Kellogg's New Faculty Amanda Kiely Bicket, M.D., M.S.E., is a glaucoma specialist dedicated to improving the surgical experience of those with glaucoma by means of both surgical device design and patient-centered outcomes research. She completed an ophthalmology residency at Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute and a glaucoma fellowship at Duke Eye Center before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins in her hometown of Baltimore.
Company Funding to Enhance Retinal Survival David N. Zacks, M.D., Ph.D., found a perfect fit at the Kellogg
Eye Center in 2002 and hit the ground running after earning a combined M.D. and Ph.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and finishing his ophthalmology training at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston.
Dr. Zacks’ clinical activity focuses on diseases and surgery
of the retina. His main area of research centers on why retinal cells die during diseases such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, and on developing therapeutics aimed at preserving retinal cells and improving visual outcomes for patients with these types of diseases.
Dr. Zacks’ commitment to the study of retinal disease led
to his role as one of three co-founders of ONL Therapeutics in 2011. The name ONL is an acronym for the ONL — Outer Nuclear Layer — a part of the retina where his research has yielded promising new therapies. He says the Michigan Medicine Office of Tech Transfer was instrumental in helping
Mónica Díaz-Coránguez, Ph.D., is a Research Investigator in the Antonetti Lab. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. David A. Antonetti's laboratory at Kellogg Eye Center. Her research focuses on blood-retinal barrier dysfunction and also on the development of new therapies that might be effective in several blinding eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy. Adam Jacobson, M.D. completed residency training in New York and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the Kellogg Eye Center. His interests include medical education and pediatric glaucoma. He is currently one of the associate medical student clerkship directors and manages patients with pediatric glaucoma at the University of Michigan. Nathan W.A. Liles, M.D., M.P.H., completed residency and fellowship training at Kellogg and is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. His education and research interests include public health outcomes and clinical outcomes research, data analytics and integrating technology to enhance trainee and patient education.
him set up the company and to enabling him to continue to work to bring his discoveries to market.
“It was through ONL Therapeutics that we received
funding for our patent — a medication therapy to treat retinal disease,” he says, noting that the drug, of which Michigan Medicine is co-inventor, is currently being tested in a phase one clinical trial involving patients with retinal detachment.
Sarah Michelson, M.D., completed residency training at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center before joining the faculty at Michigan Medicine. Her clinical interests include comprehensive ophthalmology and cataract surgery, and she has a passion for medical education and teaching.
“Our goal is to keep retinal cells alive and preserve vision.”
Among those Dr. Zacks credits for the company’s ground-
breaking accomplishments is Kellogg associate professor of ophthalmology Cagri Besirli, M.D., Ph.D., who also specializes in neuroprotection research. He also credits Michigan Medicine Office of Tech Transfer and Kellogg, saying, “Both are at the forefront of developing new therapies — I’m grateful to be here.”
Pamela E. Williams, M.D., recently returned to Michigan after 16 years in private practice in Baton Rouge, LA. She completed her surgical internship and ophthalmology residency at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and remained in Indianapolis for her Pediatric Ophthalmology fellowship. Her special interests include strabismus and amblyopia treatment and Retinopathy of Prematurity. 31
