Research Team 2021-2022

Iqbal “Ike” K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC

Iqbal “Ike” K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director, Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation

SPECIALTIES: Glaucoma, Cataract, and Lens Implant Surgical Therapeutics; Novel Device and Surgical Technique Development

Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD

Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Mary H. Boesche Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Visual Cerebral Cortex Structure and Function; Development of Novel Technologies

Wolfgang B. Baehr, PhD

Wolfgang B. Baehr, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Ralph and Mary Tuck Presidential Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Membrane Protein Transport in Photoreceptors for Inherited Retinal Disease; Photoreceptor Biochemistry; Molecular Cell Biology

Silke Becker, PhD

Silke Becker, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Electrophysiology; Retinal Degenerative Diseases; Diabetic Retinopathy; Photoreceptor Physiology

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair for Clinical and Basic Science Research; Val A. and Edith D. Green Presidential Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Nutritional Biochemistry; Macular and Inherited Retinal Degeneration; Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy

Lara Carroll, PhD

Lara Carroll, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Corneal and Retinal Neovascular Diseases

Donnell J. Creel, PhD

Donnell J. Creel, PhD

Research Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Neurobiology and Anatomy; Neuroscience

SPECIALTY: Electrophysiology

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: AMD, Degenerative Retinal Diseases; High-Resolution Imaging; Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers for Disease Progression; Validation of Clinical Endpoints for Interventional Trials

Jeanne M. Frederick, PhD

Jeanne M. Frederick, PhD

Research Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTY: Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology

Gregory S. Hageman, PhD

Gregory S. Hageman, PhD

John A. Moran Presidential Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Executive Director, Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine

SPECIALTIES: Genetics and Assessment of Pathways Involved in AMD Etiology; AMD Target Identification and Therapeutic Development

Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD

Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD

Distinguished Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Retinal and Choroidal Angiogenesis

Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD

Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Vitreous; Collagen; Extracellular Matrix; Aging; Protein Aggregation

Bryan W. Jones, PhD

Bryan W. Jones, PhD

Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Direc tor, Marclab for Connectomics

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Degeneration Disorders; Retinal Neurotransmission and Neurocircuitry; Metabolomics

Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD

Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Photophobia (abnormal light sensitivity); Migraine: its effects on visual quality of life; Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Helga E. T. Kolb, PhD

Helga E. T. Kolb, PhD

Professor (Emerita), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain; Editor, webvision.med.utah.edu

SPECIALTY: Retinal Anatomy

David Krizaj, PhD

David Krizaj, PhD

Professor and Deputy Director of Research; krizajlab.vision.utah.edu; John Frederick Carter Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Glaucoma and Intraocular Pressure Regulation; Photoreceptor Signaling; Calcium Regulation in Neuropathological Disorders

Bixing Li, PhD

Bixing Li, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Biochemistry and Biophysics of Macular Carotenoids; Mouse Models of Retinal Disease; Raman Imaging of Nutrients in the Retina

Nick Mamalis, MD

Nick Mamalis, MD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center

SPECIALTIES: Ocular Pathology; Comprehensive Ophthalmology; Intraocular Lens Research; Postoperative Inflammation

Robert E. Marc, PhD

Robert E. Marc, PhD

Distinguished Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Neurotransmission and Networks; Retinal Degenerations; Metabolomics

Neda Nategh, PhD

Neda Nategh, PhD

Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Computational Neuroscience; Neural Mechanisms of Visuospatial Perception

Richard A. Normann, PhD

Richard A. Normann, PhD

Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, University of Utah; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain

SPECIALTIES: Artificial Vision/Neural Prosthetics

Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD

Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Cognitive Neuroscience; Prefrontal Modulation of the Visual Cortex

Leah Owen, MD, PhD

Leah Owen, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Translational Analysis of Genetic and Molecular Disease Pathophysiology for Blinding Diseases, Including ROP, Strabismus, and Amblyopia; AMD

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Phacoemulsification Platform Efficacy and Efficiency; Ophthalmology Training Methods and Outcomes

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair; Director, Utah Retinal Reading Center, uread.org

SPECIALTIES: AMD; Retinal Imaging; Structural-Functional Correlation

Brian C. Stagg, MD

Brian C. Stagg, MD

Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Clinical Decision Support in Glaucoma; Personalized Medicine; Health Informatics; Population Health

Ning Tian, PhD

Ning Tian, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Adjunct Professor, Neurobiology

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Neurobiology; Synaptic Plasticity

Frans Vinberg, PhD

Frans Vinberg, PhD

Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Electrophysiology and Calcium Signaling; Phototransduction and Visual Cycle; Retinal Disease

Haibo Wang, MD, PhD

Haibo Wang, MD, PhD

Research Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Vascular Biology: Abnormal Vessel Growth Implicated in Pathological Neovascularization in AMD, ROP, and Diabetic Retinopathy

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center; Vice-Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

SPECIALTIES: Ocular Biodevices Research; Different Intraocular Lens Designs; Materials and Surface Modifications; Interactions between Ocular Implants and Ocular Tissues

Jun Yang, PhD

Jun Yang, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Retinal Degeneration; Cell Biology of Photoreceptors

Guoxin Ying, PhD

Guoxin Ying, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: Retinal Degeneration Diseases; Neuroscience; Gene Therapy

Moussa A. Zouache, PhD

Moussa A. Zouache, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES: AMD; Engineering Ophthalmology; Retinal Mass Transport Systems; Drug Development

Adjunct Research Team

Internal University of Utah

Paul Bressloff, PhD

Brittany Coats, PhD

Karen Curtin, PhD, MStat

Michael Deans, PhD

Kristen Kwan, PhD

Maureen A. Murtaugh, PhD

Jon Rainier, PhD

Jason Shepherd, PhD

Monica Vetter, PhD

Barbara M. Wirostko, MD, FARVO

External

Ferhina Ali, MD

Catherine Bowes Rickman, PhD

Carter Cornwall, PhD

Margaret DeAngelis, PhD

Adam Dubis, PhD

Eugene de Juan, MD

Eduardo Fernandez, MD, PhD

Yingbin Fu, PhD

Sabine Fuhrmann, PhD

Werner Gellermann, PhD

Wen Fan Hu, MD, PhD

Li Jiang, MD, PhD

Tiarnan Keenan, MD, PhD

Edward Levine, PhD

Anat Loewenstein, MD

Philip Luthert, MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath, FRCOphth

Debra Schaumberg, ScD, OD, MPH

Larry A. Wheeler, PhD

Barry Willardson, PhD

Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD

Adjunct Volunteer Ophthalmologists

Adjunct volunteer faculty collaborate on research projects, participate in clinical studies, attend teaching opportunities, and assist on our outreach medical missions.

Jason Ahee, MD St. George, Utah

Arwa Alsamarae, MD Santa Rosa, California

Lisa Arbisser, MD Sarasota, Florida

Nicholas Behunin, MD St. George, Utah

John Berdahl, MD Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Ashlie Bernhisel, MD Merced, California

Ronnie Bhola, MBBS St. Augustine, Trinidad

Kristin O. Bretz, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Eric Brinton, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Gregory Brinton, MD Murray, Utah

Michael Burrow, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Joseph Chen, MD Ventura, California

Robert J. Cionni, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Richard P. Corey, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

David A. Crandall, MD West Bloomfield, Michigan

Sonya Dhar, MD New York, New York

Jane Durcan, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Jayson David Edwards, MD St. George, Utah

David Faber, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Sophia Fang, MD Tigard, Oregon

William J. Fishkind, MD Tucson, Arizona

Roger C. Furlong, MD Butte, Montana

Mitchell J. Goff, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Reeta Gurung, MD Kathmandu, Nepal

Anna Gushchin, MD Hines, Illinois

Arezu Haghighi, MD Ventura, California

Tara Hahn, MD Houston, Texas

Bradley Hansen, MD Idaho Falls, Idaho

Matheson A. Harris, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

James G. Howard, MD Murray, Utah

Todd Jackson, MD Las Vegas, Nevada

Zachary Joos, MD Renton, Washington

Khizer Khaderi, MD Sacramento, California

Victoria Knudsen, MD Murray, Utah

Elliott Kulakowski, MD Park City, Utah

Robert C. Kwun, MD Murray, Utah

David P. Lewis, MD Brigham City, Utah

Majid Moshirfar, MD Draper, Utah

Valliammai Muthappan, MD Sewickley, Pennsylvania

Anastasia Neufeld, MD Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Tom Oberg, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Samuel F. Passi, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Hreem Patel, MD Stickley, Illinois

David B. Petersen, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Marcos Reyes, MD St. George, Utah

Trent Richards, MD Layton, Utah

Christopher Ricks, MD Provo, Utah

Sanduk Ruit, MD Kathmandu, Nepal

Derek J. Sakata, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Joshua Schliesser, MD St. George, Utah

Loren S. Seery, MD Kennewick, Washington

Avni Shah, MD Santa Rosa, California

D. Snow Slade, MD St. George, Utah

Robert E. Smith, MD West Valley City, Utah

R. Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD Atlanta, Georgia

Russell Swan, MD Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Scott O. Sykes, MD Ogden, Utah

Geoff Tabin, MD Palo Alto, California

Robert L. Treft, MD Layton, Utah

James Tweeten, MD Boise, Idaho

Albert Ungricht, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Jeremy Valentine, MD Provo, Utah

Aaron N. Waite, MD Lehi, Utah

Gary Wallace, MD Idaho Falls, Idaho

Matthew S. Ward, MD Provo, Utah

Charles H. Weber, MD Oregon City, Oregon

Eric Weinlander, MD Madison, Wisconsin

Robert C. Welch, MD Twin Falls, Idaho

John Welling, MD Medford, Oregon

Brice J. Williams, MD, PhD Ogden, Utah

Darcy Wolsey, MD, MPH Salt Lake City, Utah

Gilbert C. Wong, MD West Jordan, Utah

DonRaphael Wynn, MD Boise, Idaho

Zachary J. Zavodni, MD Salt Lake City, Utah