Featured Speakers

Snell Memorial Lecturer Joel Schuman, M.D.

Joel Schuman, MD, FACS, is Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he is Director of the UPMC Eye Center. He is considered to be one of the nation’s leading authorities on the treatment of glaucoma and is a former recipient of the Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize from the New York Academy of Medicine.  He was recently honored by the Champalimaude Society for his contributions to ophthalmic diagnostic imaging through the development of optical coherence tomography.  He is widely published in scientific and peer-reviewed medical journals and a sought after educator.

Dr. Schuman was a professor at the Harvard School of Medicine’s Eye and Ear Infirmary followed by an appointment as professor and vice chair at the Tufts University School of Medicine. He also served as director of Glaucoma and Cataract Service at the New England Eye Center, part of the Tufts University Medical Center.  His research interests include imaging of the eye, laser-tissue interactions, aqueous outflow, and clinical pharmacology.  He holds two patents, one relating to optical imaging and the other to a method of glaucoma surgery. 

Dr. Schuman obtained his medical degree from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.  He did his ophthalmology residency at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and completed a two-year clinical fellowship in glaucoma at the Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Boston, part of Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Flaum Eye Institute Distinguished Visiting Professor, Timothy Olsen, M.D.

Timothy Olsen, M.D. is the F. Phinizy Calhoun Sr. Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director, Emory Eye Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. As a member of the Vitreoretinal Surgery and Disease service at Emory Eye Center, Dr. Olsen’s clinical expertise is in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, complex retinal detachment surgery and pediatric retinal disorders.

Dr. Olsen’s research is focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). He and Dr. Xiao Feng developed the Minnesota Grading System (MGS) for AMD, which has won awards internationally. This system is a non-interventional model of AMD, allowing work to be done at the biochemical level and is now moving into gene expression analysis in conjunction with Dr. Paul Wong (Emory) in AMD and mitochondrial function. His current projects are targeting advanced stage AMD, and he collaborates with engineers at Georgia Tech where a team is currently helping to facilitate the development of new surgical instrumentation to address advanced AMD.

He graduated medical school from the University of Kansas and completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Minnesota. He went on to a two year fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta. Among his laureates are a 2012 Gold Fellow award from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the 2010 Young Investigator from the Macula Society. He serves as an executive editor for the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and on the editorial board of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS), Ocular Surgery News (OSN), and is a reviewer for numerous journals.

Sayan Basu, MBBS, MS

is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Scientist of the Cornea and Anterior Segment Services at  L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India. Currently he spearheads the Institute’s osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (OOKP) program for the treatment of patients with severe bilateral corneal blindness. His other areas of specialization include management of complex ocular surface disorders and corneal stem cell transplantation.

He completed his basic medical education from R G K Medical College, Kolkata (1998-2003) followed by residency training in Ophthalmology at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Kolkata (2005-2008). He was Chief Cornea Fellow during his 2-year fellowship in Cornea and Anterior Segment, Ocular Surface and Refractive Surgery at LVPEI, Hyderabad (2008 to 2010). After training, he joined L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad as a consultant corneal surgeon and scientist. Dr. Basu’s research interests are primarily related to the development of stem cell based corneal regenerative therapies. He has published extensively in international peer-reviewed clinical ophthalmology journals. He is a reviewer for several national and international journals like the American Journal of Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology, Eye and Contact Lens, Expert Reviews of Ophthalmology and the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Larry Frohman, M.D.

is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience's at the University of New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry where he is also Vice-Chairman of the Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Dr. Frohman practices neuro-ophthalmology at UNJSMD. His clinical and research interests include inflammatory and autoimmune optic neuropathy, autoimmune neuro-ophthalmic disease, pseudotumor cerebri, neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of anti-cardioliopin antibodies, vasculitis and the eye and cost-effective neuro-ophthalmic care.

He has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters and is widely sought after as a lecturer at national and international meetings. He is Vice President of the North American Neuro-ophthalmology Society and the Chair of Continuing Medical Education/ Self Assessment - Multimedia Committee with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Frohman completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and did his residency in ophthalmology at New York University Medical Center. He then completed a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at New York University - Bellevue Medical Center.

James Oestricher, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.(C)  

is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto specializing in oculofacial plastic surgery. He is regarded as one of the leading authorities on the repair of complications of blepharoplasty  and a member of ASOPRS, the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Membership in this exclusive organization is restricted to a group of highly trained specialists -- less than 400 worldwide -- who have been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology after passing rigorous tests.

A frequent contributor to the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Oestreicher is the current President of the Canadian Oculoplastic Society. His research interests are numerous and include the use of CO2 lasers in oculoplastic surgery; the stimulation of orbicularis muscle for reanimation in patients with seventh nerve palsy; and the efficacy, complications and surgical techniques in orbital hydroxyapatite implants.

Dr. Oestreicher received his medical degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and has completed a fellowship in oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery through The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Canada) F.R.C.S. (C). He has been certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners (U.S.A.) and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Elias Traboulsi, M.D.

is a Professor of Pediatric Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University and Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at Cleveland Clinic. He is also the Executive Vice-President of the International Society for Genetic Eye Disease and Retinoblastoma and Editor-In-Chief of Ophthalmic Genetics and serves on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Traboulsi is a frequent guest speaker at national and international meetings, and the author of more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters. His book on Genetic Diseases of the Eye, published by Oxford University Press in 1999, is one of the major references on this topic. His clinical and research interests include the management and genetics of strabismus and congenital cataracts, and the nosology of ophthalmic and general medical genetic disorders and syndromes. He has a special interest in ocular developmental biology and ocular malformations, retinal dystrophies, childhood glaucoma and other common and rare ocular diseases of children.

Dr. Traboulsi attended medical school at the American University of Beirut where he also completed a residency in ophthalmology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. He went on to complete a fellowship in ophthalmic genetics at Johns Hopkins University and a U.S. residency in ophthalmology at Georgetown University Hospital. He completed an additional fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington D.C. He has numerous awards including the 2007 Teacher of the Year at Cole Eye Institute and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the International Society for Genetic Eye Diseases and Retinoblastoma.