SPEAKERS

 

Dr. Arthur Allen

Dr. Arthur Allen received a Bachelor of Science and medical degree from the University of Michigan. After completing his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Colorado, he served in the Air Force and was Chief of Ophthalmology while stationed at USAF Hospital Clark in the Philippines.

Dr. Allen was chosen to be a Heed Fellow in Retinal and Vitreous Diseases and Surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. He became an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southern California Doheny Eye Institute and later moved to San Francisco and joined the practice that has grown into the present day Pacific Eye Associates (PEA).

Dr. Allen has volunteered internationally with Project Orbis. He was a founding Director of the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC). He has been Vice Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center and an Associate Examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology since 1993. He received the Honor Award and Senior Honor Award from the AAO, and is a member of the AMA, CMA, AAO, the Macula Society, Retinal Society, and the American Society of Retinal Specialists.

Dr. Richard Hamilton

Dr. Richard Hamilton joined the Center for Retina and Macular Disease in 2006. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry from Harvard University and his doctorate degree from the Harvard University Medical School. His extensive and varied training includes completion of a fellowship in anatomic and clinical pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Hamilton embarked upon general surgical residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, but soon realized his true calling was in ophthalmology. After completing his residency in ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute, he was granted a fellowship in retinal and vitreous diseases at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Hamilton is board certified in ophthalmology since 2005 and is an active member of several professional organizations such as the American Academy of ophthalmology, the American Society of Retinal Specialists, the American Medical Association, and the Florida Medical Association.

Dr. Michael Tolentino

Dr. Michael Tolentino joined the Center for Retina and Macular Disease in 2005. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Brown University and his doctorate degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. During medical school he worked in the Bermann-Gund retinal degenerations laboratory at Harvard Medical School. After medical school, Dr. Tolentino continued his training at Harvard Medical School and interned at the Mount Auburn Hospital and completed his post-doctoral Angiogenesis research fellowship at the Childrens Hospital of Boston and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. It was there that he helped develop anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies used today for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. After completing his residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, he joined the ophthalmology and molecular biology faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and headed the program vitreo-retinal training.

Dr. Tolentino earned numerous awards and received several prestigious grants while at the University of Pennsylvania, and developed a new class of therapeutic molecules called siRNA. He has 2 issued and 4 pending patents on the use of these molecules for treating eye diseases, cancers, and arthritis. The technology that Dr.Tolentino’s inventions utilize for therapeutic purposes received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2006. Based on his patents, Dr. Tolentino co-founded Acuity Pharmaceuticals which was merged to form OPKO health (Amex: OPK) a publically traded biopharmaceutical company.

With the team at the Center for Retina and Macular Disease, Dr. Tolentino has helped to establish one of the largest retinal clinical trial centers in the country which has been involved in over 45 clinical trials in the last 3 years. Dr. Tolentino is a frequent international lecturer on new treatments for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He is on several scientific advisory panels and is a consultant for several pharmaceutical companies. He is also serving as the CEO and co-founder of Acuity Dynamics a privately held ophthalmic company.

Dr. Keye Wong

Dr. Keye Wong helped to establish Retina Associates of Sarasota in 2007 with Dr. Niffenegger.

Dr. Wong graduated magna cum laud with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry from Harvard College. His medical degree was obtained from Rush Medical College. Dr. Wong returned to his native Hawaii to complete an internship at the University of Hawaii and completed his residency at the Duke University Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina. His fellowship in retina-vitreous diseases was completed at the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco, California.

He is an active member of the Retina Society, American Society of Retinal Surgeons, and a founding member of the Western Association for Vitreoretinal Education.

Dr. John Niffenegger

Dr. John Niffenegger is a board certified fellowship trained vitreoretinal surgeon. He practices with his partner Dr. Keye Wong at Retina Associates of Sarasota.

Dr. Niffenegger graduated from Harvard College magna cum laude and received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His training in ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal surgery fellowship was performed at Harvard Medical School's specialty eye hospital - The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. After completing his training Dr. Niffenegger stayed on as an attending ophthalmologist at the Eye and Ear Infirmary prior to joining Retina Associates of Cleveland. Before moving to Sarasota five years ago, Dr. Niffenegger was Vice-president of Eye Centers of Ohio and President-elect of the Ohio Ophthalmological Society.

Dr. Niffenegger has participated in national clinical trials for treatments of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, ocular melanoma, and retinopathy of prematurity.

Dr. Adam Berger

Dr. Adam Berger joined the Center for Retina and Macular Disease in 1988. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Brooklyn College, and his doctorate degree from the State University of New York Medical School. After completing his residency at Washington University and serving as Chief Resident and Instructor, he was granted a Retina/Vitreous Research Fellowship and Retina/Vitreous Surgical Fellowship at Duke University. He then served for 3 years as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University.

Dr. Berger is an accomplished teacher and lecturer and has been a board certified ophthalmologist since 1994. He is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists.

Dr. Anthony Adamis

Dr. Anthony Adamis received his MD with Honors from the University of Chicago and completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Michigan. He performed his internship at Loyola University Medical Center and his cornea and external disease fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Dr. Adamis is recognized as one of the best clinician scientists in the United States, with his research focusing on the mechanisms of ocular vascular disease and ocular drug delivery. Perhaps best known for his co-discovery of the role of VEGF in ocular disease, his work has provided additional insight into diabetic retinopathy, neovascularization, and angiogenesis.

Recently, Dr. Adamis was awarded The Ernst H. Bárány Prize for his distinguished work in the field of ocular pharmacology.

Dr. William Mieler

Dr. William Mieler received his Doctorate of Medicine degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical School. After completion of his Internship at Mercy Hospital Medical Center in San Diego, CA, he completed his three-year ophthalmology residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL. This was followed by a one-year vitreoretinal fellowship at the Eye Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Mieler is Professor and Vice-Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His specialty areas include diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous, along with ocular oncology.

Dr. Mieler has authored or co-authored more than 295 scientific papers, 60 book chapters, and 4 textbooks. He is very active in the American Academy of Ophthalmology where he has received the Honor Award (1992), the Lifelong Education for the Ophthalmologist Award (2000), and the Senior Honor Award (2001). He also has served as a member of the AAO Council (2001-08), and the EyeNet Editorial Advisory Board (2003-07). He continues to serve the AAO as a Media Spokesman (2001-present), as a member of the Subspecialty Day Committee (2005-present), and he chairs the Schepens Award Committee (2007-present).

Dr. Michael Ip

Dr. Michael Ip graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors in biology from Tufts University and received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. Upon completing his internship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, Dr Ip completed his three year residency in Ophthalmology at The University of Pittsburg School of Medicine. This was followed by a 2 year fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at the New England Eye Center in Boston.

Dr. Ip is currently an associate professor for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Services at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. He specializes in disease and surgery of the retina and vitreous and most recently identified the first long-term, effective treatment to improve vision and reduce vision loss associated with blockage of large veins in the eye. Most recently Dr. Ip was awarded the 2005 Achievement Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Ip is active in several industry organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, American Society of Retina Specialists, Macular Society (current Executive Committee Member), Retina Society, and Club Vit.

Dr. Jeffrey Heier

Dr. Jeffrey Heier received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, and subsequently completed a transitional internship, ophthalmic residency, and vitreoretinal fellowship at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. Dr. Heier continued his training and completed his vitreoretinal fellowship at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston/Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Heier is currently Vitreoretinal Specialist at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Co-Director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship at OCB/Tufts Medical School, and President of the Center for Eye Research and Education in Boston, Massachusetts. He specializes in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous in addition to clinical researchfocused on age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), diabetic retinopathy, and innovation in vitreoretinal surgical instrumentation: areas he has pursued as lead or principal investigator in numerous clinical trials.

Dr. Heier presents his research findings at conferences worldwide in addition to contributing to the medical literature. His work has appeared in such journals as Archives of Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Ophthalmology.

Dr. Scott Cousins

Dr. Scott Cousins received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. He completed his Predoctoral Research Fellowship in Ophthalmology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine. After completing his internship in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Cousins went on to complete his residency in Ophthalmology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He continued his fellowship as a vitreoretinal fellow at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and became Chief Resident at Washington University.

Dr. Cousins’ clinical interests include diagnosis, treatment and research involving diseases of the macula, especially AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular disease. Dr. Cousins is involved in clinical trials and innovative therapies for the treatment of macula diseases. His research also includes various areas of wet and dry macular degeneration.

Dr. Cousins is currently the Professor of Ophthalmology and Director at Duke Center for Macular Diseases and a frequent lecturer. Most recently, Dr. Cousins was honored as the 2006 Alcon Research Foundation Clinician Scientist Award.

Dr. Karen Gehrs

Dr. Karen Gehrs received her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Upon completing her internship at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Gehrs finished her post graduate education by completing her residency and fellowship (vitreoretina) at Duke University Eye Center prior to becoming Chief Resident in 1993.

Dr. Gehrs specializes in retina/vitreous and focuses her research in diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. She is certified in both the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Gehrs is an accomplished teacher, frequent lecturer and is very active in several professional associations.

After more than a dozen years as a vitreoretinal faculty member at the University of Iowa, Dr. Gehrs joined the Center for Retina and Macular Disease in 2009. Most recently, Dr. Gehrs was awarded the Achievement Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2004 and has been distinguished as Best Doctors in America for the past four years in a row.