Expanding Clinical Care and Research in Oculoplastics

The Oculoplastics Service at Kellogg uses a multidisciplinary team approach to provide comprehensive care for the full range of pediatric and adult orbital and eye plastic disorders, including thyroid eye disease (TED), inflammation, fractures, and vascular malformations, and conditions impacting the function and appearance of the eyelid, eye socket, and tear ducts. An expanded program and new leadership are building on Kellogg’s pioneering reputation in this subspecialty—marked by the game-changing development of the first FDA-approved treatment for TED.

Vinay Aakalu, M.D., M.P.H., has been named Section Leader and Medical Director of Oculoplastics, and Director of the new Ocular Surface Disease Research Program. He joins oculoplastics specialists Hakan Demirci, M.D., Victor Elner, M.D., Ph.D., Denise Kim, M.D., and Christine Nelson M.D., FACS. A renowned clinician-scientist, Dr. Aakalu comes to Kellogg from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine (UIC).

In the lab, Dr. Aakalu was part of the team that first confirmed the presence of histatin peptides in tears and the cellular receptor for histatin peptides (TMEM97). Two of his current projects are supported by NIH R01 grants. One focuses on leveraging the wound healing properties of histatin peptides for the treatment of dry eye, corneal wounds and ocular surface inflammation. The second utilizes histatin peptides as a potential therapeutic approach to treat Niemann-Pick Type C disease, a rare, deadly neurogenerative disorder.

His focus in these translationally important areas led him to establish a drug development center for ophthalmic therapies. He plans to expand his focus on clinically meaningful orbital and ocular surface translational research at Kellogg.

“The breadth of talent, world-class facilities, and track record of breakthroughs in the treatment of orbital disorders brought me to Kellogg,” he says. “I am humbled by this opportunity to work alongside world leaders in oculoplastics and continue Kellogg’s legacy of transformative translational research.”