RetinaRounds™

Today we’re joined by anterior segment expert and guest surgeon of the week, Dr. Steven Safran, who walks us through practical principles for managing complex lens cases that every retina specialist needs to understand.

Retina Rounds is excited to welcome a true leader in ophthalmology and a giant in retina: Dr. Jay Duker. Dr. Duker is one of the most accomplished figures in our field, having served as Chair of Ophthalmology at Tufts Medical Center, where he helped shape both clinical care and research for over two decades.  He’s now President and CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals and, in today’s episode, we discuss his remarkable career journey, his transition from academia to biotech, and a fascinating deep dive into tyrosine kinase inhibitors, clinical trial development, and what it really takes to bring a new therapy from concept to regulatory approval.  * Retina Rounds has no financial or conflicts of interest in the content presented

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Alex Yuan, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and Vitreoretinal Fellowship Program Director at the Cole Eye Institute. In this episode, Dr. Yuan shares his insights on building a successful career in academic medicine, essential strategies for securing grant funding, and his philosophy on medical education. In addition, we discuss the keys to balancing the pursuit of professional excellence with a rewarding personal life.  

Today we’re diving into one of the most transformative forces in modern medicine: Artificial Intelligence (AI).  How will AI change the way ophthalmic care is delivered? What new possibilities, and challenges, will it bring to the clinic and beyond? To unpack these questions, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome Dr. Theodore Leng, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Clinical and Translational Research, and Medical Informatics Director for Ambulatory Specialties at Stanford University. Dr. Leng is also the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence Summit.  In this episode, Dr. Leng gives us a peak into how Artificial Intelligence is redefining the future of vision care.

This week, we are honored to welcome a very special guest to Retina Rounds: Dr. Rishi Singh, the incoming Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Singh has been a giant in medical education, retina research, and healthcare leadership, having served as Professor of Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the Cleveland Clinic Martin Health System, as well as Founder and President of the Retina World Congress. In this episode, Dr. Singh discusses the evolving demands on leaders in ophthalmology and the importance of pursuing one’s passions to achieve professional success.

What is the role of scleral buckling in modern vitreoretinal surgery?  In today’s podcast we are going to do something a bit different: we are thrilled to feature an interview performed by our friend and Retina Rounds contributor, Dr. David Perez Gonzalez.  Dr. Gonzalez is a rising star in vitreoretinal surgery and the founder of Eyesite Academy, an ophthalmic surgery education channel.  In the podcast, Dr. Perez Gonzalez and I discuss scleral buckling.  Why is scleral buckling falling out of favor despite outstanding surgical outcomes?  Which patients are the ideal candidates for a scleral buckle?  How can surgeons learn how to perform scleral buckles if they weren’t exposed to this technique during fellowship training?  We hope you find the discussion a useful adjunct to our ongoing series on scleral buckling.  If you haven’t already, make sure to check out and subscribe to Eyesite Academy (see links below).  Thank you Dr. Perez Gonzalez for sharing this interview with us!    https://www.youtube.com/@EyesiteAcademy https://www.eyesiteacademy.org

Posterior segment manifestations of ocular trauma are some of the most challenging cases for vitreoretinal specialists to manage.  Today we are absolutely thrilled to welcome an ocular trauma and vitreoretinal specialist to Retina Rounds, Dr. David Lozano Giral.  Dr. Lozano Giral is Director of the Ocular Trauma Service at the Stein Eye Institute at UCLA where he is also an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in the Retina Division.  Dr. Lozano shares his path to ophthalmology and pearls for ocular trauma management.  

Career trajectories rarely follow a linear path.  As new opportunities arise, pivoting professionally or adding on new responsibilities takes courage and requires careful consideration.  In today’s podcast, Retina Rounds is thrilled to welcome an academic and industry leader in our field, Dr. Caroline Baumal.  Dr. Baumal is Professor of Ophthalmology at New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center and Chief Medical Officer at Apellis Pharmaceuticals.  She is a prolific researcher, renowned educator, compassionate clinician and is now shaping the future of pharmacologic innovation.  Dr. Baumal talks about how she has navigated these professional roles and the values that have kept her motivated to continue to innovate and break barriers.

Retina Rounds is excited to welcome Dr. Devinder Chauhan, an Australian vitreoretinal specialist, innovator, and Founder & CEO of Macuject. Dr. Chauhan is pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence to support clinical decision making in retinal disease. We’ll explore how these tools can be integrated into clinic workflows to help tailor treatment intervals, refine diagnoses, and hopefully improve patient outcomes.  * Financial Disclosure:  Dr. Steven Schwartz is a member of the Board of Directors for Macuject

Leadership in retina can take many forms including scientific research, education, involvement in professional societies and advocacy efforts.  If you want to be a leader, how can you set yourself up for success?  In today’s podcast, Retina Rounds is thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael Klufas, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical College and a vitreoretinal faculty member at the world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital.  Dr. Klufas talks about how he transitioned into a role as a junior faculty member and how he was able to take advantage of opportunities to grow into a rising leader.  He provides valuable pearls for any ophthalmologist wanting to contribute to the advancement of our field. 

As part of our "Giants in Retina" series, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome Dr. Donald D’Amico, Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College.  Throughout his storied career, Dr. D’Amico has shaped the careers of countless ophthalmologists and vitreoretinal specialists.  He is an internationally recognized leader in our field having served as President of the Retina Society and Club Jules Gonin.  For his many surgical and educational contributions to our field Dr. D'Amico received the Life Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.  In this podcast Dr. D’Amico talks about the people who shaped his career and the sources of inspiration that sometimes come from the most unexpected places.

In today’s episode, Retina Rounds is excited to welcome Dr. Ehsan Rahimy.  Dr. Rahimy is the Chief of Retina at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Stanford University.  He is known as an outstanding surgeon, a perceptive clinician, a prolific researcher and a highly sought after industry collaborator.  In today’s episode, Dr. Rahimy shares his secrets for success and provides numerous pearls for ophthalmic surgeons in training and beyond!

As part of our “Giants in Retina” Series, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome a true giant in biomedical innovation, Dr. Mark Humayun.  Dr. Humayun is Professor of Ophthalmology, Co-Director of the University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute and Director of the USC Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsberg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics.  Dr. Humayun is an ophthalmologist, engineer, scientist and inventor and has the distinction of being the only ophthalmologist ever to be elected a member of both the US National Academies of Medicine and Engineering.  Dr. Humayun co-invented the Argus Series retina implants and has more than 125 patents.  In 2015, for all his contributions to biomedical innovation, President Barack Obama named Dr. Humayun a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.  In today’s podcast Dr. Humayun talks about his journey to ophthalmology and biomedical innovation and provides pearls on how to bring an innovative idea to reality.

In this episode we welcome a very special guest to the Retina Rounds Podcast, Dr. Jean-Pierre Hubschman. Dr Hubschman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Horizon Surgical Systems, a company that is developing a robot-assisted ophthalmic surgery platform. In the podcast, Dr. Hubschman talks about how he reinvented his career, the challenges of developing innovative technology, and the importance of following one's passions and interests. He also discusses the advantages of robotic surgical platforms including the ability integrate multiple forms of imaging data and the rapid growth in learning that can occur when AI is leveraged. It's an insightful discussion about innovation and the future of ophthalmic surgery! * Financial Disclosures: Dr. Schwartz is a co-founder and board member of Horizon Surgical Systems Dr. Prasad is an investor in Horizon Surgical Systems

We’re thrilled to welcome to the Retina Rounds podcast Dr. Firas Rahhal.  Dr. Rahhal has been a leader in multiple arenas of ophthalmology.  He was a former faculty member and Retina Clinic Director at the Cornell University Department of Ophthalmology.  He is currently Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the USC Keck School of Medicine, partner at the esteemed Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group in Los Angeles California and the Co-Founder and General Partner of ExSight Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early stage companies in ophthalmology and vision sciences.  In part one of our interview, Dr. Rahhal talks about the influences of his mentors, the challenges of running a large and busy retina practice and how he finds time to pursue his passions in medical innovation.  

Continuing our conversation with Dr. Omar Shakir, we are going to dive further into the details of Office Based Surgery.  My concerns, and I think the concerns of most vitreoretinal surgeons, center around patient safety.  We discuss this issue more as well as delving into topics like patient access, financial considerations and potential ethical issues around office-based surgery.  If you haven’t already, make sure to check out part 1 of our conversation in podcast 15.  * Financial Disclosure: Dr. Shakir is an investor and consultant for iOR Partners

Is Office-Based Surgery (OBS) right for you?  In today’s podcast, Retina Rounds welcomes Dr. Omar Shakir, a pioneer in office-based surgery.  Dr. Shakir is the founder of Coastal Eye Surgeons in Greenwich, Connecticut and a Clinical Instructor at Yale University.  Dr. Shakir practices as both a cataract/refractive and a vitreoretinal surgeon, which, while more common abroad, is unique in the United States.  In the podcast he talks about forging his own path to create a practice that meets his professional goals and how office-based surgery has been a paradigm shift for him and his patients.  * Financial Disclosure: Dr. Shakir is an investor and consultant for iOR Partners

Multimodal imaging has become indispensable in the management of a wide variety of medical retina conditions.  Increasingly the role of imaging has extended into vitreoretinal surgery, allowing vitreoretinal surgeons to have new insights on the detection, prognostication, management and postoperative surveillance of surgical conditions.  In today’s podcast we are excited to welcome Dr. Anibal Francone, retina faculty member at the Charles Centro Oftalmologico in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Dr. Francone has made impactful contributions on the interface between imaging and surgery and in today’s podcast he shares his insights on new imaging modalities for vitreoretinal diseases and his role in building a robust clinical research program. 

Medical innovation is one of the cornerstones of ophthalmology and specifically retina.  Today Retina Rounds is excited to welcome a rising star in med-tech innovation, Dr. Frank Brodie.  Dr. Brodie is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco and an attending vitreoretinal specialist at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Dr. Brodie has a passion for medical innovation and, in today’s podcast, Dr. Brodie talks about some of his established, ongoing and future projects.  It's inspirational for anyone who wants to innovate and move the field forward. 

Wrapping up our week of videos from UCLA vitreoretinal surgical fellows, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome Dr. Tara McCannel.  Dr. McCannel is professor of Ophthalmology at the Stein Eye Institute at UCLA where she serves as the director of the ophthalmic oncology center, chief wellness officer and the vitreoretinal surgical fellowship director.  Dr. McCannel talks about her path to ophthalmology, how fellows can prepare for success and the importance of incorportating wellness routines to avoid physician burnout. 

In this episode we have the distinct pleasure of  welcoming to the Retina Rounds podcast Dr. Thomas Albini.  Dr. Albini is Professor of Ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute where he practices as a surgical retina and uveitis specialist and serves as the co-director of the Bascom Palmer Surgical Vitreoretinal Fellowship.  Dr. Albini is also one of the founders of the Vit-Buckle Society, which serves as an outstanding resource for surgical and medical education for early career retina specialists.  Dr. Albini talks about his path to retina, the selection process for vitreoretinal fellows and the joys of elevating the next generation of leaders in retina.  

For the past week, Retina Rounds has been honored to welcome Dr. Mayank Bansal as our guest surgeon.  He has shared a wide spectrum of educational vitreoretinal surgical videos and now we welcome him for our podcast interview with Dr. Steven Schwartz.  Dr. Bansal is the founder and director of Claritas Eye & Retina Center in Delhi, India and has trained throughout the world including the famous All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India,  The Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, UK, the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles and a research fellowship at Stanford University.  Dr. Bansal talks about strategies to address healthcare needs and access in India as well as  innovation using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology for inherited retinal dystrophies.

As part of our “Giants in Retina” series, Retina Rounds is honored and excited to welcome Dr. David Brown.  Dr. Brown built one of the premier private practices and clinical research centers in the world at Retina Consultants of Houston and his practice has served as a model for how to maintain high quality and ethical standards when conducting clinical research.  Beyond his numerous scientific contributions in retina, Dr. Brown has also been a pioneer in the business of retina, having led groups of top tier retina practices around the country to form Retina Consultants of America.  Dr. Brown talks about his group’s considerations when they decided to partner with private equity, how this has facilitated their ability to raise the level of care in communities around the country, and the impact that private equity has had on their recruitment of the best and brightest young retina doctors.  

As part of our “Giants in Retina” series, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome Dr. Barry Kuppermann.  For over 3 decades, Dr. Kuppermann has been an innovator and pioneer in the field of ophthalmic drug delivery, having made transformational contributions in the management of both infectious and inflammatory ocular disorders.  In addition, Dr. Kuppermann has been an academic leader.  As Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine and Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Dr. Kuppermann has built one of the premier retina divisions and ophthalmology departments in the country.  In this episode, Dr. Kuppermann talks about the guiding principles in his professional life, including intellectual curiosity and integrity, the role mentors and collaborators have played in his career arc, and the values that have kept him excited and engaged in academic medicine. 

To wrap up our week of pediatric vitreoretinal surgery, we are delighted to welcome to the Retina Rounds Podcast Dr. Aaron Nagiel.  As many of you have seen through the videos he has shared with us, Dr. Nagiel is an extremely talented and innovative surgeon.  During this podcast we will get to learn more about Dr. Nagiel’s career path, what drew him to pediatric retina, his thoughts on the future of gene therapy, how to learn new skills as a surgeon, and his pearls as a medical educator.  Let’s check it out!

For our latest podcast, Retina Rounds welcomes Dr. Naresh Mandava, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado.  Over the past 18 years under Dr. Mandava’s leadership, the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado has seen immense growth including the building of the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center and the expansion of their clinician-scientist faculty to being one of the largest and most innovative faculty in the country.  In this episode, Dr. Mandava talks about his roots and mentors and how they inspired him to build a culture of excellence and innovation in his department.  Dr. Mandava also provides many pearls to junior retina specialists on how they can reach their potential and deal with setbacks.  Let’s check it out!

In this week’s podcast, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. Jack Wells, former Vice-Chair for the DRCR.net,  Ophthalmology Department Chair at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, managing member of Palmetto Retina Cdenter in Columbia South Carolina, and a leader in clinical trials.  Dr. Wells talks about his formative years under the mentorship of Tom Aaberg, Alan Bird and Zdenek Gregor, how he got involved in clinical trials and the professional satisfaction that participation in research has brought to his career.  He also reviews key learnings from the DRCR.net trials and tips he provides to fellows in training.  Let’s check it out!

In today's podcast, part of our "Giants in Retina" series, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. Mark Blumenkranz.  Dr. Blumenkranz has been an innovator as a clinician, surgeon and department chair.  Known for many contributions in ophthalmology, Dr. Blumenkranz founded the retina fellowship training program at the Beaumont Eye Institute and was the guiding force behind the creation of the Byers Eye Institute while Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University.  In this interview, Dr. Blumenkranz discusses the difficult decisions he had to make as he navigated from academic medicine to private practice and back to academia, the process of building one of the top eye institutes in the country, and the impact that innovation can and should have on the lives of patients.  

In the latest episode of our "Giants in Retina" series, Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. David Parke.  Dr. Parke has been a leader in ophthalmology, academia and organized medicine having served as the President and CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma and the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Parke discusses his career path in ophthalmology, the guiding principles as a leader of an academic department and the initiatives he established while CEO of the AAO that served to strengthen our field and empower ophthalmologists.  The interview provides a unique perspective on how leadership within organized medicine and ophthalmology can help to advance the field!

For Podcast #2 in our "Giants in Retina" Series, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. George Williams.  Dr. Williams is Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Beaumont Eye Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan.  He has served as past President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has been instrumental in shaping healthcare policy, benefiting numerous patients.  In addition, Dr. Williams is a leader in graduate medical education, having served as a mentor to countless residents and fellows.  In this episode, Dr. Williams talks about his personal professional journey, the values he looks for in choosing colleagues and trainees, the joys of training and learning from ophthalmologists around the globe and the role ophthalmologists can play in shaping healthcare policy.  It's an enlightening interview that highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships in our professional lives.

For the first episode in our podcast series, Retina Rounds podcast co-host, Steven Schwartz, MD interviews an innovator, surgical pioneer and one of the fathers of modern vitreoretinal surgery: Steve Charles, MD. Dr. Charles has developed many of the machines and tools we use every day in the operating room, which is one of the many reasons he received the Laureate Recognition Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology . In this interview, Dr. Charles talks about his path in ophthalmology, shares insights on the early days of developing a modern vitreoretinal surgical platform, and provides valuable clinical pearls for both comprehensive ophthalmologists and retina specialists. The interview is filled with many interesting stories and anecdotes, which you will love!