The Medical Advisory Board.

Leela Raju, M.D., Chair

Dr. Raju is the Director for International Ophthalmology at NYU Langone Medical Center, specializing in cornea, anterior segment and refractive surgery. Previously, she served as Chief of Ophthalmology at Bellevue Hospital and, prior to that, as the Medical Director of the Charles T. Campbell Microbiology Laboratory and Vice Chair of the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Raju received her medical degree from Marshall University in West Virginia and her B.A. in Biology from Brown University. 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.

Himani Goyal, M.D., Secretary

Dr. Goyal is part of the Faculty Group Practice of NYU Langone Health in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. A graduate of the College of New Jersey, she received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital followed by an ophthalmology residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Later, she completed a cornea and refractive surgery fellowship at the Belmont Eye Center/NYU Medical Center. Dr. Goyal is currently an attending ophthalmologist at Coney Island Hospital and VA NY Harbor Healthcare System as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health. She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

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

Dr. Rhee is currently an 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 serves on the Eye Bank Association of America’s Medical Advisory Board and Accreditation Board and is the Editor of the soon-to-be published Journal of Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation.

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.

James Auran, M.D.

Dr. Auran is currently a Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Columbia University and the Associate Attending in the Ophthalmology Service at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He received his medical degree from Cornell University’s Medical College and his B.A. in Biology from Harvard 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. He is the Immediate Past President and current Executive Vice President of the American Society for Ophthalmic Trauma.

Jessica B. Ciralsky, M.D.

Dr. Ciralsky is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine and is an Assistant Attending Ophthalmologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She attended John Hopkins University’s School of Medicine for her medical degree and received her undergraduate degree from Brown University. Later, she completed her internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago and an ophthalmology residency and cornea fellowship with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Millennial Eye, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Cornea Society University and the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists.

Robert Cykiert, M.D.

Dr. Cykiert is a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the NYU School of Medicine. Additionally, he serves as an attending surgeon at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mt. Sinai Medical Center and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital of Northwell Health. After graduating from New York Medical College, Dr. Cykiert completed an internship in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, a residency in ophthalmology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. His memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology as well as the Ophthalmic Laser Surgical and Imaging Society.

Ana Alzaga Fernandez, M.D.

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

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.

Anita Gupta, M.D.

Dr. Gupta is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Medical Education at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. After earning a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, she went on to complete a residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins School of Medicine and a cornea fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. Her professional society memberships include the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Alexandra Herzlich, M.D.

Dr. Herzlich is currently in private practice while also an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of Medical Education for the Montefiore Ophthalmology residents at Jacobi Hospital. 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.

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.

Joann Kang, M.D., Associate Medical Director

Dr. Kang is the 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, 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, Chicago. She completed a fellowship in cornea and external diseases at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City. Dr. Kang currently serves on the Scientific Committee of the Eye Bank Association of America, is 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.

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.

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 medical degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, his M.A. in Computer Science from Queens College and his B.S. in Computer Science from the University at Albany. 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.

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.

John Seedor, M.D.

Dr. Seedor currently practices at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University/Northwell Health. After attending Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, he graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia with his medical degree. Dr. Seedor completed an internship in internal medicine at Bryn Mawr Hospital followed by an ophthalmology residency at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Later, he completed a cornea and external diseases fellowship at Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Seedor is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Laurence T.D. Sperber, M.D.

Dr. Sperber is the Director of the Cornea Service, Associate Chair for Education and a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine. A graduate of Harvard University with a B.A. (Honors) in Biology, Dr. Sperber earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his ophthalmology residency at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York and was then selected for a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Sperber specializes in Cataract, Cornea and Refractive Surgery and has a private practice in New York City and is a part of the Faculty Group Practice at the NYU Langone Eye Center.

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 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 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.

Angie E. Wen, M.D.

Dr. Wen is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Health System. 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. Her fellowship in Cornea, Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery was completed at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia University. She has trained many future eye surgeons as the current Cornea Fellowship Director at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and as the Resident Clinical Instructor at Columbia University and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate in the past. Her memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

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. Dr. Zaidman is a graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency training at Lenox Hill Hospital and his cornea fellowship at the Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Zaidman has received both an honor award and a senior honor award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is the recipient of multiple research grants and has travelled internationally as a guest lecturer. His many professional memberships include serving on the board of the World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and he is the founder and president of the Pediatric Keratoplasty Association.