Tomas S. Aleman, MD
Research Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Department: Ophthalmology
Contact information
Scheie Eye Institute
51 North 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
51 North 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-662-9981
Fax: 215-662-9388
Fax: 215-662-9388
Email:
aleman@mail.med.upenn.edu
aleman@mail.med.upenn.edu
Publications
Education
B.S. (Sciences (Honors))
F. Engels Vocational Schools, 1982.
M.D. (Medicine)
University of Havana (High Honors), 1988.
B.S. (Sciences (Honors))
F. Engels Vocational Schools, 1982.
M.D. (Medicine)
University of Havana (High Honors), 1988.
Post-Graduate Training
Research Fellow, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 1998-2000.
Postdoctoctoral training in hereditary retnial degenerations, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Bascom Palmer eye Institute, University of Miami, 1995-.
Research Fellow, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 1998-2000.
Postdoctoctoral training in hereditary retnial degenerations, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Bascom Palmer eye Institute, University of Miami, 1995-.
Certifications
Specialist in Ophthalmology, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba, 1994.
Doctor of Medicine, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba, 1988.
Permanent linkSpecialist in Ophthalmology, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba, 1994.
Doctor of Medicine, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba, 1988.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Aleman has extensive expertise in the study of hereditary retinal degenerations. He is part of the Retinal Degeneration Center at Scheie Eye Institute. His research expertise includes state-of-the-art psychophysical, electrophysiological and imaging studies in patients and animal models of the human disease. Most of the studies in which Dr. Aleman is an investigator are aimed to lead patients with these incurable retinal degenerations into clinical trials. The macular pigment is a carotenoid complex proposed to have a protective role in the human central retina. With the long-term goal of finding ways to prevent central vision loss in retinal degenerative diseases, Dr. Aleman has studied macular pigment levels in patients with inherited retinal disorders.Clinical Trials
Dr. Aleman is an investigator in an upcoming gene therapy trial for Leber’s congenital amaurosis, the most severe form of inherited retinal degeneration.
Key Words
Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, retinitis pigmentosa, macular disorders, optical coherence tomography, electroretinogram
Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Aleman cares for patients with hereditary retinal degenerations at the Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations at Scheie Eye Institute. He is also responsible for all clinical electrophysiological investigations within this department, which provides this service to a large number of specialists in the region.Description of Other Expertise
Fluent in SpanishSelected Publications
Roman AJ, Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Schwartz SB, Windsor EAM, Jacobson SG: Full-field stimulus testing for severe retinal degenerations: extending the dynamic range. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. S542., 2005.Pearce-Kelling SE, Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Jacobson SG, Nickel A Jordan J. Hammond, Antonini G. Ackland GM, Aguirre GD: Immunocytochemical and TUNEL staining changes following liht exposure in the T4R RHO mutant dog. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci S1662, 2005.
Gu D, Acland G, Pearce-DellingS, Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD: Light-Dependent AP-1 activation in the T4R rhodopsin (RHO) mutant dog. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis Sci. S1707, 2005.
Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Aleman TX, Gu D, Pearce-Delling SE, Sumaroka A, Acland GM, Aguirre GD: Dynamics of retinal injury and repair after clinical light exposure in the rhodopsin mutant dog model of retinitis pigmentosa. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. S521, 2005.
Cheng H, Friedman JS, Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Swaroop A.: The photoreceptor specific nuclear recpetor NR2E3 (PNR) is a direct target of NRL and can induce rod differentiation. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. S3981, 2005.
Aleman TX, Windsor EAM, Schwartz SB, Sumaroka A, Cheung AY. Smilko EE, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG: CRB1-Associated reintal degeneration: macular pigment and lutein supplementation. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis Sci. S556/, 2005.
Aguirre GD, Pearce-Kelling SE, Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Jacobson, SG, Gu D, Acland GM.: Photorecptor Pathology Following Clinical Light Exposure in the T4R Rhodopsin (RHO) Mutant Dog. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. S5230, 2005.
Roman AJ, Schwartz SB, Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Chico JD, Windsor EA, Gardner LM, Yiung G, Smilko EE, Maguire MG, Jacobson SG.: Full-field light stimuli to test perception in severe retinal degenerations. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci S5099, 2004.
Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Chico JD, Schwartz SB, Windsor EAM, Smilko EE, Pantelyat AY, Maguire MG, Jacobson SG.: Macular pigment and lutein supplementation in macular diseases. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. S2972, 2004.
Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Swider M. Schwartz SB, Steinberg JD, Brucker AJ, Maguire AM, Bennett J, Stone EM, Jacobson SG: Sequence of lipofuscin accumulation, retinoid cycle slowing and retinal degeneration in human ABCA4 disease. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci S1765, 2004.
