President
Doheny Professional Alumni Association
Hello and happy summer!
While this is the season to relax, unwind and enjoy warm sunny weather, as we take in the beautiful sights of summer we are also reminded of the important contributions we each make to support vision health.
We say farewell to our clinical fellows for the 2024 academic year who made tremendous contributions during their time with Doheny, and now move onto exciting professional opportunities. We also welcome our incoming clinical fellows and are eager for the opportunity to collaborate and be part of their continued educational journey.
Looking ahead to the coming months, we are pleased to have more opportunities to reconnect with our Doheny Professional Alumni Association members at several Doheny Eye Institute events, including the 6th Annual Doheny-UCLA Glaucoma Symposium on September 28, and the Doheny and Stein Eye Institutes Annual Alumni Reception at AAO on October 20.
Beyond our in-person events, we encourage you to reach out to us throughout the year to share your professional and personal achievements, subspecialty updates, or suggestions on editorial to be included in upcoming newsletters.
For a future “Where are you now?” newsletter section, we are putting out a call to all alumni whose class graduating year ends in a “4” (i.e., class of 2014, 2004, 1994, etc.). Please share your updates with us on your current practice, about your family and any pictures from your time at Doheny!
Lastly but certainly not least, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for voting for the Doheny Eye Institute in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Your unwavering support and recognition of our institute’s excellence in ophthalmology play a crucial role in maintaining our esteemed position as a leader in vision research and patient care. Together, we continue to uphold and advance the legacy of Doheny, ensuring a brighter future for all those we serve.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Looking Back on Another Successful ARVO Annual Meeting
As one of the world’s foremost vision research institutions, Doheny Eye Institute was well represented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, held May 5-9 in Seattle.
Not only were Doheny scientists selected to present their latest research in more than 28 paper and poster presentations, but our own SriniVas Sadda, MD, Director of Artificial Intelligence & Imaging Research at Doheny Eye Institute, was officially named president of ARVO. Additionally, multiple events and an engaging exhibitor presence helped Doheny connect with a wide variety of attendees. This year’s ARVO meeting welcomed more than 11,000 attendees.
The annual Doheny-UCLA Breakfast Forum on May 5 was a wonderful way to kick off the week, with a packed room of attendees to explore Fresh Perspectives on Retinopathy, the topic of the meeting. Scientific experts were convened to share their novel perspectives on unrecognized determinants of retinopathy. The speakers included Julia V. Busik, PhD, FARVO; Arup Das, MD, PhD, FARVO; and Mike Sapieha, PhD. Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, helped organize and moderate this engaging discussion.
On May 6, Doheny reconnected with many of our esteemed alumni during the ARVO Annual Alumni Reception. More than 200 guests enjoyed a lively evening of delectable food, drink, music, and conversation with friends old and new. The diverse turnout underscored the enduring bond and the collective spirit that unites our alumni communities, demonstrating the strength and vitality of the Doheny alumni network.
Throughout the exhibition portion of ARVO, Doheny and UCLA united once again in a shared booth space. Thousands of attendees visited to learn more about the institutes’ commitment to groundbreaking vision research, discuss opportunities to collaborate, and more.
One of the many highlights of the week included Doheny Chief Scientific Officer Deborah Ferrington, PhD, leading a mini-symposium session on her latest research in age-related macular degeneration. Other topics presented by Doheny scientists included diabetic retinopathy, advanced discoveries in neuro-ophthalmology, retinal cell biology and visual neuroscience.
The successful week concluded with Dr. Sadda, being officially introduced as president of ARVO. The moment came during the final keynote, marking the conclusion of the weeklong meeting. In his role, Dr. Sadda will lead planning for ARVO 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme he has established for the upcoming meeting is i3: Imagining Innovation and Intelligence in Vision Science.
Aside from a phenomenal and productive onsite presence, Doheny’s stellar scientists were also featured in several media articles coming out of ARVO 2024, including:
- Pre-event coverage in Modern Retina and Ophthalmology Times
- Giulia Corradetti, MD, was featured in Ophthalmology Times
- Dr. Ferrington was featured in Optometry Times and Ophthalmology Times
- Dr. Sadda was featured in three Ophthalmology Times articles (here, here, and here) as well as Medika Life
- Irene Santiago was featured in Ophthalmology Times
We look forward to ARVO 2025 being another engaging and successful opportunity for Doheny to share our research, connect and collaborate with other top minds in our field.
Announcing the Annual Doheny ARVO Travel Award Recipients
Each year ahead of the ARVO Annual Meeting, Doheny Eye Institute organizes an event to help early career scientists prepare to present their findings to the global vision research community. Annually, four participating research fellows are selected to receive a $500 travel award to attend and present at ARVO. These annual Travel Awards are sponsored through the generosity of the Doheny Professional Alumni Association, whose members not only pay their dues but also donate to the Warren Wilson Fellowship fund. The Warren Wilson Fellowship Fund was established in the mid 1990s to augment educational resources for the residents. In our partnership with UCLA Stein Eye Institute, the Doheny Alumni Association Board of Directors unanimously voted to offer support to our fellows in training.
A panel of four judges selected the 2024 winners, two for the basic science posters and two for the clinical/imaging posters. We are excited to announce the research fellows who received this year’s annual ARVO Travel Awards.
Ken Marion, Doheny Image Reading and Research Lab’s (DIRRL) Assistant Director, and Anna Urrea (Travel award winner)
L-R: Satishkumar Chandrakumar, Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, Irene Santiago (Travel award winner), and Mahesh Agarwal (Travel award winner)
Basic Science Winners:
- Irene Santiago presented Abnormal Subendothelial Matrix Exacerbates Choroidal Endothelial Cell Death in Early Age-related Macular Degeneration
- Mahesh Agarwal presented Actin Remodeling Governs Neutrophil Activation: Implications for Retinal Capillary Degeneration in Diabetic Retinopathy
Clinical/Imaging Winners:
- Ayesha Nuri Karamat (image not available) presented Real‐World Prevalence and Progress of Intraretinal and Subretinal Fluid in Eyes Switched to Faricimab for the treatment of Neovascular Age‐Related Macular Degeneration
- Anna Urrea presented Extending the Fluid Free Treatment Interval for Neovascular Age‐related Macular Degeneration following the Switch to Faricimab – of note, following the ARVO annual meeting, we found that Anna is the daughter of our own Dr. Paul Urrea who is on the PAA Board of Directors.
Congratulations to each of the recipients!
Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Continuing Medical Education Courses
We are pleased to unveil the next series of Doheny Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses.
September 28, 2024
6th Annual Doheny-UCLA Glaucoma Symposium
- Co-Directed by Vikas Chopra, MD, and Brian Francis, MD, MS
- Donald Minckler Doheny Glaucoma Lecturer: Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH
- Teresa C. Chen, MD will be a keynote speaker
- More information is available at this link
Photo: Glaucoma Symposium Faculty in 2023
February 1, 2025
3rd Annual Doheny-UCLA International Retina Symposium
- Co-Directed by Michael Ip, MD, and Kirk Hou, MD, PhD
- Keynote Speakers: Emily Chew, MD, and Hedrik Scholl, MD, MA, FARVO
- Additional details to be shared in the coming months
Photo: Retina International Symposium Faculty in 2024
March 29, 2025
2025 Annual Doheny CME Conference
- Co-Directed by Monica Khitri, MD, Dan Rootman, MD, MS, and Ben Bert, MD, FACS
- Irvine Lecturer: Baruch Kuppermann, MD, PHD
- Additional details to be shared in the coming months
Photo: Doheny Annual CME Conference Faculty in 2024
For the latest details on upcoming CME courses, visit our Doheny Events page.
Join or Renew Your Membership to the Doheny Professional Alumni Association
If you haven’t already, now is the time to join or renew your Doheny Professional Alumni Association (PAA) membership.
There are numerous benefits to being part of the PAA, including providing resources to research and clinical fellows – such as our annual ARVO Travel Awards. Over the coming year, the PAA plans to use funds generated through dues to expand support to clinical and research fellows through scholarships, underwriting courses and lectures, and gifting educational materials.
Additional PAA member benefits include:
- Invitation to the alumni receptions at the Annual American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meetings
- Invitation to the Annual Alumni Dinner
- Free registration for one Doheny CME conference of your choice (a savings of at least $100)
Incoming and Outgoing Clinical Fellows
Please join us in sending congratulations to our graduating fellows. Doheny thanks each of these remarkable individuals for their many contributions during their fellowship, and we welcome them into the Doheny Professional Alumni Association.
We also send a warm welcome to our incoming 2024-2025 fellows.
Outgoing Fellows:
Adil Ahmed, DO
DEC Cornea fellow
Going into private practice in New York
Stephanie Midtling, MD
DEC Glaucoma fellow
Going into private practice with Acuity Eye Group in San Diego
Alexander Engelmann, MD
DEC/SEI Neuro fellow
Will be completing another fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute
Juan Fernandez, MD
DEC/SEI Neuro fellow
Returning to Tripler Army Medical Center
Connie Sears, MD
DEC/SEI Oculoplastic fellow
Working on several manuscripts for publication in scientific journals
Jack Lemon, MD
DEC/SEI Retina fellow
Joining Kaiser in Santa Clara
Incoming Fellows:
Adam Tanaka, MD
DEC Glaucoma fellow
Residency: Sinai Hospital of Baltimore/Krieger Eye Institute
Specialty/research interest: Glaucoma
Roxana Godiwalla, DO
DEC Cornea fellow
Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin/ Eye Institute
Specialty/research interest: Cornea and External Diseases/Corneal neurotization
Thanh-Liem Huynh-Tran, MD
DEC/SEI Neuro Fellow
Residency: UCLA Neurology
Specialty/research interest: Neuro-ophthalmology/neurology
Angela Oh, MD
DEC/SEI Oculoplastic Fellow
Residency: UCLA Ophthalmology
Specialty/research interest: Oculoplastic/reconstructive surgery
Fun fact: Angela was the one of the recipients of the 2019 ARVO Travel Award sponsored by the Doheny Alumni Association
Marko Popovic, MD
DEC/SEI Retina Fellow
Residency: University of Toronto, Canada
Specialty/research interest: multimodal imaging and epidemiology of retinal disease
Alumni Notes
We’re proud to see Doheny Alumni continue to be recognized and make impactful contributions to their field, as well as experience exciting achievements in their personal lives.
We invite all of our alumni to reach out and share professional or personal achievements for potential inclusion in a future newsletter. Please share your updates with us at .
Join Us: Annual Doheny and Stein Eye Institutes Alumni Reception at AAO
Please plan on attending the annual Alumni Reception at the 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting.
October 20, 2024
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Music and Dancing
Westin Chicago River North Hotel
It will be a delightful evening of conversation, networking and celebration. Our colleague DJ AJA – better known as Anthony Aldave, MD – will keep the tunes going all night. We hope to see you there!
Doheny Shines in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report
The Doheny and Stein Eye Institutes have proudly secured the 5th spot in the nation according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings. This prestigious recognition underscores Doheny’s unwavering commitment to excellence in ophthalmology, groundbreaking research, and top-tier education.
As a leading vision research organization, Doheny continues to attract distinguished clinician-scientists and researchers, foster innovative collaborations, and deliver superior outcomes for patients. The significant role of our alumni in promoting the values, mission, and achievements of Doheny has been instrumental in enhancing its reputation and standing within the wider community, further solidifying its status as a premier destination for ophthalmological care.