The Medical Advisory Board.

Joann Kang, M.D., Chair

Dr. Kang is Director of Cornea and Refractive Surgery and an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and her B.S. in Human Biology from Cornell University. Dr. Kang completed an internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and her residency training at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Later, she completed a fellowship in cornea and external diseases at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Kang currently serves on the Scientific Committee of the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), is Scientific Chair and Director at Large of the Eye and Contact Lens Association and is Councilor of the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. She is also a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Cornea Society.

Ana G. Alzaga Fernandez, M.D., Secretary

Dr. Alzaga Fernandez is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending ophthalmologist at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital. She graduated from the medical school of the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas in Tampico, Mexico. After which she completed a research fellowship at the Retinal Vascular Center of St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, followed by an ophthalmology residency at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a fellowship in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine Ophthalmology in New York City. Her professional societies include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Michelle K. Rhee, M.D., Medical Director

Dr. Rhee is currently a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and Associate Director of Ophthalmology at Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she serves as a Surgical and Clinical Preceptor for the ISMMS Ophthalmology Residency Program. After graduating summa cum laude from Princeton University, Dr. Rhee earned her M.D. from ISMMS, where she was part of the Humanities and Medicine Program which offered early acceptance to a selected group of undergraduates. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the Eye and Ear Institute of Pittsburgh and attended the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary to complete her fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery. Currently, Dr. Rhee serves on the Eye Bank Association of America’s Board of Directors, Medical Advisory Board, Accreditation Board, and is the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the Eye Bank Association for America’s journal Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation.

Maayan Keshet, M.D., Associate Medical Director

Dr. Keshet is currently Medical Director at City Eye MD, a private Manhattan practice. She received her medical degree from Tufts University’s School of Medicine and her B.A. in Biology and French cum laude from Vassar College. Dr. Keshet completed her ophthalmology residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center and a cornea/external disease/refractive fellowship at Tufts/New England Eye Center/Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.

Sumayya Ahmad, M.D.

Dr. Ahmad is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned her medical degree at Yale University’s School of Medicine and completed her residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Ahmad received the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health Travel Grant, which funded her work at the Aravind Eye Hospital in Tamil Nadu, India, and completed her fellowship in cornea and external disease at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. Her professional society memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Timothy A. Blenkinsop, Ph.D

Dr. Blenkinsop is Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor in the departments of Cell, Development and Regenerative Biology and Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also a member of the Black Family Stem Cell Institute. His laboratory focuses on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and RPE-related diseases, including efforts to develop transplantation methods for introducing healthy human RPE cells to patients with degenerative eye conditions. His laboratory also develops stem cell derived eye organoids to explore human eye development and to screen for therapeutics and model human eye diseases. Dr. Blenkinsop earned his Ph.D. at NYU Medical Center and later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Neural Stem Cell Institute. From 2017 to 2019, he served as a Hong Leong Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Blenkinsop is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Richard E. Braunstein, M.D.

Dr. Braunstein is the Arlene and Arthur Levine Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Ophthalmology at Northwell Health and also serves as Chair of Ophthalmology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Braunstein received his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his ophthalmology residency at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center’s Edward Harkness Eye Institute, followed by a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Braunstein is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the New York State Ophthalmological Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D.

Christine A Curcio, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine’s Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences Department. A neuroscientist by training, Dr. Curcio has made seminal contributions to the anatomic and molecular pathobiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which degrades central vision in aged adults worldwide. She holds a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Anatomy from the University of Rochester. She completed postdoctoral training in compensatory mechanisms in the aging brain at Boston University and served as a Senior Fellow in the Departments of Biological Structure and Ophthalmology at the University of Washington with Anita Hendrickson PhD. Dr. Curcio’s many awards and honors include, the 2002 (inaugural) Roger H. Johnson Prize for Macular Degeneration Research, the 2020 Research to Prevent Blindness David F. Weeks Award, and the 2025 Proctor Medal from Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (jointly with C. Owsley).

George Florakis, M.D.

Dr. Florakis is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of the Cornea Clinic of the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute in New York. His areas of expertise are in cornea and external eye diseases, including corneal transplants; dystrophies and degenerations; ectasias (keratoconus); infectious diseases, such as herpetic (viral) and bacterial keratitis; anterior segment trauma and reconstruction. A graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University in New York, Dr. Florakis earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He completed his residency at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and his research fellowship in cornea and external eye diseases at the University of Iowa with Jay Krachmer, M.D.

Beverly Forsyth, M.D.

Dr. Forsyth is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she sees HIV patients in her clinical practice. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Education, where she is the Director of the Morchand Center for Clinical Competence and the Director of Medical Student Electives. She is also the Co-Leader of Infection Prevention for the medical and graduate students. A graduate of Cornell University with a B.A. in Biology and Society, Dr. Forsyth received her medical degree from the University of Vermont in Burlington. She interned and completed her residency at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her fellowship in infectious diseases was conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where she was awarded the Nicolas A. Rango HIV Clinical Scholarship.

Albert S. Hazan, M.D.

Dr. Hazan is an Ophthalmologist at Glaucoma Consultants of New York, an Attending Surgeon with Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital, and serves as an Adjunct Surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. A medical school graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at New York’s Columbia University. Dr. Hazan followed this with a Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Viral V. Juthani, M.D.

Dr. Juthani serves as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as Co-Director of the Ophthalmology Department at the Montefiore Hutchinson Campus in the Bronx. Dr. Juthani earned his medical degree from Yale University’s School of Medicine and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. His post-doctoral work includes an internship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Department of Medicine and a residency in ophthalmology and visual sciences at New York University/Langone Eye Center and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Institute. His fellowships were completed in cornea/external eye diseases at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and in cornea and refractive surgery at the Cole Eye Institute in Cleveland. Dr. Juthani is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Cornea Society.

Douglas R. Lazzaro, M.D.

Dr. Lazarro is a Professor of Ophthalmology at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine and is currently Vice Chair of Operations, Clinical Affairs and Business Development of Ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health. A graduate of New York University, he received his medical degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center and an MBA from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. Dr. Lazzaro completed his internship in internal medicine at Staten Island University Hospital, his residency in ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and his fellowship in cornea at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. His professional memberships include the Cornea Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Richard Najac, M.D.

Dr. Najac is currently in private practice at Najac Vision in Kew Gardens, NY. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Amherst College in Amherst, MA and his medical degree from Weill Cornell University’s Medical College. Dr. Najac completed his internship at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT, followed by an ophthalmology residency and a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. His professional society memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the New York State Ophthalmological Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Gabriel Rand, M.D.

Gabriel Rand, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a board-certified cornea specialist. A graduate of the School of Engineering at Cornell University, Dr. Rand earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he also completed his ophthalmology residency. During his residency, Dr. Rand was awarded the Ronald M. Burde Award for Excellence in Research for his work on advanced statistical methods using eye bank data. He then completed a fellowship in cornea, anterior segment, and refractive surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He sees patients at Columbia Ophthalmology's Westchester practice and the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute in northern Manhattan. He was awarded the Columbia Ophthalmology Philip Knapp Memorial Teaching Award. Dr. Rand is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the New York State Ophthalmological Society.

David Ritterband, M.D.

Dr. Ritterband is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Prior to joining Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH), he was a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine/Mount Sinai and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Ritterband received his doctorate from New York Medical College where he completed his residency training in ophthalmology and earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University. He completed his corneal and external disease fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Eye and Ear Institute. A nationally recognized physician, scientist and surgeon, Dr. Ritterband dedicates his time to clinical ophthalmic care, surgery, research and teaching. His clinical interests include ocular infections, corneal transplantation, cataract surgery, ocular drug development and laser refractive surgery. He has trained over 40 cornea fellows at the highly regarded AUPO certified corneal fellowship programs at both MEETH and NYEEI. He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts, several book chapters and more than 160 research abstracts.

Kimberly C. Sippel, M.D.

Dr. Sippel. is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Weill Cornell Medicine and the NewYork Presbyterian Hospital. A graduate of Harvard College, she received her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her internship in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, her residency in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear and her fellowships in ophthalmology as well as in cornea and refractive surgery at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear. Her professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the International Ocular Surface Society.

Leejee Suh, M.D.

Dr. Suh, the Miranda Wong Tang Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, is the Director of the Cornea Service at Columbia University's Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute. Dr. Suh graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Biology and received her medical degree from New York University’s School of Medicine. After an internship in internal medicine at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, she completed her residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in cornea and external disease at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. Dr. Suh is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Danielle Trief, M.D.

Dr. Trief, an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center, earned her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, her M.Sc. in Neuroscience from Oxford University and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her internship in medicine at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, PA, her residency in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear and her fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Trief specializes in adult and pediatric cornea. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Elizabeth Viriya, M.D.

Dr. Viriya is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Bellevue Hospital and is an Attending Physician for New York University/Langone Eye Center in New York. A graduate of Columbia University with a B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Viriya received her medical degree from the State University of New York’s College of Medicine in Brooklyn. Her post-doctoral work includes an internship at New York Presbyterian/Queens Hospital and training in ophthalmology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. Her fellowship was completed at the Gordon-Schanzlin New Vision Institute in La Jolla, California in cornea and external eye disease and refractive surgery. Dr. Viriya is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Cornea Society.

Jules Winokur, M.D., MBA

Dr. Winokur is the Vice Chair and the Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at Northwell Health / Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital. He is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. A graduate of Queens College, he received his medical degree from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine, New York State/American Program. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, followed by an ophthalmology residency at Northwell Health. Dr. Winokur completed his fellowship in cornea, refractive and external disease at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He has been a contributor to the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Basic Clinical Science Course and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Resident Self-Assessment Program as well as an instructor for the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology’s Surgical Curriculum for Ophthalmology Residents. He is currently the president of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology’s Program Directors Council.

Gerald W. Zaidman, M.D.

Gerald W. Zaidman, M.D. is Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Director of the Cornea Service and Vice-Chairman and Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center. A graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York, Dr. Zaidman earned his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency training at Beth Abraham Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital and his research fellowship in corneal and external disease at the Eye and Ear Hospital in Pittsburgh. His primary clinical interests are corneal disease and corneal transplantation in pediatric patients. Dr. Zaidman has received both an honor award and a senior honor award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In addition, he is a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the New York State Ophthalmology Society. He is Director of the Pediatric Keratoplasty Association.