the Vice President of The Society of Military Ophthalmologists.  Nikhil Godbole, DO Dr. Nikhil Godbole is a Board Certified ophthalmologist with an interest in Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery. He earned his Medical Degree on full scholarship from the West Virginia School Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internship and Ophthalmology residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, where he served as Chief Resident. He has experience as a Comprehensive Ophthalmologist at the only Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center as well as the largest Refractive Surgery Center in the Department of Defense. He served as faculty at the San Antonio Uniformed Health Science Education Consortium Ophthalmology residency, and has an interest in humanitarian work on international missions abroad. More info on leadershp: https://www.tristanahumada.com/podcast/staying-as-focused-as-an-army-surgeon-with-barton-blackorby

Listen in on this engaging conversation about military ophthalmology and ocular trauma with Drs. Groves and Justin. This talk is moderated by Katherine Leviste, Nicholas Reyes, and Hannah Walsh Dr. Grant A Justin, MD  Dr. Justin is a board-certified ophthalmologist and is affiliated with Tripler Army Medical Center, in Hawaii and Duke University Hospital in North Carolina. He holds the Vice President chair of ASOT (The American Society of Ophthalmic trauma). Dr. Lucas Lee Groves, MD Dr. Groves is an ophthalmologist affiliated with Blanchefield Army Community Hospital in Fort Campmbell, Kentucky and is affiliated with ⁠Vanderbilt University Medical Center⁠. He is also among the board of directors of ASOT (The American Society of Ophthalmic trauma).

Join Sruti Rachapudi in an exciting conversation with an incredible force in neuro-ophthalmoogy, Dr. Andrew G. Lee (Youtube) @drandygolee Get ready with your tea, iced or hot, for this awesome session ☕️ Dr. Lee is a Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a Neuro-ophthalmologist and is the Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, Blanton Eye Institute, at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is also an adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. Dr. Lee came to Houston Methodist Hospital after serving on the faculty at both the University of Iowa, Baylor College of Medicine and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He was an Alpha Omega Alpha Graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine (MD, 1989).Dr. Lee did his Ophthalmology Residency at the Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (90-93, Ophthalmology Chief resident, 92-93). He did a Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, and was a Fight for Sight (Herbert Tenzer Memorial) Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Neuropathology.Dr. Lee has published over 400 peer reviewed publications and been the invited speaker at over 200 regional, national, and international medical meetings. He has been on the editorial board of 14 scientific journals including JAMA Ophthalmology, the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, the Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology, Eye, and the Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology

Eye TeaM dives into a conversation with Pankaj Kapahi, Ph.D., and Brian Hodge, Ph.D. about their recent work on aging research in the eye and how it relates to extended lifespans. Read the paper published in Nature Communications here - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30975-4

Midhat H. Abdulreda, MS, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery, Microbiology and Immunology, and Ophthalmology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. His lab is located at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and his research focuses on the immunobiology of diabetes and islet transplantation. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since his postdoc training through the prestigious National Research Service Award (NRSA), and as independent investigator through a Career Development (K) Award and UC4, R56, and R21 awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Dr. Abdulreda’s multidisciplinary scientific training spans biology, physiology, biophysics, and immunology. Since joining the DRI, he developed the “living window” model – islet transplantation in the eye approach originally developed by Prof. Per-Olof Berggren – to study the pancreatic islet immunobiology in the living animal during diabetes development and after transplant. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, several of which were featured as cover stories in high-impact journals.Dr. Abdulreda is also recipient of many awards, including the Award of Academic Merit and Excellence of the University of Miami’s Graduate School, and the Medical Faculty Association (MFA)’s Best Research Award. Dr. Abdulreda’s research has caught the attention of many experts in the field of diabetes and islet transplantation. He has been invited to present his work at numerous national and international meetings.

This episode was recorded live at the YMDC meeting in Austin in 2023. Join Gagan Kalra, Hannah Walsh, Aretha Zhu from Eye TeaM in a conversation with Drs. Amar Shah, Taj Nasser, Neel Vaidya to hear perspectives about what they wished they learned during residency training!

This from the vaults episode was held live on April 2, 2022.What’s happening with AI and biomedical imaging for the eye? Hear from and ask our experts, Jennifer I. Lim at University of Illinois at Chicago and Minhaj N. Alam at Stanford School of Medicine.Chat soon, and bring your favorite beverage! Dr. Lim is a leading authority on retina and vitreoretinal diseases. She has performed more than 6,000 vitreoretinal surgeries and directed more than 50 clinical research studies and trials on age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema and retinal vein occlusion and complex retinal detachments. Her research and patient care have generated more than 220 peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Lim has been named Chicago Super Doctors and Best Doctors in America. Her book, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, is in its 3rd Edition and was published in 2013. Dr. Lim is the recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Senior Achievement and Secretariat Awards, ASRS Senior Honor Award and the Suzanne Veronneau Troutman Award. Dr. Lim is board certified in ophthalmology. Dr. Minhaj Nur Alam is a biomedical imaging and computer vision scientist with expertise in the field of biomedical imaging and medical artificial intelligence (AI). He has extensive research experience in developing AI models for medical AI tasks, optical device instrumentation (optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT/OCTA)), and developing quantitative imaging biomarkers. Dr. Alam trained as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford University department of Biomedical Data Science with a research focus on developing self-supervised and cross-modal prediction models in ophthalmology and radiology applications. He was also part of a stealth mode AI startup that focused on sensorless biomarker detection for health analytics. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), with a focus on optical imaging and AI based objective classification of different types of retinopathies.

Join in as our trail-blazing medical student host, Aretha Zhu, and newly matched resident, Jasmine Mahajan, engage in an exciting conversation on telemedicine in glaucoma with our experts, Dr. Natasha Kolomeyer, Dr. Albert Khouri, and Dr. Ben Szirth. As always, keep ready a cup of tea (or your favorite beverage) ☕️ Learn about our guests: Dr. Albert Khouri has a faculty appointment as a Professor of Ophthalmology at Rutgers New Jersey School of Medicine. He also holds the directorship for the glaucoma division and the residency training program at Rutgers Institute of Ophthalmology and Vision Science. Dr. Khouri received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, a residency from Rutgers University & glaucoma fellowship at the University of Louisville. He is widely published and leads many research projects at NJMS. Dr. Ben Szirth is the Director of the TeleOcular Program since 2003 at Rutgers Medical School. He is also an advisor for the Student Sight Savers Program at Rutgers, which hosts free community screenings for vision-threatening diseases including glaucoma. He completed his PhDs at CalTech and USC while working at Children's Hospital Los Angeles from 1980 to 1993. He is internationally recognized, holding 4 patents in ophthalmic tools and serving as a consultant to Canon. Dr Natasha Kolomeyer is an Assistant Professor and Glaucoma Specialist at Wills Eye Hospital. After receiving her medical degree from Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School,  Dr. Kolomeyer completed her residency at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, where she was selected to serve as Chief Resident. She then completed her fellowship in Glaucoma at the Wills Eye Hospital. 

Rudrani Banik, MD, is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a member of the Ophthalmology Faculty Practice at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. She is a Board-certified Ophthalmologist specializing in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Comprehensive Ophthalmology. She manages the entire spectrum of diseases affecting vision which arise from the nervous system including: optic neuritis, optic neuropathy (abnormality of optic nerve), optic disc edema (swelling of the optic nerve), ocular myasthenia gravis, brain tumors or stroke affecting vision, idiopathic intracranial hypertension or pseudotumor cerebri, unexplained visual loss, headaches (migraines), double vision, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm. She is fully trained in the use of Botulinum toxin (Botox) for facial spasms as well as cosmetic indications. She also performs cataract surgery, pterygium surgery and adult strabismus. Dr. Banik is a graduate of the Brown University’s School of Medicine in Providence, RI and graduated with a B.A with Honors and M.D. She completed her residency training in Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine. She went on to pursue fellowship training in Neuro-Ophthalmology at the prestigious Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. She served on the full-time faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center for over 3 years. Subsequently she served as Residency Program Director for Ophthalmology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center for two years prior to joining the Faculty Practice at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Michelle Anne Holman was born and raised in Texarkana, Texas. Holman is an artist who creates large scale oil painted portraits that stylistically use irregular paint application mixed with controlled brushstrokes and refined areas.Recently, Holman has become interested in researching and creating work about her vision. Visual Snow/Static is a rare eye condition where she sees colorful, moving, television-like static throughout her entire field of vision. She is currently creating work using tools and materials exploring how humans see, with the addition of this moving static.She attended Oklahoma State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting in December of 2014. Holman graduated from School of Visual Arts in New York City and achieved her Masters of Fine Arts, May 2017. Michelle interned at ULAE on Long Island, NY and has exhibited works in New York City, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Nicoh Reyes, MD, Hannah Walsh, and Anthony Olganov along with Eye TeaM dive into this conversation with Drs. Leslie Hyman, Richard Lee, and Pulin Shah about Global Ophthalmology. Get to know our panelists: Dr. Hyman is an ocular epidemiologist with expertise in observational epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (now Bloomberg School of Public Health). She was recruited to the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York, where in 2004 she was named Head, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. In September 2016, she joined Wills Eye Hospital as the Vice Chair for Research where she was also appointed Thomas D. Duane Endowed Chair, Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Hyman’s research has focused on identifying causes, risk factors and treatment of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness. Her work on macular degeneration helped lay the foundation for future research on its causes and treatments. She has also done extensive work in myopia progression and stabilization in children, evaluating treatment for glaucoma, and examining how hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors impact causes of visual decline. Dr. Lee is a California native and attended Pomona College. He completed his MD, PhD, ophthalmology residency & glaucoma fellowship at UM and the BPEI. His clinical interest in imaging technologies for glaucoma led Dr. Lee to help develop a platform for in vivo glaucoma animal experiments on neuronal and axonal regenerations. Dr Lee serves the Director of Community Ophthalmology and the faculty advisor for the University of Miami’s Ophthalmology Interest Club. Over the years, Dr. Lee has led medical students and physicians to conduct vision screenings in South Florida and all over the world. Notably, Dr. Lee helped families in both Japan and Haiti who were displaced by severe natural disasters by bringing Bascom Palmer’s Vision Van as a temporary eye clinic to these communities in need. He has personally volunteered with a number of international eye organizations, including Orbis and LifeLine Express. Dr. Lee has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Glaucoma Society. Dr. Shah grew up in the heart of the Cajun Country, Lafayette, Louisiana and attended LSU medical school. He completed ophthalmology residency at California Pacific in San Francisco before moving to Miami for cornea fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, he returned to New Orleans to establish his medical practice at Ochsner Medical Center. For over a decade, he has served as Section Head of Cataract and Corneal Surgery and Medical Director of the Ochsner Baptist Laser Vision Center where he teaches medical students and residents. Dr. Shah also serves as a Medical Director for the Southern Eye Bank and partners with St. Thomas Clinic and Daughters of Charity to provide free cataract surgery to needy New Orleanians. Beyond our borders, he is the Board President of the International Eye Institute, where he performs cataract and corneal surgeries in Central America and has just recently returned from one of these trips.

Jasmine Mahajan (MS4) and Aretha Zhu (MS3) lead this conversation with experts on Dry Eye Disease! Dr. Penny Asbell is tuning in from Memphis, TN. She completed her ophthalmology residency and medical fellowship at NYU and subsequently cornea study at Louisiana State University before completing her MBA. She established and served as the director for the Cornea Clinical and Research Fellowships during her time as professor of ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai. In June 2018, Dr. Asbell was named the Barrett G. Haik Endowed Chair for Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine and Director of the Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She led the DRy Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) study to assess how effective oral omega-3 fatty acid supplementations were on treatment for moderate-to-severe dry eye disease.  Dr. Laura Periman otherwise known as @dryeyemaster on instagram and twitter- is based in Seattle, WA. She completed medical school, residency, and fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at the University of Washington and has numerous publications regarding ocular surface disease. Her passion for ocular surface disease stems from her immunopathophysiology background from her work in Research and Development at Immunex Corporation in the Molecular Biology Department prior to attending medical school. She serves as Director of Dry Eye Services and Clinical Research in Seattle and has given several talks at conferences and events at the national and international level. Her talks combine her passions for basic science, clinical practice, and patient care. Dr. Amar Shah, who you can also find on instagram @dr.amarshah, is a cornea and refractive surgeon at the Cincinnati Eye Institute and Co-director of the Refractive Surgery service at the University of Cincinnati. He attended medical school at the Northeast Ohio Medical School and completed ophthalmology residency at the University of Cincinnati. He completed a fellowship in Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Fl. He is trained in the newest corneal transplantation techniques and has special interest in ocular surface disorders and dry eye disease. He has authored several publications and implements the latest treatments of dry eye disease in his practice.

In this episode, Dr. Gagan Kalra and Katherine Leviste dive into a conversation about Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) with Dr. Inder Paul Singh, Dr. Ze Zhang, and Dr. Rikki Enzor. These leaders have real-world experience with MIGS and associated clinical trials. A lot of new innovations are underway!  There is a lot to learn in this ophthalmology podcast episode: 1. How did these trailblazers get into ophthalmology and glaucoma? 2. How the state of surgical Glaucoma care has changed over the years  3. How can one get started in learning MIGS? 4. Patient selection and strategy personalization for different glaucoma patients. 5. Advice for young aspirants to prepare ahead of time for glaucoma sub-specialty as a career. 6. What the future of MIGS has in the store!!!,  and lots more!!! Let us know what you think by answering the poll!!

Join Dr. Gagan Kalra, Katherine Leviste, Dr. Grayson Armstrong, and the Eye TeaM in a conversation with the inventors-cum-trailblazers in the glaucoma space - Drs. George L. Spaeth, Parul Ichhpujani, and Eric Spaeth. SPARCS is a web-based tool that can be used to assess contrast sensitivity in individuals with early glaucoma as a means of screening. In this talk, the inventors of this tool share their thought processes, journeys in ophthalmology, and ideas about what this technology's future may hold for glaucoma care. Follow us for more interesting ophthalmology talks!

Join Dr. Gagan Kalra, Dr. Mike Zein, and Periklis Gianakis from our team as they dive into this exciting world of refractive cataract surgery innovations with Dr. Morgan Micheletti,  Dr. Arjan Hura, and Dr. Taj-Addin Nasser. Dr. Mogan Micheletti Dr. Morgan Micheletti, MD, FACS is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in cataract surgery, refractive surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, and complex anterior segment surgery. He was named to the Best Cataract Surgeons in America list, recognized as Castle Connolly Top Doctor, received the award for Incredible Innovation and Scientific Contribution from RW Ophthalmology, and was recently named to the top 40 under 40 list of ophthalmologists in the United States. Dr. Arjan Hura Dr. Arjan Hura is a cataract, refractive, and anterior segment surgeon at the Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Hura is passionate about providing the highest possible medical and surgical vision care to his patients and is committed to the American Academy of Ophthalmology‘s mission of protecting sight and empowering lives. His research and clinical interests include working with the latest cutting-edge technology to constantly try to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Taj Nasser Taj Nasser attended East Carolina University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Noticing the many similarities between Spanish and his native Arabic language, he enjoyed completing a minor in Hispanic studies. He continued his training at ECU where he received his medical degree with a distinction in health system transformation and leadership. He then moved to New Orleans to complete his Ophthalmology residency where he was selected as chief resident for his medical education initiatives and leadership. Dr. Nasser’s interest in process improvement and high-quality, patient-centered care drew him to an interest in specializing in refractive surgery. Born in a small village in Yemen, he is passionate about serving the global community, where he has participated in multiple surgical eye mission trips to Mexico. A Marvel fan, when he is not caring for patients you will see him rewatching MCU.

Our founder, Dr. Gagan Kalra, and core team members, Dr. Nick Bruns and Dr. Amar Shah sat down with Dr. Gary Wortz and Dr. John Vukich at ASCRS 2022 in Washington, DC to discuss the challenges of modern-day refractive surgery and patient satisfaction. John Vukich, MD (@javukich): Cataract and refractive surgeon and speaker for various companies both nationally and internationally Emory Medical School; Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary 30 yrs experience, 20+ clinical trials Passion for new technology and innovation- principal investigator for ICL as well as medical monitor for several technologies Authored several articles on cataract and refractive surgery and has served as president of the European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery, and chairman of the ASCRS refractive committee Pioneer for the light adjustable lens, ICL, and actively participating in research on presbyopia-correcting IOLs currently in the clinical trial phase Gary Wortz, MD (@cataractMD) Refractive cataract surgeon, speaker, and inventor Associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky Lead investigator to numerous technologies and lecturer at numerous meetings across the country Founder and CMO of Omega Ophthalmics Host of “Ophthalmology off the grid”, the editorial board of Interventional Mindset Recent winner of the Millennium award at Millennial Eye Live 2022