School of Medicine
Showing 201-250 of 255 Results
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Ruwan Silva, MD, MPhil
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
BioProfessor Ruwan Amila Silva, MD, MPhil is board certified and fellowship trained vitreoretinal surgeon in the department of ophthalmology at Stanford University Medical Center. He received his BA in Neurobiology from Harvard University graduating Magna cum laude with Highest Honors. He then received his Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) in Neurobiology from Cambridge University in England. Following this, he received his medical degree from Stanford University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Silva completed his ophthalmology residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the top rated eye hospital in the country. While there he was awarded the Heed Fellowship, the most prestigious national award for ophthalmology residents in the country. Dr. Silva returned to Stanford University to complete his vitreoretinal surgery fellowship where he was awarded the Ronald G. Michels Foundation Award, the nation’s highest honor for a retina surgery fellow. During his fellowship at Stanford he was also awarded the prestigious Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award by the Macula Society. Following fellowship, Dr. Silva remained at Stanford University's School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Vitreoretinal Surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology. Since 2015, he has been named one of “America’s Top Ophthalmologists” by Consumers’ Research Council of America. He was also selected as a "Top Ophthalmologist" by the International Association of Ophthalmologists.
Dr. Silva's clinical practice focuses mainly on macular degeneration and retinal vascular disease (such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and central serous retinopathy). Surgically, he specializes in diseases of the vitreous and retina: including repair of retinal detachments, surgery for the macula (such as treatment of epiretinal membranes and macular holes) and correction of dislocated intraocular lenses. His research interests mainly involve developing novel therapies for these diseases (http://med.stanford.edu/artificial-retina.html) and have resulted in over 50 combined peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, book chapters and national meeting presentations.
Dr. Silva is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, as well as the American Society of Retina Specialists. He is a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology. -
Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH
Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGlaucoma, clinical epidemiology
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Stephen Smith, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsRESEARCH OVERVIEW
Dr. Smith’s primary professional interest is developing solutions for unmet clinical and surgical vitreoretinal needs. Beginning in medical school, one of his primary focuses has been improving treatment outcomes in patients with retinoblastoma (RB). During his second year in medical school Dr. Smith published a manuscript on a novel technique to reduce the risk of tumor spread following intravitreal drug delivery in patients with RB. His work summarizing published data on tumor spread following intravitreal injection therapy (IVT) for RB has resulted in multiple platform presentations at national and international meetings, including an invited lecture at ARVO 2014. The results of this study influenced the growing trend toward broader acceptance of intravitreal chemotherapy in pediatric patients with treatment-resistant retinoblastoma vitreous seeds. A primary active area of research has included studying and publishing on ocular toxicity that results from the use of intravitreal melphalan and other agents for RB. This work, and subsequent publications from leaders in the field, has led to an increased awareness of ocular toxicity caused by injecting chemotherapeutic agents into the eyes of young children. This highlighted the need for toxicity data on additional chemotherapeutic agents for local delivery. To answer this question, Dr. Smith assembled an excellent group of collaborators and consultants, including internationally known experts at Bascom Palmer, Mayo Clinic, and Emory University. As a resident he secured a highly competitive career starter grant from the Knights Templar Foundation and used that funding and the expertise of his collaborators to carry out preclinical ocular toxicity studies of combination intravitreal chemotherapy for RB. His work in RB has led to a broader recognition of the challenges facing patients with RB who receive IVT and has led to a continued search for optimal local injectable therapies for patients with this disease.
INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to his work in retinoblastoma, Dr. Smith has been actively involved in developing technologies to improve outcomes for patients receiving intravitreal injection therapy (IVT) for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and more. IVT has become the most common procedure performed by retina specialists in the United States, with an estimated 6 million injections given in the United States alone in 2016. Dr. Smith has co-developed technology that simplifies and streamlines the IVT process, removing barriers to treatment and improving patient outcomes. His work in innovation covers pre-clinical and clinical development work, and has given him expertise in diverse subject areas including fundraising, intellectual property portfolio development, team building, and business administration. He is a co-founder of iRenix Medical, a biotechnology and medical device start-up company committed to improving vision through optimization of the IVT process.
Dr. Smith remains dedicated to helping improve and restore vision and quality of life in patients with vitreoretinal disease. He is currently involved in both medical device and pharmaceutical innovation, and serves as a mentor for the Stanford University Biodesign Innovation Course. -
Brian Soetikno
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
Masters Student in Clinical Informatics Management, admitted Summer 2021BioBrian Soetikno grew up in Union City, CA. He received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where he studied biomedical optics under the mentorship of Lihong Wang, PhD. In the summer of 2013, he entered the Medical Scientist (MD/PhD) Training Program at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. He completed a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2018 under the combined mentorship of Amani Fawzi, MD and Hao Zhang, PhD, which focused on retinal imaging. Specifically, his dissertation described advances in functional optical coherence tomography (OCT), including retinal oximetry with visible-light OCT and OCT angiography. He graduated with his MD in 2020 and joined the Stanford Ophthalmology Advance Research (SOAR) residency. Brian aspires to ultimately pursue a career in academic ophthalmology, where he hopes to combine his passion for engineering, innovation, and ocular surgery.
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Creed Stary
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult MSD) and, by courtesy, of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMechanisms promoting neuronal survival following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury; utilizing microRNA's to target multiple pathways to promote mitochondrial homeostasis and cell survival; anesthetic neurotoxicity; astrocyte-neuronal interaction
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Yang Sun, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are interested in the role of inositol phosphatases in eye development and disease, using both animal models and human disease tissue. We are a translational laboratory seeking to understand the basic function of proteins as well as developing therapeutic strategies for clinical trials.
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Christopher N. Ta, MD
Professor of Ophthalmology
BioChristopher N. Ta, MD specializes in the diagnosis and medical treatment of cornea diseases. His areas of expertise are in the treatment of ocular infections, inflammation, dry eyes and ocular surface diseases. He has conducted numerous clinical trials toward the prevention and treatment of ocular infections. Dr. Ta also has extensive clinical experience in the treatment of ocular graft-versus host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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Geoffrey Craig Tabin, MD
Fairweather Foundation Professor
BioDr. Geoff Tabin is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Himalayan Cataract Project and a Professor of Ophthalmology and Global Medicine at Stanford University. He has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles, two books and a dozen book chapters related to his work in ophthalmology and the developing world.
Dr. Tabin is the fourth person in the world to reach the tallest peak on each of the seven continents. His passion for mountain climbing directed him to his professional career in eye care. After summiting Mt. Everest, on one of his expeditions, he came across a Dutch team performing cataract surgery on a woman who had been needlessly blind for three years. It was then he understood his life calling.
Tabin graduated from Yale University and then earned an MA in Philosophy at Oxford University on a Marshall Scholarship. From there, he took his interest in moral philosophy and health care delivery to Harvard Medical School where he earned his MD in 1985. After completing an ophthalmology residency at Brown University and a fellowship in corneal surgery in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Tabin returned to Nepal to work with Dr. Sanduk Ruit.
Tabin and Nepalese eye surgeon Dr. Sanduk Ruit established the Himalayan Cataract Project in 1995 – with a vow to work to eliminate all preventable and treatable blindness from the Himalayan region in their lifetime, a goal, in Tabin’s words, “more audacious than setting out to make the first assent of the East Face of Mount Everest.” Dr. Ruit, whom the Associated Press heralded as the “god of sight” to the world’s poor, and Tabin have proven that hospital quality standards can be applied in impoverished areas devoid of electricity and clean water. Their successful approach to restoring sight and dogged perseverance has made possible what 20 years ago seemed impossible.
The Himalayan Cataract Project has since expanded beyond the Himalayas to encompass Sub-Saharan Africa as well. Dr.Tabin spends a considerable part of the year working abroad throughout the Himalayas and Sub-Saharan Africa. At Stanford his practice focus encompasses surgery and treatment of diseases of the anterior and external eye including cataract and corneal surgery. -
Ngoc Trong Tuong Than
Visiting Instructor, Ophthalmology
BioNgoc Than comes from Saigon, Vietnam. After finishing her medical school, she decided to pursue her ophthalmology resident program and also received her Master’s degree last December, 2020. During that time, she also worked as a clinical and surgical instructor.
Having a chance to participate in many international programs, one of them is ORBIS flying eye hospital, she saw and experienced in many aspects of the field. All of those have urged her to discover new things, to get involve in finding new solutions.
Her current interest is AI in Ophthalmology. The latest project with her co-worker is “Self-Supervised Domain Adaptation for Diabetic Retinopathy Grading using Vessel Image Reconstruction” has been published and will be the next step to help people who have limited access to healthcare system.
This year, she joins Dr. Nguyen’s lab as a fellow. She looks forward to being a part of this big family at Stanford, and open to participate in many activities. She loves being outside and enjoying the sunshine, night walk, biking, and believes in sustainable value. -
Gabriel Velez, MD, PhD
Temp - TMS, Ophthalmology
Current Role at StanfordGraduate Research Assistant
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G. Atma Vemulakonda, MD
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
BioDr. Vemulakonda cares for adult patients with both medical and surgical retinal conditions including Age-related macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, Macular degeneration, Macular holes, epiretinal membranes, retinal vein occlusion, macular edema, retinal tears and holes, and Retinal detachment.
Dr. Vemulakonda earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also completed his residency in Ophthalmology. He completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Prior to moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Vemulakonda was an Associate professor, surgeon, and educator at the University of Washington. -
Douglas Vollrath
Professor of Genetics and, by courtesy, of Ophthalmology
On Partial Leave from 07/01/2021 To 08/15/2022Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Vollrath lab works to uncover molecular mechanisms relevant to the health and pathology of the outer retina. We study the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a cell monolayer adjacent to photoreceptors that performs a variety of tasks crucial for retinal homeostasis. Specific areas of interest include the circadian regulation of RPE phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segment tips, and how RPE metabolic dysfunction contributes to retinal degenerative diseases.
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Brian A. Wandell
Isaac and Madeline Stein Family Professor and Professor, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering, of Ophthalmology and at the Graduate School of Education
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsModels and measures of the human visual system. The brain pathways essential for reading development. Diffusion tensor imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging and computational modeling of visual perception and brain processes. Image systems simulations of optics and sensors and image processing. Data and computation management for reproducible research.
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Sophia Ying Wang, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI use and integrate a wide variety of data sources in my research, spanning both structured and unstructured forms, including national survey datasets, health insurance claims data, patient generated online text, surgical video, and electronic health records. I investigate outcomes of treatments for glaucoma and cataract, as well as other areas of ophthalmology. My focus is developing and applying novel methods for automated extraction of ophthalmic data, especially from free text and video.
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Sui Wang, PhD
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie retinal development and diseases. We utilize genetic and genomic tools to uncover how different types of retinal cells, including retinal neurons, glia and the vasculature, respond to developmental cues and disease insults at the epigenomic and transcriptional levels, and how they interact and collectively contribute to the integrity of the retina.
1. Retinal cell fate specification.
We are using genetic tools and methods, such as in vivo plasmid electroporation and CRISPR, to dissect the roles of cis-regulatory elements and transcription factors in controlling retinal cell fate specification.
2. The multicellular responses elicited by diabetes in the retina.
Diabetes can induce multicellular responses in the retina, including vascular lesions, glial dysfunction and neurodegeneration, all of which contribute to retinopathy. We are using diabetic rats as models to investigate the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the diabetes-induced multicellular responses, and the disease mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy.
3. Molecular tools that allow for cell type-specific labeling and manipulation in vivo.
Cis-regulatory elements, such as enhancers, play essential roles in directing tissue/cell type-specific and stage-specific expression. We are interested in identifying enhancers that can drive cell type-specific expression in the retina and brain, and incorporating them into plasmid or AAV based delivery systems. -
Rain Runxia Wen
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
BioRain Runxia Wen obtained her B.Sc. (Hons) in biology in 2012, and Ph.D. degree in cell and developmental biology in 2018. She joined the Goldberg Lab in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University in 2019. She is currently studying the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal ganglion cell axon growth and optic nerve regeneration.
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Mollie Woodworth
Instructor, Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMany types of blindness result from the neurons of the retina no longer being able to communicate with the brain due to injury or disease. In mammals, the adult retina cannot make new retinal ganglion cells (the neurons that connect the retina with the brain) to replace those that are lost. In my work, I aim to learn about normal development of retinal ganglion cells and, further, to regenerate new retinal ganglion cells if they are lost in adulthood.
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Albert Y. Wu, MD, PhD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy translational research focuses on using autologous stem cells to recreate a patient’s ocular tissues for potential transplantation. We are generating tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells to treat limbal stem cell deficiency in patients who are bilaterally blind. By applying my background in molecular and cellular biology, stem cell biology, oculoplastic surgery, I hope to make regenerative medicine a reality for those suffering from orbital and ocular disease.
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Charles Q. Yu, MD
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCorneal opacity is a leading cause of blindness. Cornea transplantation is at high risk of rejection when there is pre-existing vascularization of the cornea and in pediatric patients. Cornea transplant shortage remains a worldwide problem with millions on waitlists. Our laboratory is developing multiple strategies for treatment of corneal blindness. We are testing advanced materials and designs for keratoprostheses with the goal of reducing complications and easing surgical implantation. We are also developing intraocular electronic display prostheses for bypassing cornea opacity, a novel strategy that could allow for high quality vision without corneal clarity.
