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 (High Honors))
F. Engels Vocational Schools, 1982.
M.D. (Medicine)
University of Havana (High Honors), 1988.
B.S. (Sciences (High Honors))
F. Engels Vocational Schools, 1982.
M.D. (Medicine)
University of Havana (High Honors), 1988.
Post-Graduate Training
Transitional Internship, Hospital Salvador Allende, Havana, Cuba, 1987-1988.
Junior Resident Medical Officer, Solwezi General Hospital, Republic of Zambia, 1988-1990.
Resident in Ophthalmology, Hospital Salvador Allende, Havana, Cuba, 1990-1994.
Postdoctoctoral training in hereditary retnial degenerations, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, 1995-1995.
Research Fellow, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 1998-2000.
Permanent linkTransitional Internship, Hospital Salvador Allende, Havana, Cuba, 1987-1988.
Junior Resident Medical Officer, Solwezi General Hospital, Republic of Zambia, 1988-1990.
Resident in Ophthalmology, Hospital Salvador Allende, Havana, Cuba, 1990-1994.
Postdoctoctoral training in hereditary retnial degenerations, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, 1995-1995.
Research Fellow, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 1998-2000.
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
Hauswirth W, Aleman TS, Kaushal S, Cideciyan AV, Schwartz SB, Wang L, Conlon T, Boye SL, Flotte TR, Byrne B, Jacobson SG: Phase I trial of Leber Congenital Amaurosis due to RPE65 mutations by ocular subretinal injection of adeno-associated virus gene vector: Short-term results. Human Gene Ther 2008 Notes: Epub ahead of print.Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Boye SL, Schwartz SB, Kaushal S, Roman AJ, Pang J-j, Sumaroka A, Windsor EAM, Wilson JM, Flotte TR, Fishman GA, Heon E, Stone EM, Byrne BJ, Jacobson SG, Hauswirth WW: Human gene therapy for RPE65 isomerase deficiency activates the retinoid cycle of vision but with slow rod kenetics. PNAS 105: 15112-15117, 2008.
Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Sumaroka A, Windsor EAM, Schwartz SB, Heon E, Stone EM: Photoreceptor layer topography in children with Leber contenital amaurosis caused by RPE65 mutations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 49: 4573-4577, 2008.
Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Sumaroka A, Windsor EAM, Herrera W, White DA, Kaushal S, Naidu A, Roman AJ, Schwartz SB, Stone EM, Jacobson SG: Retinal Laminar Architecture in Human Retinitis Pigmentosa Caused by Rhodopsin Gene Mutations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 49(4): 1580-1590, April 2008.
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.
Herrera W, Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Roman AJ, Banin E, Ben-Yosef T, Gardner LM, Sumaroka A, Windsor EA, Schwartz SB, Stone EM, Liu XZ, Kimberling WJ, Jacobson SG.: Retinal disease in Usher Syndrome III caused by mutations in the Clarin-1 gene. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 49: 2651-2660, 2008.
Williams DS, Aleman TS, Lillo C, Lopes VS, Hughes LC, Stone EM, Jacobson SG: Harmonin in the murine retina and the retinal phenotypes of Ush1c-mutant mice and human USH1C. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 50(8): 3881-3889, August 2009.
Aguirre GK, Komaromy AM, Cideciyan AV, Brainard DH, Aleman TS, Roman AJ, Avants BB, Gee JC, Korczykowski M, Hauswirth WW, Acland GM, Aguirre GD, Jacobson SG. : Canine and human visual cortex intact and responsive despite early retinal blindness from RPE65 mutation. PLoS Med. 4(6 ): e230, Jun 2007.
Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Jacobson SG, Khanna H, Sumaroka A, Aguirre GK, Schwartz SB, Windsor EA, He S, Chang B, Stone EM, Swaroop A. : Centrosomal-ciliary gene CEP290/NPHP6 mutations result in blindness with unexpected sparing of photoreceptors and visual brain: implications for therapy of Leber congenital amaurosis. Hum Mutat. 28(11): 1074-1083, Nov 2007.
Cideciyan AV, Swider M, Aleman TX, Tsybovsky V, Schwartz SB, Windsor EA, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Steinberg JC, Jacobson SG, Stone EM, Palczewski K: ABCA4 disease progression and a proposed strategy for gene therapy. Hum Mol Genet 18: 931-941, 2009.
