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M EMO R IA L H ER M A N N -T E X A S M E D I C A L C E N T E R
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UTH E A LT H M E D I C A L S CHO O L
In This Issue
01
Making the Impossible Possible
Features
02
An Eye to the Future: Robert Cizik
Eye Clinic and Ruiz Department
of Ophthalmology Expansion
Offers Patients Comprehensive
Subspecialty Care
07
Diagnosis and Management of
Ocular Malignancies
10
Randy Whitesides: A Floridian
Travels to Houston for World-class
Care
11
Amy Truong: Successful Treatment
Inspires a Young Woman to Study
Nursing
12
Brendan Diffley: Meticulous
Surgery Saves a Young Trauma
Patient’s Vision
Research
13
On the Clinical and Research Utility
of Confocal Microscopy
News
14
of
Note
Dr. Bhavani Iyer Awarded SightFirst
Grant to Help Patients with Low
Vision
Six UTHealth Medical School
Ophthalmologists Named Among
Houstonia Magazine’s Top Doctors
15
Moran Pediatric Eye Clinic
Celebrates Grand Opening
16
The Ophthalmology Basic Science
Course: 45 Years of Residency
Training
In
the
Media
Selected P ublications
17
A bstracts
Book Chapters
L ectureships
18 Presentations
19 Honors and Awards
Grants
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Making the Impossible Possible
It’s been said that nothing is impossible for those with the courage to try. Over the last
three years, the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic and Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual
Science have doubled in size and expertise; affiliated physicians now offer diagnosis and
treatment within all subspecialties of ophthalmology. An experienced multidisciplinary team
provides the highest level of care, with an across-the-board track record of quality outcomes.
Using highly advanced technology, they perform complex procedures that preserve sight
and improve vision. In this issue, you’ll read about the experiences of three patients who
benefited from the clinical excellence of affiliated faculty.
In 2014, we welcomed two new faculty members: Stella Kim, M.D., who joined us after 12
years at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and is internationally recognized for her work in ocular graft versus host disease, and Alla Kukuyev, M.D., director of the
uveitis service, who is the only provider in Texas with dual fellowship training in vitreoretinal
surgery as well as uveitis and ocular inflammatory disease. The two physicians complete the
department’s subspecialty services and ensure that we are fully equipped to meet the needs
of the hospital, medical school and community.
In this issue Dr. Kim, Amy Schefler, M.D., and ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon Margaret Phillips, M.D., address our capabilities to treat ocular malignancies, including
conjunctival melanoma, uveal melanoma and retinoblastoma. Children’s Memorial Hermann
Hospital is the only center in the south-central United States routinely offering intra-arterial
chemotherapy and intravitreal chemotherapy for the treatment of retinoblastoma, which
requires a large multispecialty team.
To be trusted with the most precious of senses is the highest compliment. We extend our
thanks to Randy Whitesides, Brendan Diffley and his parents Kathy Perry and Shane Diffley,
and Amy Truong for sharing their personal stories of courage in the face of potential vision
loss. Mr. Whitesides found his way to us from South Florida after suffering loss of vision due
to long-term uveitis. Twelve-year-old Brendan Diffley arrived through the Emergency Center
after shooting himself in the eye with a pencil while playing with a makeshift paper crossbow.
Ms. Truong underwent an emergent corneal transplant after developing a difficult-to-treat
fungal infection following LASIK surgery at another institution.
Congratulations to the members of our department who were singled out for recognition in
Houstonia magazine’s 2014 listing of Top Doctors in Houston. We’re proud of their clinical
accomplishments, commitment to teaching and research productivity.
As always, we’re grateful for the ongoing support of UTHealth President Giuseppe
Colasurdo, M.D., Memorial Hermann-TMC CEO Craig Cordola and Children’s Memorial
Hermann Hospital CEO Susie Distefano. Their support, along with that of the Hermann Eye
Fund, the Memorial Hermann Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness and the National
Eye Institute, has given us the opportunity to dream big and achieve our goals.
“OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS,
THE ROBERT CIZIK EYE CLINIC
AND RUIZ DEPARTMENT OF
OPHTHALMOLOGY AND VISUAL
SCIENCE HAVE DOUBLED IN
SIZE AND EXPERTISE, OFFERING
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
WITHIN ALL SUBSPECIALTIES
OF OPHTHALMOLOGY.”
Sincerely,
ROBERT M. FELDMAN, M.D.
Distinguished Professor and Chairman
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
01
F E A T U R E S
An Eye to the Future:
Robert Cizik Eye Clinic and Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology Expansion
Offers Patients Comprehensive Subspecialty Care
After her training, Dr. Kim joined
The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center. For more than 12 years,
she served as a faculty member at MD
Anderson with a clinical focus in ocular
surface diseases in cancer patients,
conjunctival tumors, ocular surface
reconstructions and complex cataract surgery. She is internationally recognized for
her work in ocular graft versus host disease (GVHD). Dr. Kim joined the Robert
Cizik Eye Clinic and the Ruiz Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
to provide care for patients with corneal
and external diseases, in particular with
severe ocular surface diseases, conjunctival/cornea tumors and GVHD, as well
as cataract and other corneal disorders.
S L D O AW U M
P R
ver the last three years, the
Robert Cizik Eye Clinic
and Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual
Science at UTHealth Medical School
have doubled in size. With the addition
of Stella Kim, M.D., to the cornea and
external disease service and ocular oncology service and Alla Kukuyev, M.D., as
chief of the uveitis service, the department now covers all subspecialties within
ophthalmology.
“WE’RE PROUD OF OUR TEAM OF AFFILIATED SUBSPECIALISTS AND
THE EXPERTISE THEY BRING TO HOUSTON AND THE SURROUNDING
REGION. IN ADDITION TO CLINICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THEY HAVE
INCREASED OUR RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY.”
STELLA KIM, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Kim, a clinical professor of ophthalmology, joined the cornea/external
disease and ocular oncology services in
July 2014. After receiving her bachelor’s
in biochemistry from Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge, she spent
the next 10 years at Harvard Medical
School, where she received her medical
degree and completed two research fellowships as a Karin Grunebaum Cancer
Fellow and the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute Medical Student Fellow, a
medical internship at Mount Auburn
Hospital and her ophthalmology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Infirmary. For her cornea fellowship,
she spent one year as a Heed Fellow at
the Moran Eye Center at the University
of Utah.
02
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
ALLA KUKUYEV, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Kukuyev, assistant professor of ophthalmology, joined the retina service
of the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic and the
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology
and Visual Science at UTHealth Medical
School in September 2014, and is chief of
the uveitis service.
She received her combined B.S./M.D.
degree from the University of Akron and
Northeast Ohio Medical University and
completed her residency in ophthalmology at the Havener Eye Institute at the
Ohio State University Medical Center. She
completed fellowship training in uveitis
and ocular inflammatory diseases at the
Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University
of California, Los Angeles, and then
completed additional fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at Retina and
Vitreous of Texas. Dr. Kukuyev is the only
provider in the state of Texas with dual fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery
as well as uveitis and ocular inflammatory
disease. She is certified by the American
Board of Ophthalmology and holds memberships in the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, the American Society
Glaucoma specialist Nicholas Bell, M.D., and
corneal disease specialist Nan Wang, M.D., Ph.D.,
examine a patient using the confocal microscope
for anterior segment corneal imaging.
of Retina Specialists and the Houston
Ophthalmological Society. Her clinical
interests include medical and surgical
management of diabetic retinopathy;
retinal detachment; macular hole; epiretinal membrane; retinal vascular diseases;
endophthalmitis; uveitis associated with
autoimmune diseases, including juvenile
idiopathic arthritis and sarcoidosis; and
white dot syndromes and inflammation
secondary to infectious diseases including AIDS, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis
and herpetic infections of the eye.
Preceding Drs. Kim and Kukuyev in the
expansion at Memorial Hermann-Texas
Medical Center and UTHealth Medical
School are Lauren Blieden, M.D., Gene
Kim, M.D., Kartik Kumar, M.D., and
Grace Lindhorst, M.D., who joined the
department in 2012, and Margaret E.
Phillips, M.D., Karina Richani Reverol,
M.D., and Ore-ofe Adesina, M.D., who
were recruited in 2013. Ocular oncologist and retinoblastoma specialist Amy
Schefler, M.D., now provides care
through Cizik Eye Clinic.
interests that focus on pediatric glaucoma
and surgical outcomes. As part of her practice, Dr. Blieden is active in the Childhood
Glaucoma Research Network (CGRN), an
international organization comprised of
clinicians and scientists who specialize in
the treatment of children with glaucoma.
GENE KIM, M.D.
LAUREN BLIEDEN, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual
Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Blieden received her medical degree
at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston
and completed her residency in ophthalmology at the same institution, followed
by a fellowship in glaucoma at Bascom
Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. An assistant professor of ophthalmology, she is
board certified by the American Board of
Ophthalmology, with clinical and research
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Gene Kim received his medical degree
at the University of Pittsburgh and completed his residency in ophthalmology at
Emory University, followed by a fellowship in cornea, ocular surface disease and
refractive surgery from the John A. Moran
Eye Center in Salt Lake City. An assistant
professor of ophthalmology, Dr. Kim
performs cataract surgery, corneal transplantation and LASIK and PRK vision
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
03
F E A T U R E S
correction surgery. He has a special interest in artificial corneal transplantation
and performs keratoprosthesis surgery for
severely damaged corneas. His research
interests focus on corneal imaging using
confocal microscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography.
with numerous other awards. An assistant professor of ophthalmology, Dr.
Lindhorst directs a satellite clinic in Katy,
Texas.
MARGARET PHILLIPS, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
KARTIK KUMAR, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
A vital addition to the pediatric ophthalmologic service at Children’s Memorial
Hermann Hospital, Dr. Kartik Kumar
joined the ophthalmology team after
completing a fellowship in pediatric
ophthalmology at the Children’s National
Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
He received his medical degree at The
University of Texas Southwestern Medical
School in Dallas, followed by a residency
in ophthalmology at the University of
Kansas Medical Center, where he was
chief resident. An assistant professor,
Dr. Kumar’s clinical interests include all
areas of pediatric ophthalmology, including amblyopia, strabismus, eyelid ptosis
and cataracts. His research interests
include visual development, amblyopia
and the treatment of strabismus.
Blepharoplasty” and “Transcanalicular
Laser Dacryocystorhinostomy,” in
the third edition of Smith and Nesi’s
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery, published in 2012.
Among the 2013 recruits is Margaret E.
Phillips, M.D., an ophthalmic plastic
and reconstructive surgeon and clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology, who received her medical degree
at the University of Alabama School of
Medicine in Birmingham, followed by
a residency in ophthalmology at the
University of Maryland Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in
Baltimore. A diplomat of the American
Board of Ophthalmology, she completed
a two-year fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the
University of Tennessee in Memphis and
at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She
was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha
Honor Medical Society in 2006.
ORE-OFE ADESINA, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuro-Ophthalmology
Section
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Ore-ofe Adesina, M.D., joined the
department from the University of Utah
Moran Eye Center, where he completed
a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology
with an additional preceptorship in
oculoplastics. He received his medical
degree at the University of Oklahoma
College of Medicine in Oklahoma City,
followed by a residency at the University
of Oklahoma/Dean McGee Eye Institute
in the same city. He is certified by the
National Board of Medical Examiners
and is board eligible by the American
Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Adesina
is a clinical assistant professor in the
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science.
KARINA RICHANI REVEROL, M.D.
AMY SCHEFLER, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
GRACE LINDHORST, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Lindhorst was recruited from the
South Texas Veteran’s Healthcare
Administration in San Antonio, where she
was chief of the ophthalmology department. She received her medical degree
from The University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio School
of Medicine, followed by a residency in
the department of Ophthalmology at
the same institution, where she served
as chief resident. She was inducted into
the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical
Society in 2002 and has been recognized
04
After receiving her medical degree
summa cum laude at the Universidad
del Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Dr.
Karina Richani Reverol completed
transitional residency training at Sinai
Grace Hospital-Detroit Medical Center.
She then completed a residency in ophthalmology at Kresge Eye Institute
in Detroit, where she served as chief
resident. She completed her fellowship training in oculoplastic surgery at
Consultants in Ophthalmic and Facial
Plastic Surgery in Southfield, Michigan.
An ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology, Dr. Richani is
coauthor of two chapters, “Lower Eyelid
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Dr. Amy Schefler received her medical degree at Weill Medical College of
Cornell University in New York City,
with honors in research. After finishing her residency at Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute and the University of Miami,
she completed a clinical and research fellowship in ocular oncology and a clinical
fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and
surgery at the same institution. She was
chief resident and co-director of ocular
trauma at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
from 2009 to 2010. From 2010 to 2012,
she served on the Institute’s faculty as
an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology with a secondary appointment in
radiation oncology.
Dr. Schefler has received numerous
honors and awards, and has authored
numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. She provides state-of-the-art care for
intraocular tumors in both adults and children. Dr. Schefler, along with the Memorial
Hermann Mischer Neuroscience Institute
at the Texas Medical Center, has initiated a
retinoblastoma program that offers intraarterial chemotherapy, the first treatment
of its kind in Texas and the only center providing the treatment in the south-central
United States.
With the addition of new faculty
members, the Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science has
also expanded into new space. Nearly two
years ago, the department began offering
general and pediatric ophthalmology at
the UT Physicians’ health center serving
the Cinco Ranch and Katy areas, a practice that provides care for patients of all
ages in a convenient west Houston location. Clinic director Dr. Grace Lindhorst
is joined on a part-time basis by Drs.
Kumar and Phillips.
The new Moran Pediatric Eye Clinic
held its grand opening in May 2014 in
3,000 square feet of newly built-out
space on the 19th floor of the Memorial
Hermann Medical Plaza, one floor
above the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic at
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center. The clinic was made possible
by a generous gift from the W.H. and
Louise Moran Foundation in Houston.
In addition to the clinic, the new space
houses the offices of pediatric ophthalmologists Helen A. Mintz-Hittner,
M.D., the Alfred W. Lasher III Professor
of Ophthalmology at UTHealth Medical
School, and Dr. Kumar.
New equipment has also expanded
the Cizik Eye Clinic’s capabilities.
Ophthalmologists now have the use of
a confocal microscope for anterior segment corneal imaging, a femtosecond
laser for cataract surgery, a state of the
art Centurion® phaco machine, an ocular
endoscope for use in trauma cases and a
second retinal camera.
“We’re proud of our team of affiliated
subspecialists and the expertise they
bring to Houston and the surrounding
region,” says Robert M. Feldman, M.D.,
chief of ophthalmology at Memorial
Hermann-TMC and clinical professor and chair of the Ruiz Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
“In addition to clinical accomplishments, they have increased our research
“OPHTHALMOLOGISTS NOW HAVE THE USE OF A CONFOCAL
MICROSCOPE FOR ANTERIOR SEGMENT CORNEAL IMAGING, A
FEMTOSECOND LASER FOR CATARACT SURGERY, A STATE OF THE
ART CENTURION PHACO MACHINE, AN OCULAR ENDOSCOPE FOR
USE IN TRAUMA CASES AND A SECOND RETINAL CAMERA.”
productivity. All this has been made possible through the continued support of
Memorial Hermann-TMC, Children’s
Memorial Hermann Hospital, the
Hermann Eye Fund, the Memorial
Hermann Foundation, Research to
Prevent Blindness and the National Eye
Institute. We’re grateful to have the
opportunity to continue to do challenging work that benefits our community
and the patients who travel great distances for expert care.”
Robert Cizik Eye Clinic Services
Adult
Pediatric
•• Cornea, External Disease, Anterior Segment
and Refractive Surgery
•• Comprehensive Pediatric Ophthalmology
and Strabismus
•• Comprehensive Ophthalmology
•• Cornea Anterior Segment and Refractive
Surgery
•• Glaucoma
•• Low Vision and Visual Rehabilitation
Services
•• Glaucoma
•• Neuro-ophthalmology
•• Ocular Oncology
•• Oculoplastic, Facial Reconstruction and
Rejuvenation Surgery
•• Oculoplastic and Facial Reconstruction
•• Medical and Surgical Retina
•• Uveitis
•• Ocular Oncology
•• Vitreoretinal Surgery
•• Neuro-ophthalmology
•• Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
•• Adult Strabismus
•• Uveitis
•• Vitreoretinal Surgery
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
05
F E A T U R E S
Ongoing Clinical Trials
Clinical research is the basis of modern
medicine: the day-to-day decisions physicians make are based on the evidence
published as a result of quality long-term
research.
“The National institutes of Health
and the National Eye Institute (NEI)
have always been the primary financial power advancing major biomedical
research,” says Lauren Blieden, M.D.,
a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology and medical director of the
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology
and Visual Science Clinical Trials Unit.
“With current national funding levels
for biomedical research at an all-time
low, clinical research in ophthalmology
has been significantly impacted. The
NEI’s funding for the 2014 fiscal year was
cut $36 million from the previous year,
which equates to about 90 new research
studies. We’re grateful that private foundations, such as the Hermann Eye Fund
and Research to Prevent Blindness, have
softened the blow during these tough
financial times.”
The following trials are among many
under way at the Robert Cizik Eye
Clinic and the Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science:
••African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES) III: Contribution of Genotype to Glaucoma
Phenotype in African-Americans
••Pediatric Cataract Surgery Outcomes
Study
••Clinical Study of the ARTISAN® Aphakia Lens in Children
••Glasses versus Observation for Moderate Hyperopia in Young Children
••Primary Enucleation/Evisceration
Study
06
••A Comparison of Gonioscopic
Examination using the Spaeth System
versus Swept Source Spectral Domain
Anterior Segment Optical Coherence
Tomography Imaging of the Anterior
Chamber Angle
••Examiner Handedness and the Effects
on Intraocular Pressure Readings
Using the Tono-Pen XL
••Ahmed versus Baerveldt Comparison
Study
••Characterizing Pathologic Changes in
the Iridocorneal Angle and Trabecular
Meshwork Using Anterior Segment
Optical Coherence Tomography
••A Pilot Study to Assess the Safety
and Efficacy of Intraoperative Topical Mitomycin C and Bevacizumab
(Avastin®) to Bare Sclera in Pterygium
Surgery
••Robison D. Harley, M.D., CGRN International Pediatric Glaucoma Registry
••International Pilot Survey of Childhood Glaucoma
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Clinical research creates new knowledge that leads
to advances in surgery, improvements in patient
care and ultimately, better outcomes.
••Evaluating the Efficacy of Fenestrations in Tube Shunt Implants During
the Early Postoperative Period
••Characterizing the Trabecular Meshwork Shadow with Anterior Segment
Optical Coherence Tomography
••CT Imaging in the Detection of Open
Globe Injuries
••Multifocal Intraocular Lens Simulation Study
••Trabecular-Iris Circumference Volume
in Normal Open Angle Eyes Using
Swept Source Fourier Domain Optical
Coherence Tomography
••Recurrence Following Intravitreal
Bevacizumab Monotherapy for Zone I,
Stage 3+ Retinopathy of Prematurity
J F S L D O A
B C P R
Diagnosis and Management
of Ocular Malignancies
ancer of the eye is a devastating diagnosis, putting individuals at risk of losing one of the
five traditionally recognized
senses – vision, an essential part of how
we interact with the world – and also of
losing their lives. With the addition of
ocular oncologist and cornea and external disease specialist Stella Kim, M.D.,
and ocular oncologist and retina specialist Amy Schefler, M.D., both of whom
are affiliated with Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center and on the faculty
of UTHealth Medical School, the Ruiz
Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science now provides patients with
oncology expertise from the front to the
back of the eye.
“PATIENTS ARE REFERRED TO US FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN
THEIR LOCAL DOCTORS FIND AN UNUSUAL MASS AND ARE UNABLE TO
REACH A DIAGNOSIS. IN DIAGNOSTICALLY CHALLENGING CASES,
SUCH AS THOSE IN WHICH THE VIEW OF THE TUMOR IS BLOCKED BY
BLOOD, WE USE SOPHISTICATED RETINAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR
BIOPSY AND GENERALLY ARE ABLE TO MAKE A DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS
WITH A MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE.”
STELLA KIM, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
AMY SCHEFLER, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
“Primary malignancies of the ocular
surface, such as conjunctival melanoma
and squamous cell carcinomas, are infrequent diagnoses, even among eye cancers,
which are rare in general,” says Dr. Kim,
who is internationally recognized for her
work in ocular graft versus host disease
and has focused her practice on ocular
surface diseases and cancers of the eye
for more than 13 years. “Conjunctival
melanoma, for example, accounts for
only about 2 percent of all ocular malignancies. Because the Robert Cizik Eye
Clinic is a referral center, we treat more
cases of conjunctival malignancy than
the average practice. Ocular cancers can
be difficult to manage, and early diagnosis and meticulous care are critical to an
optimal outcome – from pre-surgical evaluation and precise surgical approach, to
adjuvant topical chemotherapy and longterm follow-up.”
An aggressive tumor, conjunctival melanoma originates de novo in approximately
5 percent of cases, from pre-existing conjunctival primary acquired melanosis in
75 percent, and from nevi in 20 percent
of cases, according to the American
Association of Ophthalmology (AAO).
The AAO reports the overall tumorrelated mortality rate for conjunctival
melanoma at approximately 25 percent.
Treatment usually involves surgical
removal of the tumor, radiation therapy
when appropriate and topical chemotherapy as an adjunct treatment.
“Management of conjunctival melanoma is complex,” says Dr. Kim, who
considers working with patients with
ocular cancers a unique privilege. “Vision
is intricately linked with quality of life,
and ocular cancers underscore the need
for a multidisciplinary approach that
considers the whole patient, not just the
disease of the eye. That is our philosophy
of care.”
Melanoma of the uveal tract, although
rare, is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Approximately
2,000 new cases of uveal melanoma are
diagnosed per year in the United States.
They can arise in the anterior or the posterior uveal tract, with most originating in
the choroid. The iris is the least common
site of origin, with the best prognosis.
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
07
F E A T U R E S
Example of treated retinoblastoma in a 40-year old
patient with radiation retinopathy.
08
“The uveal melanoma service at Robert
Cizik Eye Clinic provides top-notch
ophthalmic care including all types of
advanced treatment, as well as sophisticated fine-needle aspiration biopsies
with pathology confirmation,” says Dr.
Schefler, a renowned specialist in tumors
of the eye in children and adults. “Patients
are referred to us from across the country
when their local doctors find an unusual
mass and are unable to reach a diagnosis.
In diagnostically challenging cases, such
as those in which the view of the tumor
is blocked by blood, we use sophisticated retinal instrumentation for biopsy
and generally are able to make a definitive diagnosis with a minimally invasive
procedure.”
In many cases, however, uveal melanoma is diagnosed without a biopsy. “We
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
have the capability to characterize the
tumor using sophisticated testing techniques including ultrasound, ophthalmic
photos, ophthalmic fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography,
which offers a magnified view of the
retina,” Dr. Schefler says.
By the time choroidal and ciliary body
melanomas are diagnosed, they typically
range in size from 2 to 12 millimeters
high and from 5 to 18 millimeters wide.
“Although the overall size of the tumor
is small – often smaller than a jelly bean
– the impact on the eye is significant
because its structures are so delicate,”
she says.
Most patients with uveal melanoma
are asymptomatic; the tumor usually is
discovered during a routine examination. Melanomas are thought to arise
from pre-existing nevi that are benign in
appearance initially and then transform
into true cancers. The transformation
can occur slowly or rapidly, which means
it can occur in a patient who has had an
eye exam with a benign-appearing nevus
a few years before the cancer diagnosis.
Some of these cancers are in the ciliary
body or anterior choroid, and are difficult
to detect during a routine exam without
the use of specialized equipment.
Commonly used treatments for uveal
melanoma include plaque therapy, in
which tiny beads composed of radioactive
isotopes are custom chosen and designed
for the patient based on the size, shape
and configuration of the tumor. The
seeds are placed in a bottle cap-shaped
implant backed in gold to protect healthy
surrounding tissue. The radiation patch
is surgically inserted onto the outside
surface of the eye, where it remains for
several days. Dr. Schefler’s team has
seen nearly 100 percent local tumor control with no tumor recurrences in the eye
using this treatment.
Dr. Schefler performed the first intraarterial chemotherapy treatment for
retinoblastoma in Texas, and Children’s
Memorial Hermann Hospital is the only
hospital in the south-central United States
routinely offering intra-arterial chemotherapy and intravitreal chemotherapy for
the treatment of retinoblastoma. The treatment requires a large multispecialty team
that involves close collaboration between
ocular oncology, endovascular neurosurgery and medical neuro-oncology.
“Having the capability to inject chemotherapy directly into the arteries that
feed the eye eliminates the side effects of
systemic chemotherapy and maximizes
the therapeutic dose to the eye,” says
Dr. Schefler, who also specializes in the
treatment of Coats’ disease, persistent
fetal vasculature, medulloepithelioma,
iris and ciliary body tumors, leukemia and
lymphoma, and vascular tumors. “The
technique is very new and a paradigm
shift in the treatment of retinoblastoma.
There are very few centers in the United
States with the expertise that we have.”
“THERE ARE VERY FEW CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES
WITH THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE”
She is also known for her innovative approach to the treatment of
retinoblastoma, the most common primary intraocular cancer in children.
With only 250 to 350 new cases of retinoblastoma per year in the United States
and about 8,000 new cases annually in the
world, few specialists are trained to treat
the condition.
“Retinoblastoma generally develops
in children from birth to 5 years of age,
can be hereditary or occur spontaneously, and may involve one or both eyes,”
she says. “Treatments are complex and
include chemotherapy – intra-arterial,
intravitreal, systemic/intravenous or
periocular – laser, cryotherapy, radiation
and enucleation.”
To deliver the treatment, Dr. Schefler
collaborates with endovascular neurosurgeon Mark Dannenbaum, M.D., an expert
in cerebrovascular surgery and neurointerventional techniques and an assistant
professor of neurosurgery at UTHealth
Medical School. Dr. Dannenbaum places
a microcatheter into the ophthalmic
artery using a neuroendovascular technique, then infuses a high concentration
of chemotherapy directly into the tumor
bed, eliminating the side effects of systemic chemotherapy and maximizing the
dose to the eye.
“This is exciting and groundbreaking
clinical work,” she says. “We’re providing
a cure for this treatable type of cancer and
saving eyes and lives.”
Treating Adnexal Eye Cancers
Skin cancers of the eyelid account for 5 to 10
percent of all skin cancers. These include basal
cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and
rarely, melanomas.
“Basal cell carcinomas are by far the most
common skin cancer on the eyelid,” says
Margaret E. Phillips, M.D., chief of ophthalmic
plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Robert
Cizik Eye Clinic and the Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science. “The gold
standard for treatment remains surgical excision
with confirmation of clear margins to decrease
the risk of recurrence. In select cases, basal cell
carcinomas are amenable to topical treatment
with imiquimod, an immune response
modifier.”
For eyelid margin malignancies, the approach
to reconstruction is determined by the degree
of margin involvement. If less than 30 percent is
involved after excision and cleared margins, the
lid can be closed directly with the release of the
lateral canthus. If 30 to 50 percent of the eyelid
margin is involved, a myocutaneous flap is
needed to reconstruct the eyelid. When greater
than 50 percent of the eyelid margin is involved,
a combination of flaps and grafts is required to
reconstruct the lid’s full thickness.
“If the excised malignancy involves the nonmarginal eyelid or canthi, skin flaps from
surrounding areas can be used to close the
defects,” Dr. Phillips says. “A skin graft is also
an option. The approach to reconstruction
is best determined on a case-by-case basis,
depending on the size, location and shape of the
surgical defect.”
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
09
J F SRandyLWhitesides:
D O AW U
B C P R
F E A T U R E S
A Floridian Travels to Houston for World-class Care
y the time Randy Whitesides
made it to the office of internationally recognized glaucoma
expert Robert M. Feldman,
M.D., the Floridian had lost the vision
in his right eye. After contracting a bacterial infection in Mexico 30 years ago,
he developed reactive arthritis, an autoimmune condition in which the joints
become painful and swollen. One manifestation of the condition is uveitis, which
Whitesides has had since 1984.
ROBERT FELDMAN, M.D.
Distinguished Professor and Chairman
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
“Like all autoimmune diseases,
reactive arthritis is triggered by environmental factors, including stress,” says
Whitesides, founder and CEO of Neptune
Boat Lifts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“My uveitis comes and goes and eventually became this thing in my life that I just
dealt with. At first I had it once or twice
a year for four to six weeks. Eventually, I
was getting it five to 10 times a year. You
follow the treatment protocol – steroid eye
drops – but a few days after I started the
steroids, my intraocular pressure (IOP)
would spike in response. I used other eye
drops to reduce the pressure, but over
time I became extremely sensitive to the
steroids. I’d be fine one day, then the next
day my IOP would shoot up to 50 or 60,
which can cause blindness in a few hours.”
From his home in Key Largo,
Whitesides called his local ophthalmologist when he developed another case of
uveitis in the winter of 2013. “He was
out of town so I self-medicated until he
got back,” he says. “My IOP spiked and I
lost vision in my right eye in a matter of a
day. After this, my ophthalmologist told
me my condition was out of his league and
10
recommended I go to one of the big eye
clinics. I’d been treated at Bascom Palmer
in Miami, so I scheduled an appointment
at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston. In the
interim I had a second, much more severe
episode of uveitis and woke up almost
totally blind. A friend drove me up to
Weston, where they admitted me through
the ER. I was treated by their team and
released. Over the next month my uveitis
started to improve.”
During the recovery period, Whitesides
could only see shapes. An associate of his
who had undergone corneal transplants
at the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic in Houston
suggested he call Dr. Feldman, who directs
the clinic and is chief of ophthalmology
at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center and clinical professor and chair
of the department of Ophthalmology at
UTHealth Medical School.
“I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll call’ but I
put it off,” Whitesides says. “So my associate called Dr. Feldman and gave him my
number. When he heard about my case, he
called me at home. I was really impressed
that he took the time to call me. We spent
almost an hour on the phone that night
going through my treatment history. He
told me he had a really good team and suggested I come to Houston when I felt well
enough to travel. ‘We’ll put you through
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
a battery of tests,’ he said. ‘You’re getting
really good treatment, but they may have
overlooked something.’”
At the end of 2013, Whitesides saw uveitis specialist Alla Kukuyev, M.D., and Dr.
Feldman. “The autoimmune suppressant
Randy was taking was no guarantee that
he wouldn’t have another episode of uveitis,” Dr. Feldman says. “Every time he
had uveitis and a reaction to steroids with
a sudden increase in intraocular pressure,
he was at risk of losing more eyesight. We
recommended tube-shunt surgery to preserve the vision he had.”
Whitesides flew home to Florida to think
it over. The next day he called to schedule
his surgery. On a Tuesday in December
2013 Dr. Feldman placed a tube-shunt in
his left eye, followed by one in his right eye
on Thursday. On Friday, he flew home.
Dr. Feldman consulted with his local
ophthalmologist in follow-up. “Randy’s
story describes how we work with patients
and their physicians. Patients come here
for expert care, and when they return
home, we become a resource to their local
ophthalmologists.”
After 30 years of experience with ophthalmologists, Whitesides is discerning
about the care he receives. “Everyone at
the Cizik Eye Clinic was great,” he says.
“I give them a 10-plus for an amazingly
positive experience.”
Uveitis can be caused by autoimmune disorders, as in
the case of Randy Whitesides, or by infection or exposure to toxins. In many cases, the cause is unknown.
Amy Truong:
Successful Treatment Inspires a Young Woman to Study Nursing
W U M T I H
hree days after she had LASIK
surgery at another institution, 19-year-old Amy Truong
noticed a white spot in her
right eye. When a three-week course of
antibiotics failed to resolve the issue, her
eye surgeon referred her to cornea and
external disease specialist Gene Kim,
M.D., at the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic.
which are difficult to treat. “If one of
the three medications we have available
doesn’t work and the fungus spreads to
other parts of the eye, the patient is at
risk of losing the eye. Rather than waiting
until no options are available, we remove
the infection while it is still contained
within the cornea.”
Following the transplant, Truong had
issues with transplant rejection. To counter the rejection, Dr. Kim prescribed a
medium dose of steroids. “We were light
on the steroids because the medication
can cause the fungus and infection to
“USING THE CLINIC’S CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE, DR. KIM TOOK HIGHRESOLUTION IMAGES WITHOUT SACRIFICING ANY TISSUE FROM TRUONG’S
CORNEA. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, HE KNEW SHE HAD A FUNGAL INFECTION.”
Fungus that spreads beyond the cornea puts the
patient at risk of losing the eye.
Using the clinic’s confocal microscope, Dr. Kim took high-resolution
images without sacrificing any tissue
from Truong’s cornea. Twenty minutes
later, he knew she had a fungal infection.
“We prescribed antifungal eye drops
and an oral medication for a few days,
but because the fungus had been there
for three weeks prior to treatment, it
damaged and eventually perforated the
cornea,” he says. “We had to do an urgent
corneal transplant on a Friday evening.”
Therapeutic corneal transplants are frequently done in cases of fungi or parasites,
worsen. We want to remove all the fungus
– if there’s even a small amount left, it will
spread. So we have to find a good balance,
which makes post-infection transplants
difficult to manage. If you prescribe steroids to prevent rejection, the medication
can cause the original problem to worsen.
We watched her very closely and saw her
often to find the right balance.”
Truong says getting rid of the infection
was “such a relief. The surgery and recovery were nothing compared to dealing
with the infection, which left me feeling
emotionally unstable for a very long time.”
In September 2014, a year after
Truong’s surgery, Dr. Kim removed
the 16 sutures of her cornea transplant.
Today, she’s 20 and fungus free. She’s
also working through core courses at Lone
Star College, with plans to complete her
associate degree in nursing and go on to
UTHealth School of Nursing for her B.S.N.
Her eye looks normal and is doing well.
“Dr. Kim is literally my hero,” she says.
“He knows how to care for people physically and emotionally. I felt I had had such
bad luck, but then was so blessed to meet
him. He was always honest and straightforward with me. I never once felt lost
when I was with him.”
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
11
F E A T U R E S
Brendan Diffley:
Meticulous Surgery Saves a Young Trauma Patient’s Vision
able to implant an intraocular toric lens
to correct the astigmatism.”
Dr. Kim says he recognizes that
implanting a toric lens in trauma cases is
considered risky. “I debated it for a long
time, but given Brendan’s active lifestyle
and low likelihood of tolerating a contact lens, I decided to place the special
toric lens inside the eye. We performed
meticulous surgery to get around some of
the internal scarring and also had some
luck. I’ve had a lot of experience doing
trauma and complicated cases. The more
experience you have, the better feel you
O AW U M T I H
n New Year’s Eve 2012
Brendan Diffley’s father,
Shane Diffley, and his stepmother, Jennifer Diffley,
drove the 12-year-old to nearby Memorial
Hermann Katy Hospital after he shot
himself in the eye with a pencil while fashioning a makeshift paper crossbow using
online directions. He was transferred
to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center, where cornea and external disease specialist Gene Kim, M.D., was on
call for ophthalmic trauma.
GENE KIM, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
“The front of Brendan’s eye was
splayed open and bleeding, with an
L-shaped cut in the cornea,” says Dr.
Kim, a clinical assistant professor in the
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology
and Visual Science at UTHealth Medical
School. “We rushed him to the OR.”
In the hospital’s first surgery of 2013,
Dr. Kim closed the open globe injury with
eight sutures and re-inflated the eye using
balanced salt solution. Brendan went home
with his mother, Kathy Perry, on the day
of surgery, wearing a patch over his eye.
While he recovered well, the aftermath
of the injury left Brendan with scars on
his cornea, an irregular astigmatism that
could not be corrected with glasses or soft
contacts, and a traumatic cataract.
“WE PERFORMED METICULOUS SURGERY TO GET AROUND SOME OF
THE INTERNAL SCARRING AND ALSO HAD SOME LUCK. I’VE HAD A LOT
OF EXPERIENCE DOING TRAUMA AND COMPLICATED CASES. THE MORE
EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE BETTER FEEL YOU HAVE OF WHAT WILL WORK.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE RIGHT IN BRENDAN’S CASE.”
“Repairing a lacerated cornea is like
putting the pieces of a puzzle together:
it’s never going to be as smooth as it was
originally,” Dr. Kim says. “We were able
to put it back together neatly, but where
there were sutures, he had astigmatism.
Because his astigmatism was perfectly
aligned, when we removed the cataract six
months after the initial surgery, we were
have of what will work. I was fortunate to
be right in Brendan’s case.”Over a year
and a half, Brendan went from having a
badly cut cornea and collapsed eyeball to
20/30 vision without correction. “He has
a bit of scar tissue on the capsule holding
his intraocular lens, which causes slight
distortion in his vision, but we can correct
that in a five-minute laser procedure to
remove the opacified tissue. He was very
lucky that most of his injuries were to the
front half of his eyeball. When injuries
affect the back half, there’s very little we
can do to save the eye.”
A talented athlete, Brendan rides
dirt bikes and is an avid water skier and
year-round swimmer who competes in triathlons. “When he first had the surgery,
he couldn’t even see the big E on the eye
chart,” his mother says. “But that was just
the beginning, and his eye healed well. Dr.
Kim is an incredible surgeon. We were
blessed to have him. They do amazing
things to save eyes these days.”
Brendan Diffley, an active 14 year old, after
swim practice.
12
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
R E S E A R C H
On the Clinical and
Research Utility of
Confocal Microscopy
I H
n 2013, Gene Kim, M.D., was the
runner-up in the New Producer
category of the American Society
of Cataract and Refractory Surgery
Film Festival. His entry, a 7:43-minute
video entitled the Clinical Utility of In
Vivo Confocal Microscopy for Diagnosing
Corneal Pathology, showed how extraordinary high-resolution images of corneal anatomy can be useful in clinical
diagnosis.
“Although the equipment itself is bulky
and ergonomically difficult to use in the
clinical setting, corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) can be used to distinguish
fungal and acanthamoebal infections,1
both of which are difficult to culture,“
says Dr. Kim, a cornea and external disease subspecialist at the Robert Cizik Eye
Clinic and clinical assistant professor in
the Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology
and Visual Science at UTHealth Medical
School. “Using CCM we can gain vital
information and make a diagnosis during
the office visit without having to remove
any tissue from the eye and without the
time lag involved in sending specimens
to the lab.”
Dr. Kim, the author of a number of peerreviewed publications on corneal confocal
microscopy, has been engaged in research
focused on increasing its everyday use in
clinic. He is co-author of an article published in the Journal of the Peripheral
Nerve System in 2013 concluding that
corneal confocal microscopy is “a rapid,
well-tolerated and reproducible method
for assessing corneal innervation.”2 The
clinical trial involved 11 healthy participants who underwent CCM sampling of
five standardized locations in the left eye
and one centrally located in the right eye.
A second study was designed to evaluate
the reproducibility of in vivo confocal
microscopy for quantitative corneal nerve
analysis in different corneal locations.
CCM was performed on 10 healthy participants with a mean age of 31.3 ± 2.8 years,
who were imaged in five locations in the
right eye at two time points about a month
apart. In results published in the August
2013 issue of Cornea, Dr. Kim and his
colleagues determined that while single
confocal images have poor reliability for
any of four corneal nerve measurements
– corneal nerve fiber length, corneal
nerve fiber density, corneal nerve branch
density and tortuosity – averaging five
images from different locations improved
reproducibility, making it essential for
obtaining clinically meaningful data.3
Dr. Kim is currently applying data gathered using the microscope to attempt to
develop new treatments for ocular surface diseases, such as chronic dry eyes,
neurotrophic keratopathy and limbal
stem cell deficiency. “We hope to utilize
the technology to better analyze the corneal nerves and ocular surface with the
hope that we can eventually treat many of
these diseases that do not have a definitive
cure,” he says. “We’re engaged in early
collaboration with the basic science section of the Ophthalmology department
to see if it is possible to regenerate new
ocular surface tissue. Being able to analyze the differences between the normal
and synthetic ocular surface tissue on
the microscopic level using CCM will be
essential to eventually finding a cure.”
To view Dr. Kim’s short film, visit
ascrs2013.conferencefilms.com and
search “Gene Kim.”
1
Refer to the article “Amy Truong: Successful
Treatment Inspires a Young Woman to Study
Nursing” on page 11 in this issue of the
Memorial Hermann Ophthalmology Journal.
2
Smith AG, Kim G, Porzio M, Allen B, Koach M,
Mifflin M, Digre K, Keung BM, Singleton JR.
Corneal confocal microscopy is efficient, welltolerated, and reproducible. J Peripher Nerv
Syst. 2013 Mar;18(1):54-8.
3
Kim G, Singleton JR, Mifflin MD, Digre
KB, Porzio MT, Smith AG. Assessing the
Reproducibility of Quantitative In Vivo Confocal
Microscopy of Corneal Nerves in Different
Corneal Locations. Cornea. 2013 Aug 22. [Epub
ahead of print]
CCM can quickly and accurately distinguish fungal
infections from those caused by bacteria.
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
13
News of Note
Dr. Bhavani Iyer Awarded SightFirst
Grant to Help Patients with Low Vision
BHAVANI IYER, O.D., FA AO
Director of the Center for Visual
Rehabilitation at the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic
at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
and director of Low Vision Services for the
Harris Health System
Low vision specialist Bhavani Iyer,
O.D., FAAO, was awarded a three-year
$164,645 grant to help Harris County
residents with vision problems that
cannot be corrected with glasses, medication or surgery.
Dr. Iyer received the grant from the
Lions Club International Foundation,
which promotes SightFirst grants to build
comprehensive eye care systems to fight
the major causes of blindness and care
for blind or visually impaired people. In
addition to this award, the first of its kind
in Texas and the third largest in the country, Dr. Iyer’s project received $20,000 in
funding from local sources.
With the grant, Dr. Iyer will develop the
Harris County Low Vision Project, which
will promote outreach programs, education and training for the visually impaired
population around the county, a problem that affects approximately 3 million
people nationwide according to 2010 statistics from the National Eye Institute. By
2050, that number is expected to increase
to about 9 million.
The project will provide training for
patients with low vision through support
groups, education programs and loaner
devices, such as miniature telescopes
attached to eyeglasses or held by hand,
filters that screen out blue light and glare,
magnifiers and strong electronic readers,
among other things.
The Center for Visual Rehabilitation at
the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic at UTHealth
Medical School and Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center, and Harris County
Health System’s Lyndon B. Johnson
14
Hospital will be the two low vision centers
in Houston where education programs
and support services will be offered.
Dr. Iyer plans to establish low vision
device loaner libraries at both locations,
benefiting people who need to be trained
on the devices or who may want to try
them out before buying them.
Six UTHealth Medical School
Ophthalmologists Named Among
Houstonia Magazine’s Top Doctors
Robert M. Feldman, M.D., Judianne
Kellaway, M.D., FACS, Nicholas P. Bell,
M.D., Garvin H. Davis, M.D., David A.
Lee, M.D., and Nan Wang, M.D., Ph.D.,
were named to Houstonia magazine’s
2014 listing of Top Doctors in Houston.
ROBERT FELDMAN, M.D.
Distinguished Professor and Chairman
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Feldman, clinical professor
and chair of the Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science at
UTHealth Medical School, specializes
in the medical and surgical treatment
of glaucoma, including congenital and
pediatric glaucoma. After receiving
his medical degree at Chicago Medical
School, he completed his residency at the
University of California, San Diego, and a
fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston. A reviewer for several
journals, Dr. Feldman has authored or coauthored more than 250 journal articles
and made presentations worldwide. He
holds the Richard S. Ruiz Distinguished
University Chair in Ophthalmology.
JUDIANNE KELLAWAY, M.D.
Clinical Professor and Stephen A. Lasher
Professorship
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science, UTHealth Medical School
After receiving her medical degree at
UTHealth Medical School, Dr. Judianne
Kellaway completed her residency in
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
ophthalmology and a fellowship at the
same institution. A clinical professor, she holds the Stephen A. Lasher
Professorship in the Ruiz Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Dr.
Kellaway focuses her clinical practice
on treatment of the retina, specifically
in patients with diabetes and trauma,
and general ophthalmology. In addition
to her clinical practice, she is director of
the residency program and an advocate
for medical and premedical students.
NICHOLAS P. BELL, M.D.
Associate Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Nicholas P. Bell focuses his practice
on the medical and surgical management
of glaucoma; his research findings have
been published in numerous ophthalmic journals. He graduated from the
University of Miami School of Medicine
and completed his residency and fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. A
clinical associate professor in the Ruiz
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual
Science and director of glaucoma services
at Cizik Eye Clinic, he currently serves
as chief of ophthalmology at Lyndon B.
Johnson General Hospital in Houston
and as the glaucoma fellowship program
director within the department. Dr. Bell is
active in the training of UTHealth medical students, ophthalmology residents
and glaucoma fellows. He is the A.G.
McNeese, Jr. Professor in Ophthalmology
at UTHealth Medical School.
GARVIN H. DAVIS, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
A clinical assistant professor of vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, Dr. Garvin
Davis graduated from Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine and completed
his residency at Wills Eye Hospital at
Jefferson University in Philadelphia,
followed by fellowships in public health
in ophthalmology at the Dana Center for
Preventive Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye
Institute in Baltimore, and in vitreoretinal surgery and diseases at Baylor College
of Medicine. Dr. Davis also holds a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health.
DAVID A. LEE, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. David Lee is internationally recognized for his expertise in the diagnosis and
treatment of glaucoma. He received his
medical degree from Boston University
School of Medicine, followed by residency
at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in
Rochester, Minnesota, and a fellowship
at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
at Harvard Medical School. A clinical
professor in the Ophthalmology department, Dr. Lee serves as an examiner for
the American Board of Ophthalmology.
His recognitions include the American
Academy of Ophthalmology’s Honor and
Senior Honor Awards and listing among
The Best Doctors in America since 1986.
He holds four patents and has published
seven books and more than 200 scientific
articles in peer-reviewed journals.
of Medicine, and completed her residency
and a fellowship at the same institution.
She is director of the cornea and anterior
segment section at the Cizik Eye Clinic.
Fluent in Mandarin, she is active in
Houston’s Chinese community where she
participates in public education activities
about eye disease and proper eye care. She
is the Walker and Ruth Sterling Professor
in Ophthalmology at UTHealth Medical
School.
Moran Pediatric Eye Clinic Celebrates
Grand Opening
The new Moran Pediatric Eye Clinic held
its grand opening in May 2014 in 3,000
square feet of newly built-out space on
the 19th floor of the Memorial Hermann
Medical Plaza, one floor above the Robert
Cizik Eye Clinic at Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center. The clinic was made
possible by a generous gift from the W. H.
and Louise Moran Foundation in Houston.
In addition to the clinic, the space
houses the offices of pediatric ophthalmologists Helen A. Mintz-Hittner, M.D.,
the Alfred W. Lasher III Professor of
Ophthalmology in the Ruiz Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at
UTHealth Medical School, and Kartik
Kumar, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the department.
Physicians see cases ranging from
blocked tear ducts, styes and chalazions
to retinopathy of prematurity. Amblyopia
and pediatric cataracts are also treated,
along with vision screenings and treatment of common pediatric eye conditions.
To schedule an appointment, call
713.559.5200.
The colorful waiting area and an exam room in the
Moran Pediatric Eye Clinic.
NAN WANG, M.D., PH.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
UTHealth Medical School
Dr. Nan Wang specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of corneal
and anterior segment eye diseases. Her
expertise includes all types of corneal
transplantation, cataract surgery and
vision correction surgery. A clinical
associate professor of ophthalmology, Dr.
Wang has extensive research experience
and a strong research interest in biochemical and biophysical properties of the eye.
She received her medical degree and doctorate in biochemistry at Baylor College
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
15
The Ophthalmology Basic Science
Course: 45 Years of Residency Training
In the Media
Because ophthalmology is treated as
a subspecialty of surgery in medical
school, ophthalmology residents begin
their training program with only a basic
knowledge of their chosen specialty. At
UTHealth Medical School, they spend
part of their first year of residency in the
Basic Science Course in Ophthalmology,
created in 1969 by the Ruiz Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
Residents from across North American
attend the course, which covers basic
and surgical anatomy, embryology,
electrophysiology and ultrasound, pediatric ophthalmology, biochemistry, low
vision, optics, contact lenses, refraction,
genetics, pathology, immunology, retina,
glaucoma, visual fields, external disease,
orbit and oculoplastics and neuro-ophthalmology. It prepares residents for
the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment
Program (OKAP®) exam, a 250-item
multiple-choice test designed to measure
the ophthalmic knowledge of residents,
relative to their peers, to facilitate the
ongoing assessment of resident progress
and program effectiveness.
Lectures, which emphasize the application of basic scientific principles to clinical
situations, are presented by ophthalmologists from UTHealth Medical School and
from other ophthalmology programs
around the country. Designed primarily
for residents in training, the course is also
available as a refresher for practitioners
and as a general information course in ophthalmology for allied health professionals.
Cosmetic Contacts Too Scary for
Halloween. Gene Kim, M.D., clinical
assistant professor, appeared on CW 39
to discuss the hazards of using cosmetic
contacts lenses as part of Halloween
costumes. The inexpensive lenses put
people at risk of infection, ulceration,
long-lasting vision loss and even blindness. October 7, 2014.
Correction
Margaret E. Phillips, M.D., is a fellow
in training of the American Society of
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons. In the last issue of the Memorial
Hermann Ophthalmology Journal we
erroneously reported that Dr. Phillips is
a member of the ASOPRS.
16
Winning the War Against Aging.
Wrinkle fillers have dramatically changed
the war against aging over the past 20
years. While a facelift is an effective solution to wrinkles, people are now pursuing less-invasive alternatives. Karina
Richani, M.D., a clinical assistant professor who specializes in oculoplastics
and facial surgery, was interviewed on
Univision 45 discussing wrinkles and fillers. September 27, 2014.
UTHealth’s Dr. Bhavani Iyer Awarded
SightFirst Grant to Help Patients
with Low Vision. Low vision specialist
Bhavani Iyer, O.D., FAAO, received a
three-year $164,645 grant to help Harris
County residents with vision problems
that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses,
medication or surgery. News coverage
appeared on the BioNews Texas website.
July 18, 2014.
Selected
Publications
Adesina OO, Stagg BC, Digre KB, Katz
BJ, Quigley EP, Palmer CA, Warner
JE. Optic neuropathy caused by
Propionibacterium acnes pachymeningitis. J Neuroophthalmol. 2014
Sep;34(3):264-7.
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Geloneck MM, Chuang AZ, Clark WL,
Hunt MG, Norman AA, Packwood
EA, Tawansy KA, Mintz-Hittner HA on
behalf of the BEAT-ROP Cooperative
Group. Refractive outcomes following
bevacizumab monotherapy compared
with conventional laser treatment:
A randomized clinical trial. JAMA
Ophthalmol. 2014;132:1327-33.
Joos ZP, Adesina OO, Katz BJ. Posterior
ischemic optic neuropathy in the
setting of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and hypertensive
emergency. J Neuroophthalmol. 2014
Jun;34(2):151-2.
Kumar K. Monocular Elevator Deficiency.
International Ophthalmology Clinics.
2014;54(3):89-93.
Li H, Chuang AZ, O’Brien J. Regulation
of photoreceptor gap junction phosphorylation by adenosine in zebrafish
retina. Vis Neurosci. 2014;31(3):
237-43.
Marshak DW, Mills SL. Short-wavelength
cone-opponent retinal ganglion
cells in mammals. Vis Neurosci.
2014;21:167-175.
Mao CA, Li H, Zhang Z, Kiyama T, Panda
S, Hattar S, Ribelayga C, Mills SL,
Wang S. T-box Transcription Regulator
Tbr2 Is Essential for the Formation and
Maintenance of Opn4/MelanopsinExpressing Intrinsically Photosensitive
Retinal Ganglion Cells. J Neurosci.
2014;34:13083-95.
McDonnell JF, Kumar K. Competencies
in Pediatric Ophthalmology, New
Retina MD. 2014 May.
Mills SL, Tian LM, Hoshi H, Whitaker,
CM. Massey SC. Three Distinct BlueGreen Color Pathways in a Mammalian
Retina. J Neurosci. 2014;34:1760–8.
O’Brien J. The ever-changing electrical synapse. Current Opinion in
Neurobiology. 2014;29:64-72.
Pruet CM, Feldman RM, Kim G. Re:
Topical tetracaine used for 24 hours
is safe and rated highly effective by
patients for the treatment of pain
caused by corneal abrasions: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.
Academic Emergency Medicine.
2014;21(9):1062-3.
Rigi M, Blieden LS, Nguyen D, Chuang
AZ, Baker LA, Bell NP, Lee DA,
Mankiewicz KA, Feldman RM.
Trabecular-iris circumference volume
in open angle eyes using swept-source
Fourier domain anterior segment
optical coherence tomography. J
Ophthalmol. 2014; 2014:590978.
Sáles CS, Margeta M, Hsu L, Fu T, Tsui
JY, Kwon YH, Chan V, Law S, Kahook
MY, Fang A, Kass M, Girgis N, Chen T,
Tsai JC, Feldman RM, Francis B, Lin
SC, Singh K. Prevalence of glaucomatous disease in young Chinese adults:
A pilot study. J Clin Exp Ophthalmol.
2014;5(2):331.
Abstracts
Crowell EL, Gold ME, Chuang A, Baker
L, Feldman RM, Bell NP, Blieden LS.
Characterizing angle landmarks with
anterior segment optical coherence
tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis
Sci. 2014;55: E-Abstract 929.
Fortepiani L, Pyarali M, Akimov NP,
Zhang Z, Ribelayga CP, Rentería
RC. Evidence of decreased dopamine receptor-mediated control of
gap junction coupling in the inner
nuclear layer of the diabetic Ins2Akita
mouse retina. The FASEB Journal.
2014;28(S1):1129.1.
Gross J, Baker L, Chuang A, Blieden LS,
Bell NP, Feldman RM. Comparing the
effect of laser peripheral iridotomy
to lens extraction on anterior segment morphology in narrow angle
eyes using anterior segment optical
coherence tomography (ASOCT).
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-Abstract 6122.
Jin N, Ribelayga CP. Melatonin modulates
rod photoreceptor electrical coupling
in the mouse retina. Invest Ophthalmol
Vis Sci. 2014;55: E-abstract 5006.
Mao C-A, Li H, Zhang Z, Kiyama T,
Panda S, Hattar S, Ribelayga C, Mills
S, Wang SW. Regulation of ipRGCs by
Tbr2. Journal of Vision. 2013;13(15):
E-abstract P6.
Minnal VR, Chuang A, Baker L, Blieden
LS, Bell NP, Feldman RM. Evaluating
the effect of laser peripheral iridotomy on iridotrabecular contact
in eyes with primary angle closure.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-Abstract 4837.
Rentería RC, Akimov NP, Zhang Z,
Ribelayga CP, Pyarali M, Fortepiani
L. Evidence of decreased dopamine
receptor-mediated control of gap junction coupling in the inner nuclear layer
of the diabetic Ins2Akita mouse retina.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-abstract 1067.
Ribelayga CP, Zhang Z, Vidal A,
Zimmerman R. A circadian clock in
melanopsin-expressing intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells
is required for normal visual function.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-abstract 1234.
Ribelayga C, Jin N, Chuang AZ, Zhang
Z. Circadian clock and dopamine control of rod photoreceptor electrical
coupling in mouse retina. Journal of
Vision. 2013;13(15): E-abstract P7.
Rigi M, Nguyen D, Blieden LS, Bell NP,
Baker L, Chuang A, Feldman RM.
Trabecular-iris circumference volume
in normal open angle eyes using swept
source Fourier domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-Abstract 930.
Zhang Z, Vidal A, Zimmerman R,
Ribelayga CP. A circadian clock in
the retina is required for normal retinal development and visual function.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:
E-abstract 5004.
Book
Chapters
O’Brien J. Regulation of electrical synaptic plasticity in the retina by G-protein
coupled receptors. In: G protein
Signaling Mechanisms in the Retina.
Eds. K.A. Martemyanov and A.P.
Sampath. Springer Life Science (New
York). 2014;143-169.
Lectureships
Feldman RM. MIGS or MEGS: Is the Hype
for Real? Dr. Guillermo Picó Santiago
Lecture at the 45th Annual Meeting
of the Puerto Rico Ophthalmology
Society, May 24, 2014, San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
Feldman RM. Angle Closure: A Bigger
Problem Than You Think. 49th
Annual C. S. O’Brien Professorship
at the 36th Annual Tulane Alumni
Day, June 6, 2014, Tulane University
Health Sciences Center, Department
of Ophthalmology, New Orleans, La.
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
17
Presentations
Anderson J, Chuang AZ, Blieden LS,
Feldman RM, Bell NP. Long-term
efficacy of iridoplasty in plateau iris.
Poster presentation at the American
Glaucoma Society 24th Annual
Meeting. Feb. 27-March 2, 2014,
Washington, D.C.
Feldman RM. Case Presentation: Chronic
Angle Closure, Surgery Day Section 2/
Symposium 1—ASCRS/AGS: Surgical
Management of Chronic Angle Closure;
Long-Acting Drug Treatments AKA
Drug Delivery, Symposium 4—New
Glaucoma Medications in the Works;
Co-Moderator, Surgery Day Section 2/
Symposium 1—Surgical Management
of Chronic Angle Closure. Invited presentations at the American Glaucoma
Society 24th Annual Meeting, Feb.
27-March 2, 2014, Washington, D.C.
Feldman RM. Chronic Angle Closure:
Can Imaging Improve Our Practice?;
Long-Acting Drug Treatments AKA
Drug Delivery. Invited lectures at the
45th Annual Meeting of the Puerto
Rico Ophthalmology Society, May 24,
2014, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Feldman RM. Surgical Management of
Chronic Angle Closure: When should I
perform laser surgery (LPI, Iridoplasty,
or ECP?), Joint ASCRS/AGS Symposium:
Surgical Management of Chronic
Angle Closure; Case Presentation:
Chronic Angle Closure, Video Case
Presentations: Complications and a Ray
of Hope; Co-Moderator, Joint ASCRS/
AGS Symposium: Surgical Management
of Chronic Angle Closure. Invited presentations at ASCRS Glaucoma Day at
the 2014 American Society for Cataract
and Refractive Surgery and American
Society of Ophthalmic Administrators
Annual Symposium and Congress, April
25, 2014, Boston, Mass.
18
Fortepiani L, Pyarali M, Akimov NP,
Zhang Z, Ribelayga CP, Rentería RC.
Evidence of decreased dopamine receptor-mediated control of gap junction
coupling in the inner nuclear layer of the
diabetic Ins2Akita mouse retina. Annual
Meeting of Experimental Biology, April
26-30, 2014, San Diego, Calif.
Fuller T, Feldman RM, Baker L, Chuang
AZ, Blieden LS, Bell NP. Optimal
number of scans for calculating
anterior angle measurements and
iris volume. Poster presented at the
American Glaucoma Society 24th
Annual Meeting. Feb. 27-March 2,
2014, Washington, D.C.
Gross J, Mai K-B T, Feldman RM, Blieden
LS. AS-OCT: A novel diagnostic tool
in the diagnosis and management of
cyclodialysis clefts. Poster presented
at the American Glaucoma Society
24th Annual Meeting. Feb. 27-March
2, 2014, Washington, D.C.
Hittner H. Retinopathy of Prematurity: The
Basics; Update on Current Treatment
Possibilities. Invited lecture at the 13th
National Neonatal Nurses Conference.
Sept. 10, 2013, Las Vegas, Nev.
Hittner H. Bevacizumab for Retinopathy
of Prematurity: An Update. Invited lecture at the OMIC International Summit
on Clinical Pharmacy and Dispensing.
Nov. 18, 2013, San Antonio.
Hittner H. Results Following Avastin®
Use for Retinopathy of Prematurity:
Be Delighted… But Vigilant. Invited
lecture at the 10th Annual Highlights
Newborn Intensive Care Conference,
Jan. 17, 2014, Houston.
Hittner H. Bevacizumab (Avastin®) Use for
Typical Stage 3+ or Aggressive Posterior
Retinopathy of Prematurity. Course presentation at the World Ophthalmology
Congress. April 3, 2014, Tokyo, Japan.
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Hittner H. Recent Advances in
Retinopathy of Prematurity. Invited
lecture at the 6th Texas Perinatal
Association Meeting. April 25, 2014,
El Paso, Texas.
Hittner H. Use of Intravitreal
Bevacizumab for Stage 3+ ROP or
Aggressive ROP. Grand Rounds at
Idaho Falls Hospital, June 19, 2014,
Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Hittner H. Avastin® and Other Medications
in Development to Treat Retinopathy
of Prematurity. Invited presentation at
the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Section on Perinatal Pediatrics. Oct.
12, 2014, San Diego, Calif.
Hittner H. Retinopathy of Prematurity—
Treatment Indications and Long-term
Considerations. Invited speaker at the
5th Congress of the European Academy
of Paediatric Societies. Oct. 20, 2014,
Barcelona, Spain.
Hittner H. Retinopathy of Prematurity—
Pathophysiology and Epidemiology;
Retinopathy
of
Prematurity—
Peripheral Retinal Ablation versus
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
Inhibition. Invited speaker at the
Annual Symposium: 34 Years of
Advances and Controversies in
Neonatal
Medicine.
Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine Division
of Neonatology, Nov. 13-14, 2014,
Nashville, Tenn.
Jin N, Ribelayga CP. Melatonin modulates rod photoreceptor electrical
coupling in the mouse retina. Invited
presentation at the Annual Meeting of
the Association for Research in Vision
and Ophthalmology (ARVO). May 4-8,
2014, Orlando, Fla.
Jin N, Ribelayga CP. Rod photoreceptor
coupling is controlled by a circadian clock and dopamine in mouse
retina. Invited presentation at the
Neuroscience Research Center 20th
Annual Neuroscience Poster Session,
Baylor College of Medicine/William
M. Rice University/UTHealth Medical
School Neuroscience Research Center,
Dec. 8, 2013, Houston.
Jin N, Ribelayga CP. Melatonin modulates rod photoreceptor electrical
coupling in the mouse retina. Invited
presentation at the Gordon Research
Conference “Pineal Cell Biology:
Pineal
Melatonin:
Comparative
Approaches to Human Health and
Disease,” January 19-24, 2014,
Galveston, Texas.
Jin N, Ribelayga CP. Melatonin modulates rod photoreceptor electrical
coupling in the mouse retina. Invited
presentation at the Federation of
American Societies for Experimental
Biology (FASEB) Summer Research
Conference on Retinal Physiology and
Visual Processing, June 22-27, 2014,
Saxtons River, Vt.
Mao C, Li H, Zhang Z, Kiyama T, Panda
S, Hattar S, Ribelayga CP, Mills SL,
Wang SW. Regulation of ipRGCs by
Tbr2. Invited presentation at the
ARVO/ISOCB Ocular Cell Biology
Conference, September 3-6, 2013,
Keble College, Oxford, UK.
Mao C, Li H, Zhang Z, Kiyama T, Panda S,
Hattar S, Ribelayga CP, Mills SL, Wang
SW. Regulation of ipRGCs by Tbr2.
Invited presentation at the Annual
Meeting of the Optical Society of
America, October 4-6, 2013, Houston.
Mao C, Li H, Zhang Z, Kiyama T, Panda
S, Hattar S, Ribelayga CP, Mills SL,
Wang SW. T-box transcription regulator Tbr2 is essential for the formation
and maintenance of Opn4/melatoninexpressing intrinsically photosensitive
retinal ganglion cells. Invited presentation at the Gordon Research Conference
“Pineal Cell Biology: Pineal Melatonin:
Comparative Approaches to Human
Health and Disease,” January 19-24,
2014, Galveston, Texas.
Minnal V, Blieden LS, Bell NP, Baker L,
Chuang AZ, Feldman RM. Evaluating
the effect of lens extraction with
anterior segment optical coherence
tomography in narrow angle eyes.
Poster presentation at the American
Glaucoma Society 24th Annual
Meeting; Feb. 27-March 2, 2014,
Washington, D.C.
O’Brien J, Zhang Z, Chuang AZ,
Blackburn M, Wang SW, Ribelayga
CP, Li H. Conserved molecular mechanisms control photoreceptor gap
junctional coupling. Invited presentation at the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology
(FASEB)
Summer
Research
Conference “Retinal Physiology and
Visual Processing,” June 22-27, 2014,
Saxtons River, Vt.
Rentería RC, Akimov NP, Zhang Z,
Ribelayga CP, Pyarali M, Fortepiani
L. Evidence of decreased dopamine
receptor-mediated control of gap
junction coupling in the inner nuclear
layer of the diabetic Ins2Akita mouse
retina. Invited presentation at the
Annual Meeting of the Association for
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
(ARVO), May 4-8, 2014, Orlando, Fla.
Ribelayga CP. Dissecting the circadian
system in the mammalian retina, one
cell-type and one clock pathway at
a time. “Hot Topics” paper session.
Gordon Research Conference “Pineal
Cell Biology: Pineal Melatonin:
Comparative Approaches to Human
Health and Disease,” January 22,
2014, Galveston, Texas.
Ribelayga CP, Zhang Z, Vidal A,
Zimmerman R. A circadian clock
in melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion
cells is required for normal visual
function. Invited presentation at the
Annual Meeting of the Association for
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
(ARVO), May 4-8, 2014, Orlando, Fla.
Ribelayga C, Jin N, Chuang AZ, Zhang Z.
Circadian clock and dopamine control
of rod photoreceptor electrical coupling in mouse retina. Annual Meeting
of the Optical Society of America,
October 4-6, 2013, Houston.
Ribelayga CP, Zhang Z, Vidal A,
Zimmerman R. A circadian clock in
melanopsin-expressing intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells
is required for normal visual function. Gordon Research Conference
“Pineal Cell Biology: Pineal Melatonin:
Comparative Approaches to Human
Health and Disease,” January 19-24,
2014, Galveston, Texas.
Ribelayga CP. How circadian clocks optimize retinal circuits for day and night
vision. University of Strasbourg. June
10, 2014, Strasbourg, France.
Ribelayga CP. A circadian clock and dopamine control rod electrical coupling in
mouse retina.
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
19
Federation of American Societies
for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Summer Research Conference “Retinal
Neurobiology and Visual Processing,”
June 25, 2014, Saxtons River, Vt.
Zhang Z, Vidal A, Zimmerman R,
Ribelayga CP. A circadian clock in
the retina is required for normal retinal development and visual function.
Paper presentation at Annual Meeting
of the Association for Research in
Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO),
May 4-8, 2014, Orlando, Fla.
Zhang Z, Ribelayga C. Circadian
clocks are essential for normal retinal development and visual function.
Neuroscience Research Center 20th
Annual Neuroscience Poster Session,
Baylor College of Medicine/William
M. Rice University/UTHealth Medical
School Neuroscience Research Center,
December 8, 2013, Houston.
Zhang Z, Vidal A, Zimmerman R,
Ribelayga CP. A circadian clock in
the retina is required for normal
retinal development and visual function. Invited presentation at the
Gordon Research Conference “Pineal
Cell Biology: Pineal Melatonin:
Comparative Approaches to Human
Health and Disease,” Jan. 19-24, 2014,
Galveston, Texas.
Honors and
Awards
Christophe Ribelayga, Ph.D., has been
awarded the Certificate of Appreciation
for Outstanding Performance and
Lasting Contribution to Problem-based
Learning from the UTHealth Medical
School in Houston. He also received a
travel award from the Federation of the
American Societies for Experimental
20
Biology (FASEB) Summer Research
Conference “Retinal Neurobiology and
Visual Processing” held in Saxtons River,
Vermont, in June 2014. Dr. Ribelayga is a
member of the Communications Working
Group of the Association for Research in
Ophthalmology and Vision.
Grants
Robert M. Feldman, M.D.
Site principal investigator for African
Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study
(ADAGES) III: Contribution of Genotype
to Glaucoma Phenotype in AfricanAmericans; NEI-5R01EY023704; August
2014 to present. Sub-investigators:
Nicholas Bell, M.D., and Lauren Blieden,
M.D.
David A. Lee, M.D.
Principal investigator for EYEGUARD C:
A Randomized, Double-masked, Placebocontrolled Study of the Safety and Efficacy
of Gevokizumab in the Treatment
of Subjects with Non-infectious
Intermediate, Posterior or Pan-uveitis
Currently Controlled with Systemic
Treatment; XOMA; February 2014 to
present. Sub-investigators: Nicholas
Bell, M.D., Lauren Blieden, M.D., Robert
Feldman, M.D., Garvin Davis, M.D., and
Alla Kukuyev, M.D.
Principal investigator for EYEGUARD A:
A Randomized, Double-masked, Placebocontrolled Study of the Safety and Efficacy
of Gevokizumab in the Treatment of
Active Non-infectious Intermediate,
Posterior or Pan-uveitis; XOMA; February
2014 to present. Sub-investigators:
Nicholas Bell, M.D., Lauren Blieden,
M.D., Robert Feldman, M.D., Garvin
Davis, M.D., and Alla Kukuyev, M.D.
Bhavani Iyer, O.D., FAAO
Lions Club International Foundation
SightFirst Grant, Harris County Low
Vision Project
M EMOR I A L H ER M A N N-TE X A S M EDIC A L CE N TER
Steve Mills, Ph.D.
Principal investigator of Blue-green
Pathways in the Mammalian Retina; NEI2R01EY10121; 2014-2019.
Steve Massey, Ph.D.
Principal investigator of Neurotransmitter
Mechanisms in the Mammalian Retina;
NEI-2R01EY006515, 2014-2018.
OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL
21
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