George Florakis, M.D., Chair

George J. Florakis, M.D., 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 cornea 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 in cornea and external eye diseases, at the University of Iowa with Dr. Jay Krachmer.

Leela Raju, M.D., Secretary

Dr. Raju is Chief of Ophthalmology at Bellevue Hospital and Associate Professor at the Langone Medical Center/New York University, specializing in cornea, anterior segment and refractive surgery. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor and Medical Director/Vice Chair of the Charles T. Campbell Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center. Dr. Raju graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Biology and received her medical degree from Marshall University in West Virginia. Her post-doctoral work includes studies in eye pathology at Johns Hopkins University, an internship in Internal Medicine at Mercy Medical Center, training in Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, and studies in Cornea and External Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

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

Dr. Michelle Rhee is currently Associate 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 is the scientific program chair and accreditation board co-vice chair for the Eye Bank Association of America.

Kichiemon Asoma, M.D.

Dr. Asoma is a Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Physician Specialist at Kings County Medical Center and an Attending Physician at Coney Island Hospital and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is a graduate of Columbia Univeristy, with a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behaviour and received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Dr. Asoma completetd a residency in ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and a fellowship in cornea and keratorefractive surgery from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

James Auran, M.D.

Dr. Auran is currently a Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Columbia University and the Associate Attending in the Ophthalmology Service New York Presbyterian Hospital. He received his B.A. in Biology (cum laude) from Harvard College and received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Auran completed an internship in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, which was followed by an ophthalmology residency and cornea fellowship\ at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.

Beverly Forsyth, M.D.

Dr. Forsyth currently serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hospital. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Medical Education Department and serves as the Director of the Morchand Center for Clinical Competence and the Director of Medical Student Electives. Previously, Dr. Forsyth was the Medical Director of the Care Coordination Program at the Jack Martin Fund Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. 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.

David Haight, M.D.

David Haight, M.D. is Chief Coordinating Investigator for the Excimer Laser Study Program and Chief of the Contact Lens Clinic I at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York. Prior academic appointments at this institution include Associate Attending Surgeon, Residency Coordinator and Resident Instructor in Ophthalmology. A graduate of Brown University, Dr. Haight completed his medical degree at John Hopkins University’s School of Medicine. He interned at Hartford Hospital and completed his residency training at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. His fellowship in refractive keratoplasty was conducted in Bogota, Columbia, with Jose Barraquer, and another fellowship to investigate cornea and anterior segment surgery was conducted at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital with R.C. Troutman.

Alexandra Herzlich, M.D.

Dr. Herzlich is currently in private practice in Scarsdale and a Clinical Instructor of Cornea and External Diseases at the Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. A graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in Biology and Spanish, Dr. Herzlich received her medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Her post-doctoral work includes an internship at Georgetown University Hospital and training in ophthalmology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her fellowship was completed at the Flaum Eye Institute at the University of Rochester in cornea and external eye disease. Dr. Herzlich is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the New York State Ophthalmological Society.

Joann Kang, M.D.

Dr. Kang serves as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Attending Physician for Cornea and External Diseases at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Her undergraduate degree in Human Biology, with distinction and honors, is from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, with a medical degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Dr. Kang completed an internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and residency training at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She completed a fellowship at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City focusing on Cornea and External Diseases. Dr. Kang has co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and is a member of various organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Maayan Keshet, M.D.

Dr. Keshet is currently an Ophthalmology Associate at the Fromer Eye Centers. She received her B.A. in Biology and French cum laude from Vassar College, which was followed by her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Keshket 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.

John J. Kim, M.D.

Dr. Kim is currently in private practice in Manhattan and an Assistant Clinical Professor in Ophthalmology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Prior academic appointments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center include Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program, Director of Refractive Surgery, and Director of Cornea. Dr. Kim received his B.S. in Computer Science from the University at Albany, his M.A. in Computer Science from Queens College, and his medical degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He completed his residency at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins College of Medicine. Dr. Kim is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Stephen Klyce, PhD

Dr. Klyce is currently an Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and an ad hoc scientific and biomedical engineering consultant. He received his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D. in Physiology from Yale University. Dr. Klyce has held leadership positions at ARVO and the International Society of Contact Lens Research.

Edward C. Lai, M.D.

Dr. Lai is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Comprehensive Service at Weill Cornell Medical Center/New York Presbyterian. He is a graduate of Brown Univeristy, with a B.A. in Biology and received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completeted two residencies in ophthalmology at George Washington University Hospital and New York University/Manhattan Eye & Ear Hospital and a cornea, anterior segment and refractive surgery fellow at Weill Cornell Medical Center/New York Presbyterian.

Douglas R. Lazzaro, M.D.

Douglas R. Lazzaro, M.D., F.A.C.S., FAAO, was recently appointed permanent Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn. Dr. Lazzaro is also Director of Ophthalmology at Kings County Hospital Center. A graduate of New York University, Dr. Lazzaro received his medical degree from SUNY, Downstate Medical Center. His residency in internal medicine was completed at Staten Island University Hospital and in ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Medical

Sid Mandelbaum, M.D.

Dr. Mandelbaum is in private practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A graduate from Columbia University, he received his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and later completed an ophthalmology residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. This was followed by a fellowship in cornea diseases and surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, where he remained on-staff for four years before returning to NYC in 1986. Dr. Mandelbaum is on the staff of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and LIJ Medical Center; he also is an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Richard Najac, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Najac is currently in private practice in Queens and an Associate Attending at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is an Assistant Attending at St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center, where he is also the Director of the Cornea Service for the Brooklyn and Queens Division. He graduated from Amherst College and received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Najac completed both his Ophthalmology Residency and Fellowship in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

David Ritterband, M.D.

David C. Ritterband MD, FACS, is Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is currently System Director of Refractive Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. He is also Director of the Laser Vision Correction Center and Surgeon Director at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Ritterband received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his doctorate from New York Medical College where he completed his residency training in ophthalmology. He completed his Corneal and External disease fellowship at The Eye and Ear Institute of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. 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 and laser refractive surgery. He has published more than 65 peer-reviewed manuscripts; several book chapters, and more than 150 research abstracts.

Kimberly Sippel, M.D.

Kimberly Sippel, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Prior to joining Weill Cornell, Dr. Sippel worked with Cornea Consultants/Laser Eye Consultants of Boston and taught at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Sippel’s clinical interests include laser vision correction surgery, corneal transplantation and conjunctival tumors with research interest in keratoprosthesis or artificial corneal transplantation surgery. A graduate in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dr. Sippel received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. She completed her ophthalmology residency training at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School and her research fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Cornea and External Disease.

Christopher E. Starr, M.D.

Dr. Christopher Starr is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and currently serves as the Director of Ophthalmic Education and Director of the Fellowship Program in Cornea, Cataract & Laser Vision Correction Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is a member of the cornea, cataract and refractive surgery service and his research interests are in advanced surface ablation surgery and cornea diseases. Before joining the faculty at Weill Cornell he was a resident instructor at Manhattan Eye and Ear Throat Hospital, NYU Medical Center, where he was awarded the Teacher of the Year Prize. Dr. Starr completed his undergraduate work at Brown University and graduated with a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He interned at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency requirements at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye, and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Starr also received a Fellowship from Johns Hopkins University, Wilmer Eye Institute. In addition to membership in other organizations, Dr. Starr is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Leejee Suh, M.D.

Dr. Suh is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Director of Refractive Surgery Service and Director of the Cornea Fellowship Program at Columbia University. Dr. Suh received a B.S. in Biology from MIT and her medical degree from NYU with Honors in Neuroscience and Physiology. She was a research scholar in theDepartments of Ophthalmology and Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco and completed her ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. She followed up her residency with a cornea and external diseases fellowship at the Bascom Plamer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Hospitals.

Danielle Trief, M.D.

Dr. Trief is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She specializes in adult and pediatric cornea. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a fellowship to study neuroscience at Oxford University where she graduated with honors. Dr. Trief completed medical school at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons and her ophthalmology residency at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Subsequently, she pursued a cornea and refractive surgery fellowship at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. 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 & Refractive Surgery.

Angie E. Wen, M.D.

Dr. Wen is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at New York Eye & Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, NY, and serves at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in Brooklyn, NY. She completed a combined undergraduate and medical honors program at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, with residency training at both the Summa Health System in Akron, OH, and the Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit. Dr. Wen’s fellowship was in Cornea, Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia University where she served as Clinical Instructor. Currently she is the Medical Director of Columbus Circle Satellite Practice. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery among others.

Jules Winokur, M.D.

Dr. Winokur is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Hofstra University, North Shore – Long Island Jewish (NS-LIJ) School of Medicine in New York. He is the Program Director for the Ophthalmology Residency at the NS-LIJ Health System and is on staff at both NS-LIJ Eye Center in Great Neck, NY and Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital. Dr. Winokur graduated from the Sackler School of Medicine and completed his internship at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He was a resident in ophthalmology at the NS-LIJ Health System before completing a fellowship in cornea, refractive and external disease at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Winokur’s professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, New York State Ophthalmologic Society, the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery and the American College of Surgeons.

Gerald W. Zaidman, M.D.

Dr. Zaidman is Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Director of the Cornea Service, and Vice-Chairman and Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center. A graduate of Queens College, 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. 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.