Earlier this year, we asked you, our readers, for nominations for our inaugural 40 Under 40 list. The goal was to highlight the next generation of ophthalmology: 40 ophthalmologists under 40 years old who have achieved excellence in their field. You responded with more than 100 nominations, detailing the efforts by many young surgeons in research, innovation, leadership, teaching, entrepreneurship, academics, global health and more.
Our selection committee voted on the nominees and whittled down the list to our final 40, who are listed below. It was difficult for our selection committee to narrow down this list to only 40 names. But, this process ultimately reinforced the sheer number of exceptional talents within our industry.
The future is bright, and we look forward to seeing what these 40 ophthalmologists will accomplish throughout the rest of their careers. Ophthalmology is in good hands.
40 UNDER 40 SELECTION COMMITTEE
Special thanks to our selection committee for voting on this year’s list:
Lisa K. Feulner, MD, PhD
Ike Ahmed, MD
Sahar Bedrood, MD
Uday Devgan, MD
Kendall Donaldson, MD
Scott LaBorwit, MD
Jennifer Loh, MD
Peter Kaiser, MD
Dan Kiernan, MD
Lisa Nijm, MD
Julie Schallhorn, MD
Steve Silverstein, MD
Rishi Singh, MD
Darrell White, MD
ASHLEY BRISSETTE, MD, MSC, FRCSC
THOMAS VINCENT JOHNSON III, MD
SATHYADEEPAK (DEEPAK) RAMESH, MD
DAVID ALEVI, MD
Dr. Alevi is the founder and director of South Bronx Eyes in New York City. As a corneal specialist with interests in keratoconus, cataracts and dry eyes, he uses the latest technology to provide the best care for his patients. Dr. Alevi is also a published author and has been featured in many major ophthalmologic journals. He was interviewed on Tiempo on ABC and has appeared on other regional news television, most recently for his efforts in a mission to Puerto Rico. He is fluent in Spanish and is happy to be giving to the community of the Bronx that has given so much to him.
ZAINA AL-MOHTASEB, MD
Dr. Al-Mohtaseb is an ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery in private practice in Houston at Whitsett Vision Group, where she is the director of research. She also has a voluntary faculty appointment as an associate professor in the ophthalmology department at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dr. Al-Mohtaseb chairs ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons and is heavily involved in clinical and surgical education at multiple national and international meetings. An earlier adopter of cutting-edge surgical techniques, she is a “go-to” surgeon for referrals and has won numerous awards including: BCM’s Early Career Faculty Award for Excellence in Patient Care, BCM Women of Excellence Award, the National Award Outstanding Leader in Ophthalmology, the Rising Star in Ophthalmology National Award, the National AAO Achievement Award and “Top Doctors” in Houston.
BLAIR ARMSTRONG, MD
Dr. Armstrong specializes in oculoplastics and orbital surgery in addition to comprehensive ophthalmology. She is based in private practice in the Philadelphia suburbs and is a clinical assistant professor at Wills Eye Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and adjunct faculty in the Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She treats a variety of eyelid, orbital and lacrimal conditions with a special interest in eyelid reconstruction and cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical treatments of the face and peri-ocular region. Following fellowship and prior to returning to Philadelphia, Dr. Armstrong served as the director of Ophthalmic Plastic, Reconstructive and Orbital Surgery at Boston University and an assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Armstrong has authored numerous publications and book chapters and has been an invited speaker at several conferences and meetings.
SALLY BAXTER, MD, MSC
Dr. Baxter is an assistant professor of ophthalmology and biomedical informatics at the University of California San Diego. Her work concerns the intersection of ophthalmology and informatics, including the integration of health information technology and AI, big-data predictive analytics, digital health and health disparities. She is one of a handful of ophthalmologists nationwide with dual board certification in ophthalmology and clinical informatics, and she is the only ophthalmologist to have been awarded the prestigious NIH Office of the Director’s Early Independence Award. Her expertise has been recognized with invited lectures in national venues such as the Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence Summit and the Prevent Blindness Summit. She was also appointed to the AAO Committee on Artificial Intelligence, is a member of the AAO Taskforce on Leveraging Data for Eyecare Disparities and is chair of the AAO Workgroup on Interoperability Standards for Workflow.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Remember that you don’t have to follow a traditional path or fit a particular mold. I heard a wide range of negative things throughout my medical training: “You can’t have kids during training.” “You won’t be able to match into ophthalmology and be in the same city as your spouse.” “You’ll have difficulty pursuing an academic career if you practice comprehensive ophthalmology.” Thankfully, I had a wonderful group of mentors, family and friends who supported me as I faced the challenges of balancing my career with being a mom of 3, coordinating with the needs of my physician spouse and pursuing my clinical and research interests even when I was not necessarily following the “traditional” or expected way of doing things. Find great mentors, follow your heart and your dreams, and do what you feel is best for yourself and your family. It’s important to remember that as you face the pressures of medical training. It’s your life to live!
—SALLY BAXTER, MD, MSC
ASHLEY BRISSETTE, MD, MSC, FRCSC
As faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Brissette has been hailed as one of New York City’s leading ophthalmologists and cataract surgery experts. She has been voted by her patients and peers as a New York City Super Doctor many years in a row and is the team ophthalmologist for the NHL’s New York Rangers. Dr. Brissette is a spokesperson for the AAO and has been featured for her expert opinion by many media outlets. She is an active and accomplished researcher and is frequently invited to lecture both nationally and internationally. She also founded Daily Practice (www.dailypractice.com ), a company creating skin-care products for the eye area.
KARA CAVUOTO, MD
Dr. Cavuoto is medical director of the Emergency Department at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. She also serves as the director of medical student education where she has implemented novel learning options, lecture styles and teaching opportunities to enrich the training of future generations. She is an innovative researcher well-recognized for her work on myriad issues, including gender representation, medical education, ocular surface microbiome and pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Dr. Cavuoto’s recent awards include the 2020 Honor Award from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 2020 Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Miami and the AAO Achievement Award in 2018.
ROOMASA CHANNA, MD
As a physician scientist, Dr. Channa’s research efforts have uncovered how neurodegeneration in diabetes differentially affects both neuroretina and outer retina, created a cost-effectiveness policy model for diabetic retinopathy screening and gained extensive experience in AI and analyzing large patient datasets like the UK biobank. She is assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a leader in the moonshot effort funded by JDRF and The Mary Tyler Moore foundation to create a new staging system for diabetic retinal disease. She was funded by NASA to develop deep learning algorithms to predict stroke from fundus and OCT-A images. Dr. Channa is the communications director for the ADA’s Eye Health Interest Group Leadership Team, was selected as an Emerging Vision Scientist for National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and was given an achievement award by the AAO this year for her contributions.
AYAN CHATTERJEE, MD, MSED
Dr. Chatterjee completed his ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital and his glaucoma fellowship at Duke University. He is currently clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology at Wills Eye and works in private practice at Kremer Eye Center. His prior research as a Howard Hughes Medical Research Fellow has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications and ultimately helped identify a potential novel therapeutic target in glaucoma treatment. He was awarded a Stuart L. Fine Research Prize by the University of Pennsylvania for this work. He has been a member of the AGS Health Care Policy Leadership Committee and is a member of the Heed Ophthalmic Society. In 2020, he was recognized as a Top 40 Physician Under 40 by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
It is extremely important to help your patients understand that you are fully engaged in their care. I try to connect on some level with each of my patients, and I almost always call each patient on the night of their surgery or the day after to check in personally. I believe it provides my patients with a sense of security to know that I am in touch and genuinely interested in how they are doing.
—AYAN CHATTERJEE, MD, MSED
MICHAEL N. COHEN, MD
Dr. Cohen is a member of The Retina Service at Wills Eye Hospital and Mid Atlantic Retina and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. During his residency at Wills Eye, he was elected Chief Resident and won the James S. Shipman Award for best scientific presentation at the annual Wills Eye Conference. He is a member of the AMA, AAO and ASRS and has presented dozens of papers at national meetings and published numerous manuscripts and book chapters, focusing specifically on retinal detachment repair, macular hole repair, improving vitreoretinal surgical techniques, anti-VEGF therapy, management of cataract surgery complications, novel therapies and drug delivery systems. Dr. Cohen is active in clinical research and has been a principal or sub-investigator in more than 50 clinical trials.
CHERIE A. FATHY, MD, MPH
Dr. Fathy is a cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon at the Eye Doctors of Washington in the DC area. She completed her fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute and her residency at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where she was an editor for The Wills Eye Manual. Dr. Fathy is passionate about physician wellness, early career support and the advancement of women in the field of ophthalmology. She was recognized by the American Medical Association with the Excellence in Medicine Award for her leadership and dedication to patients and the ASCRS Resident Excellence Award for her exemplary research and leadership in the field of ophthalmology. You can also find her as a writer on Medscape Blogs.
BRENTON D. FINKLEA, MD
As director of the Center for Academic Global Ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Dr. Finklea manages the international projects and initiatives of the hospital and residency program. He co-directs the global ophthalmology fellowship and is an instructor for the cornea fellowship program at Wills Eye. Dr. Finklea has taught ophthalmology and eye surgery around the world, including in Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone, India and Haiti. In the United States, he frequently lectures and leads courses on manual small incision cataract surgery and advanced anterior segment reconstruction. Dr. Finklea has been called “a rising star” by his colleagues and has been recognized by Millennial Eye as “One to Watch.”
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
The world is full of need. If you develop a skill set to fill that need, you will find yourself in a career that is fulfilling and purpose-driven.
—BRENTON D. FINKLEA, MD
WILLIAM E. FLANARY, MD
Dr. Flanary, through his alter ego Dr. Glaucomflecken, has been called the Internet’s funniest doctor and is a leading voice in health care with 3 million followers across TikTok, YouTube and Twitter. Practicing comprehensive ophthalmology at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, Ore., he leverages his skill as an accomplished comedian to explain complex medical issues extending beyond ophthalmology. He speaks truth to power regarding those who, in his opinion, have made health care hard to access. He advocates for medical trainees in their challenges of residency training and has raised money and awareness for young adults impacted by cancer. A cancer diagnosis — twice — put him in the role of patient and reinforced for him how important it is for doctors to show who they are as people. Dr. Flanary was this year’s commencement speaker at Yale School of Medicine.
MICHAEL GREENWOOD, MD
Dr. Greenwood leads Vance Thompson Vision’s Fargo, N.D., location, where he performs refractive cataract, cornea, glaucoma and refractive surgery. He and his team are also involved in multiple FDA clinical trials helping to care for patients and advance the field. He is a clinical instructor of surgery at the University of North Dakota and associate medical director of Dakota Lions Sight and Health, and is active in AAO, ASCRS and AGS, and is a member of the Oracle Vision Council. He has been fortunate to lecture and teach surgical techniques to colleagues both locally and internationally.
NADIA HAQQIE, MD
Dr. Haqqie is an attending physician with the Wills Eye Cataract and Primary Eye Care Service and serves as co-director of the Wills Eye Emergency Department in Philadelphia and serves as a clinical instructor of ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She is a member of AAO, ASCRS and Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr. Haqqie is heavily involved in resident education in the clinic, operating room and emergency room and is founder of the Resident Wellness Committee at Wills Eye Hospital, designed to promote the mental and physical health of the residents as well as serve as an outlet to foster support and camaraderie outside of the hospital environment. She was recipient of The Residency Advocacy Award in 2021.
KOURTNEY H. HOUSER, MD
Dr. Houser is assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C. She specializes in corneal transplant surgery, cataract surgery with advanced technology lenses, IOL complications and refractive surgery. Dr. Houser is on several committees for the AAO and ASCRS, including the Challenging/Complicated Cataract Surgery Committee and the Young Eye Surgeon Committee, and she serves as an editor for the cataract section of EyeWiki for AAO. She is actively involved in clinical research and resident education and frequently teaches residents and fellows at her home program as well as in wet labs at national meetings and conferences. She is a CEDARS/ASPENS board member and is a sought-after consultant/speaker for the industry.
CRISTOS IFANTIDES, MD, MBA
Dr. Ifantides is focused on elevating the quality of eye care at home and around the world. He has pioneered new surgical techniques for education and complex anterior segment surgery. His research lab uses 3D printing, material science and pharma development to focus on undertreated conditions such as dry eye disease and intraoperative floppy iris syndrome. He served as director of Ophthalmic Global Outreach at University of Colorado, where he led programs designed to improve affordable solutions for low- and middle-income regions where supply chains are unreliable and resources are lacking. He recently transitioned to Tyson Eye Center in Southwest Florida where he grew up.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
It has helped me to remember that nobody is “self-made.” I am a product of those that have poured their love, energy and time into me throughout my life. It started with my family and has continued throughout my career with an amazingly supportive wife, group of mentors and friends. Great opportunities are not guaranteed to those who work hard. Understanding the value of these relationships/opportunities and reflecting on them regularly has been key to fulfillment.
—CRISTOS IFANTIDES, MD, MBA
ALESSANDRA INTILI, MD
Dr. Intili is a primary care cataract and comprehensive ophthalmology specialist at Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, who also performs reconstructive, functional and cosmetic surgery of the eyelids. She has a special interest in laser-assisted cataract surgery, a topic on which she has published and presented both nationally and abroad. Dr. Intili mentors ophthalmology residents in the most complex forms of cataract extraction and serves as faculty for the Academic Global Ophthalmology Department in addition to the Primary Eye Care Service. She is an associate professor at Jefferson Hospital and serves as chief of ophthalmology at Holy Redeemer Medical Center in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
THOMAS VINCENT JOHNSON III, MD
As the Allan and Shelley Holt Rising Professor in Ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute, Dr. Johnson was awarded the AAO’s Artemis Award that recognizes a young ophthalmologist who has demonstrated caring and service of an exemplary degree to patients. In the lab, he is pursuing optic nerve regeneration and chairs the Organizing Committee, RGC Replacement, Stem cell Transplantation and Optic nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) Consortium, an international network of investigators. Dr. Johnson’s research contributions have earned him a World Glaucoma Association Award nomination, the National Eye Institute’s Scientific Director’s Award and the ARVO Merck Innovative Ophthalmology Research Award. He also founded and served as director of the Student Sight Savers Program, a program that provides vision screening to low-income residents of Baltimore.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Seek out and leverage support from mentors throughout one’s career. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had numerous outstanding mentors at every stage of my training: scientific mentors, clinical mentors and general career/life mentors. I think it is important to have mentors with diverse expertise and levels of experience and mentors for all aspects of one’s career.
—THOMAS V. JOHNSON III, MD, PHD
AJAY E. KURIYAN, MD
Dr. Kuriyan is a retina specialist with Wills Eye Hospital, Mid Atlantic Retina and is an associate professor of ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and has received the Presidential Honor Award from the ASRS. His research into treatment for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) has been called groundbreaking and has the potential to change treatment for tens of thousands of patients every year who lose vision due to PVR. Dr. Kuriyan was recently awarded two highly competitive research grants: Alcon Research Institute’s Young Investigator award and The Mills and Margaret Cox Research Award from the Macula Society. He is head of the retina section of the AAO’s ONE Network for online education, the associate editor-in-chief of the ASRS Retina Atlas and is one of Philadelphia Magazine’s and Castle Connolly’s Top Docs.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Put your patients first, find outstanding mentors and teammates, and work on research you are passionate about.
—AJAY E. KURIYAN, MD
INES LAINS, MD, PHD
Dr. Lains is a vitreoretinal surgery fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and has been pivotal in establishing what has been called the world’s foremost research program in metabolomics of AMD, a large longitudinal collaborative project between University of Coimbra, Portugal and Mass Eye and Ear. She has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers and has given innumerable presentations describing the results of her clinical and translational research related to metabolomics, imaging, genetics and other aspects of AMD, retinal vascular diseases and other macular and retinal disorders. Her work has resulted in two patents and has garnered a long list of research awards, including a Vitreoretinal Surgery Foundation Research Award, the EURETINA Clinical Research Grant, and recognition at the Association of University of Professors of Ophthalmology/Research to Prevent Blindness Resident and Fellow Research Forum.
DAVID R. LALLY, MD
Dr. Lally is the director of the Retina Research Institute at New England Retina Consultants in Springfield, Mass. He is a leading clinical researcher for new treatments in retinal diseases participating in more than 40 clinical trials as an investigator. In recent years, he has presented results on the podium from many of the largest and most promising multi-centered retinal trials being conducted, such as Annexon, Apellis, Iveric Bio, Novartis, Stealth and Ocuphire. He’s also the youngest member to serve on retinal trial steering committees and medical advisory boards. Dr. Lally has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles in top journals, and he is an active member of ASRS and AAO. Dr. Lally is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate.
CHRISTINA MAMALIS, MD
Dr. Mamalis is an assistant professor at the Department of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine and adjunct faculty at the Ruiz Department Of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at McGovern Medical School University of Texas Houston. She is passionate about teaching the next generation of surgeons and teaches resident cataract surgery at both Baylor and UT Houston. Dr. Mamalis is an active member of the AAO, ASCRS, AECOS and Women in Ophthalmology. She is an author of many peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts, with research interests in refining the safety and efficacy of cataract and corneal surgery as well as optimizing surgical education for residents, having won numerous best paper awards on the national level for her research.
BEERAN MEGHPARA, MD
Dr. Meghpara is co-director of the refractive surgery department at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. He has extensive experience with advanced technology IOL implants that correct astigmatism and presbyopia. He performs all forms of corneal transplantation, including partial thickness DSAEK and DALK. He also specializes in bladeless customized LASIK and phakic intraocular lens surgery. As an anterior segment specialist, Dr. Meghpara treats corneal infections, ocular surface diseases such as dry eye, and glaucoma. He was selected as a Top Doctor of 2022 by Philadelphia Magazine and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2021.
J. MORGAN MICHELETTI, MD
Dr. Micheletti is a cataract, refractive, and anterior segment surgeon with Berkeley Eye Center in Houston, Texas. He is the director of research and an active investigator on numerous FDA and investigator-initiated studies. He is an innovator who has created multiple instruments and has pioneered new surgical techniques that have been published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He won the 2021 AAO Surgical Video competition and received the Incredible Innovation & Scientific Contribution Award at the inaugural Real World Ophthalmology. He serves on the Cataract Committee for the AAO, the Young Eye Surgeons Clinical Committee with the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Health Policy Committee for the Society for Excellence in Eyecare.
YASHA S. MODI, MD
Dr. Modi is director of Tele-Retina at New York University Langone Health where he is also an associate professor of ophthalmology specializing in retinal disease, uveitis and vitreoretinal surgery. He is a busy clinician and surgeon but dedicates considerable time to imaging research and education and is the co-author of the Yale Guide to Ophthalmic Surgery and the co-editor of OCT and OCTA in Retinal Disorders. He has published more than 90 papers on imaging and clinical research. In his eyes, his greatest accomplishment is being acknowledged three times as the Teacher of the Year since joining the faculty at NYU in 2016. Training the next generation of retina and uveitis specialists is one of his greatest passions.
ALANNA NATTIS, DO, FAAO
Dr. Nattis is a cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon as well as director of clinical research at SightMD, a multistate 60-location practice, and an associate professor in ophthalmology and surgery at NYIT-College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is also director of corneal transplantation at Good Samaritan Hospital. She has published more than 15 articles in peer-reviewed journals, written three textbook chapters and has co-authored a landmark ophthalmology textbook designed to help guide and teach surgical techniques to residents and fellows now in its second edition. Dr. Nattis continues to be involved in clinical research and regularly presents at national meetings. Her awards include Super Doctors Rising Stars two years in a row, a “Best in Session” designation from ASCRS, Ophthalmic World Leader Rising Star and Phi Beta Kappa.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Seek out and surround yourself with a solid support network. Innovation and motivation are keys in the foundation for success, but without those you can lean on and who encourage you to keep pushing forward, it can be difficult to pass the finish line.
—ALANNA NATTIS, DO, FAAO
ASHIYANA NARIANI, MD
Dr. Nariani has been involved in global ophthalmology humanitarian efforts for India’s poor where she now lives and performs the complex limbal stem cell transplants, corneal transplants and manages the ocular surface tumors. She is the global clinical consultant for Himalayan Cataract Project Cure Blindness and works to improve the quality of clinical training in countries including Ethiopia, Ghana and Nepal. Dr. Nariani has initiated online lectures and an ophthalmology educational core series available to residents and ophthalmologists around the world and was the founder of the Global Refractive Surgery Initiative, wherein refractive surgery may be thought of as a means to address the global burden of blindness and visual impairment secondary to refractive error. Dr. Nariani serves on the AAO ONE Cornea Network Committee, the AAO Global Education and Outreach Committee and Refractive Surgery Alliance Executive Committee.
MICHAEL PATTERSON, DO
Dr. Patterson is the managing partner at Eye Centers of Tennessee, in Crossville. Since joining the four-office group in 2016, he has been instrumental in expanding to nine locations, growing from seven to 15 doctors and increasing the staff from 55 to more than 160 members. He is passionate about pursuing new heights in practice management, building ASCs and growing the group’s revenue for the benefit of the entire staff. Dr. Patterson is a member of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society’s Executive Committee, YES and Membership committees within ASCRS and the AAO’s ONE Network, where he teaches new surgeons how to develop their surgical acumen. Lecturing around the world, Dr. Patterson has been invited to speak in India, Colombia and Costa Rica. He is known for his relentless drive to grow rural healthcare for the underserved areas of the Upper Cumberland.
SATHYADEEPAK (DEEPAK) RAMESH, MD
Dr. Ramesh is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in orbital and oculofacial plastic surgery and is a member of the Orbital and Oculoplastics Service at Wills Eye Hospital, and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Ramesh has authored numerous scientific articles and book chapters in topics including thyroid eye disease, orbital tumors, vascular malformations, facial fracture repair, endoscopic skull base surgery, and facial cosmetic surgery, pioneered new surgical techniques and presented at national and international meetings. He serves as a faculty instructor for the annual Orbital Surgery Master’s Symposium and the Aesthetic Eyelid and Facial Rejuvenation Course at UCLA and the Facial Fat Transfer and Periocular Rejuvenation courses at the AAO meetings. He also participates in international medical missions, particularly in India.
ERIC ROSENBERG, DO, MSE
Dr. Rosenberg specializes in complex anterior segment and cornea surgery at SightMD in Babylon, N.Y. He has been selected to lead panels at major national meetings, won several best paper awards at ASCRS and heads ground-breaking clinical trials. He is actively involved in teaching residents at both Northwell and New York Medical College and is the founder of the Digital Ophthalmic Society, which will lead the way in how digitization will shape ophthalmology in the future. Dr. Rosenberg has published more than 25 articles, five book chapters and Operative Dictations in Ophthalmology, a textbook used throughout the world. He is passionate about education and the meshing of technology, engineering and medicine. Dr. Rosenberg was selected as a Rising Star Super Doctor by the New York Times in 2021 and 2022.
ANKOOR SHAH, MD
Dr. Shah is in private practice at Retina Consultants of Texas in Houston. He has received numerous prestigious honors, most remarkably, the Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship. Dr. Shah has authored a combination of 100+ peer-reviewed scientific papers, book chapters and national presentations. Dr. Shah is passionate about research as the principal/sub-investigator on 175+ clinical trials, and he is a surgical innovator, refining techniques including ILM flaps and sutureless scleral fixation of IOLs. Dr. Shah is the former co-chair of the ASRS Early Career Section and CPT Advisor for the ASRS. He supports ophthalmologists by serving on the ASRS Practice Management Committee (2016) and the AAO Healthcare Policy Committee (2018). Notably, Dr. Shah is an AAO RUC Advisor, advocating on the valuations of ophthalmic codes.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
- Just say ‘yes’! For the first 3 years out in practice, just say yes to all the opportunities that come along the way. They will lead you in very unexpected directions, many of which you may not have considered, but which are professionally and personally fulfilling. After 3 years, that’s when you can start whittling down to the activities you most enjoy.
- Leverage the connections, experience and wisdom of your mentors. They guided you during residency and fellowship, but their guidance becomes even more valuable when you begin practicing medicine.
—ANKOOR SHAH, MD
JAYANTH SRIDHAR, MD
Dr. Sridhar is vitreoretinal surgeon and associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. He serves as a mentor to several medical students, in addition to his responsibilities as associate residency program director. Also, he is the host and founder of the popular and well-received weekly podcast, Straight From The Cutter’s Mouth, featuring interviews and perspectives from the world of retinal surgery. In addition, Dr. Sridhar enjoys the challenges of complex surgical scenarios, especially when it requires collaborating with anterior segment surgeons on combination, multi-step procedures that would be impossible to perform in most practice settings.
ZEBA SYED, MD
Dr. Syed is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and co-director of the Cornea Fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital. She has authored numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed articles and has been honored as a Heed Foundation Fellow, received the ASCRS Resident Excellence Award, Resident Research Award in Cornea from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and John D. Bullock Ophthalmology Award. Her current research interests include detecting corneal diseases using vibrational OCT, predicting and modeling corneal transplantation outcomes and reducing corneal scarring after trauma and infection. She is actively involved in several national ophthalmology committees, including the AAO ONE Network Cornea Subcommittee, ASCRS keratorefractive poster judging committee and American Society of Ocular Trauma executive committee.
RAHUL S. TONK, MD, MBA
Rahul Tonk, MD, MBA, is a cornea, cataract, and refractive surgeon and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) in Miami, Florida. Passionate about teaching, he currently co-directs BPEI’s Cornea & Refractive Surgery Fellowship and trains residents both locally and nationwide through AAO, ASCRS, AUPO and industry-sponsored courses. He has authored a variety of peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and articles and has travelled across the globe to deliver 50+ presentations pertaining to his clinical and research interests in ocular surface disease, intraocular lenses and anterior segment surgical techniques. He earned an MBA in Healthcare Management, which he applies to his role as medical director of the BPEI satellite in Coral Gables, Fla., a multi-specialty facility comprised of 20 doctors who provide patients with a full spectrum of ophthalmic services.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Seek out great mentorship, and then pay it forward to others – at all stages of your career.
—RAHUL S. TONK, MD, MBA
PRIYA S. VAKHARIA, MD
Dr. Vakharia is in private practice with Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg, and is an often-invited speaker at major national meetings. She is a subinvestigator for numerous clinical trials involving the latest therapies, including new treatments for geographic atrophy, wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy. She has more than 40 published articles and 10 book chapters to her credit and is a reviewer for multiple medical journals. She has been voted by her peers as a Top Ophthalmologist in 2020 and 2022. Dr. Vakharia is a member of the AAO, ASRS, VBS and SEE International and has participated in charitable mission trips to South America, Central America and Africa.
NANDINI VENKATESWARAN, MD
Dr. Venkateswaran is a cataract, cornea, and refractive surgery specialist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston and an instructor in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, a role for which she was recruited. She is a member of the ASCRS YES committee and AAO YO Info subcommittee. She has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed papers and 20 book chapters, is an invited reviewer for many ophthalmic journals, presents at many national and international conferences, and was recently co-editor of the Duke Manual for Cataract and Corneal Surgery. She is involved in clinical research at Mass Eye and Ear, for which she has received grant funding. She teaches and mentors ophthalmology residents as well as cornea and anterior segment fellows and enjoys collaborating with industry partners.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Walk before you run. We have all been on over-drive throughout residency and fellowship training to hit every academic milestone and do so perfectly. But once you are in practice, the journey changes. So many opportunities arise to learn and grow in your subspeciality, and you gain time to pursue passions outside of medicine. Take everything one step at a time, don’t overwhelm yourself with everything that knocks on your door. Pick and choose to partake in the projects you genuinely love and enjoy the journey, not just the result!
—NANDINI VENKATESWARAN, MD
BENNETT WALTON, MD, MBA
Dr. Walton is a cataract, refractive, and cornea specialist and a surgeon for emerging laser, optics and pharmaceutical technologies through clinical trials. A founding member of the Oracle Vision Council, he has been honored as one of America’s Best Doctors: Ophthalmology, Houston’s Top Doctors, Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars and Top Doctors Rising stars. He is a frequent advanced cataract surgery faculty member in training events, having instructed more than 250 surgeons from the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as through the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ refractive surgery training video module. Dedicated to patient safety and process improvement, Dr. Walton won the first-place award at the 2015 Houston Quality Improvement Conference.
BASIL K. WILLIAMS JR., MD
Dr. Williams is the Mary Knight Asbury endowed chair of ocular oncology, the director of ocular oncology and an assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati. He is the director of the Retinoblastoma Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and he is part of the vitreoretinal service at Cincinnati Eye Institute. He has co-authored several book chapters and has more than 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals. His research interests pertain to adult and pediatric surface and intraocular tumors and vitreoretinal surgical topics.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
Get to know patients — not only based on their condition but for who they are, where their interests lie and what their family structure and support system is like. This allows you to take better care of them and makes the job a lot more rewarding.
—BASIL K. WILLIAMS, JR., MD
BLAKE K. WILLIAMSON, MD, MPH, MS
Dr. Williamson is president and managing partner of Williamson Eye Center in Louisiana, where he leads a large generational practice with eight locations, 18 doctors and 192 employees as well as a high-volume surgery center. He is a nationally recognized surgeon and thought leader, and has been fellowship trained in the fields of advanced cataract surgery and laser vision correction. He is well respected as an early adopter of new technology and is frequently among the first surgeons in the United States to perform multiple different surgical procedures. Dr. Williamson has also been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. He has served as chairman as well as section chair for several ophthalmic symposia, has performed surgery on three continents and continues to lecture around the world.
DAGNY ZHU, MD
Dr. Zhu is a Harvard-trained cornea, cataract, and refractive surgeon, medical director and partner at NVISION Eye Centers in Rowland Heights, Calif. She serves as clinical faculty for the LAC+USC Department of Ophthalmology and Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Zhu sits on the medical advisory and editorial boards of several ophthalmic companies and has been featured in more than 200 scientific presentations, publications and media articles. She is active on social media, with more than 50,000 followers on Instagram, and serves on leadership committees for the AAO and ASCRS. Dr. Zhu was most recently named 2022 “Rising Star” by Super Doctors Magazine, “Woman of Distinction” by California State Senator Chang and “Top 50 Global Ophthalmology KOL Influencer” by Media MICE. OM
SECRETS TO SUCCESS TIP:
You can be the best surgeon in the world and still go nowhere without mentors who will lift you up and support your dreams. Seek wisdom, embrace humility, and pay it forward.
—DAGNY ZHU, MD
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