Description of Clinical Expertise

During my clinical training, I noticed striking similarities between patients assessing glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmology clinics. Training in both fields has allowed me to develop a specialized skill set to manage all forms of optic neuropathies and develop a niche sub-specialty that aligns with my research interests. This dual training has not only satisfied my intellectual and clinical interests but has also filled a critical gap in expertise within the field that could only be nurtured at a place like the University of Pennsylvania. I am one of only four known specialists practicing both Neuro-Ophthalmology and Glaucoma, when I inquired with ChatGPT about this dual training, my name was the only one listed for this unique specialty combination! I have proudly established a dedicated clinic for this small yet complex subset of patients with optic nerve and visual pathway disorders.

Description of Other Expertise

As an underrepresented minority in the field of ophthalmology, I have made local and national contributions to promote diversity and inclusion in our field. I am additionally interested in improving the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in the field of ophthalmology. Part of this interest has developed into an educational investigation into the barriers encountered by these individuals within the academic pathway, addressing the barriers with rigorous research and expertise, and investigating whether the implementation of safeguards improves the outcomes.

Description of Research Expertise

My research interest focuses on understanding the genetic basis of glaucoma and using this information to develop novel drugs for the treatment of optic neuropathies. My long-term goal is to address hindrance of compliance to the clinical management of glaucoma with adeno-associated vector gene targets. To date, I have worked in three different areas of research: understanding
mechanisms of programmed cell death, developing drugs to control this process, and finally developing a knock-out mouse models using advanced cloning methods. After completing two fellowships in Neuro-ophthalmology and Glaucoma, I am pursuing these same mechanisms of extracellular cross talk and intracellular anti-apoptotic pathways to treat diseases involved in optic nerve degeneration and cell protection. It is my goal to develop gene-transfer techniques to reverse the process of optic nerve cell death in glaucoma. While my primary focus currently emphasizes the role of SIRT1 as a potential gene target to enhance retinal ganglion cell survive, my ultimate goal is to develop a strategy to replace gene mutations with viral gene
transduction in a cell targeted manner, with the aim of treating glaucoma at every cell type effected by
the disease.