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Rachel A. F. Wozniak, M.D., Ph.D.

Rachel A. F. Wozniak, M.D., Ph.D.

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About Me

Rachel Wozniak, MD, PhD is a member of the Flaum Eye Institute's Cornea Service. She provides expert and compassionate medical and surgical care to patients challenged by hereditary and infectious corneal disease, anterior segment injuries, complications of systemic disease, cataract, and ocular sur...
Rachel Wozniak, MD, PhD is a member of the Flaum Eye Institute's Cornea Service. She provides expert and compassionate medical and surgical care to patients challenged by hereditary and infectious corneal disease, anterior segment injuries, complications of systemic disease, cataract, and ocular surface disease. Dr. Wozniak treats both children and adults and enjoys working with her colleagues from other FEI subspecialties to deliver comprehensive eye care solutions that maximize patient outcomes.

Dr. Wozniak earned her medical degree and completed a doctorate in genetics at Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Rochester School Of Medicine and Dentistry's Flaum Eye Institute. Here she also went on to complete a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the Flaum Eye Institute under a Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellow Award.

Besides her clinical pursuits, Dr. Wozniak is actively engaged in basic scientific research and has already authored an impressive list of peer-reviewed publications. Her particular area of research interest focuses on the pathogenesis of bacterial corneal infections and novel antimicrobial drug discovery. She is board certified through the American Board of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Women in Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Faculty Appointments

Associate Professor - Department of Ophthalmology (SMD)

Associate Professor - Center for Visual Science A&S (RC) - Joint

Associate Professor - Department of Microbiology and Immunology (SMD) - Joint

Credentials

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

Fellowship, Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical Center. 2016 - 2017

Residency, Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical Center. 2013 - 2016

Internship, Transitional Year, Cambridge Hospital. 2012 - 2013

Education

MD | Tufts University School of Medicine. 2012

PhD | Tufts University School of Medicine. 2012

Awards

Drug Development Delivery Pilot Award. 2016 - 2016

ASCRS Foundation Research Award. 2016 - 2016

Snell Ophthalmology Resident Investigator Award. 2016 - 2016

Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellow Award. 2016 - 2016

Young Investigator Track, ARVO/NAEVR Advocacy Day. 2014 - 2014

Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Resident Retreat. 2014 - 2014

Research

Patents

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: 3500254

Country: Europe

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: August 24, 2021

Patent #: 11,096,923

Country: United States

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: FR3500254

Country: France

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: DE3500254

Country: Germany

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: IT3500254

Country: Italy

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: NL3500254

Country: Netherlands

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: ES3500254

Country: Spain

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Pharmaceutical Composition Containing Polymyxin B/Trimethoprim Based Therapeutics

Issue date: March 23, 2022

Patent #: GB3500254

Country: United Kingdom

Inventors: Paul M Dunman, Rachel A Wozniak

Publications

Journal Articles

Combination Therapy of Cefiderocol and Polymyxin B Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis Isolates In Vitro.

Romanowski EG, Young EK, Mumper SM, Yates KA, Wozniak RAF, Zegans ME, Shanks RMQ

Translational vision science & technology.. 2025 November 314 (11):7. Epub 1900 01 01.

Efficacy of a Novel Antibiotic Drug Combination Toward Multidrug-Resistant Ocular Pathogens.

Gowtham L, Wozniak RAF, Dunman PM, Sheba E, Garg P, Joseph J

Cornea.. 2024 August 143 (8):1044-1048. Epub 03/26/2024.

Reimagining the Past: A Future for Antibiotic Drug Discovery in Ophthalmology.

Chen ER, Wozniak RAF

Cornea.. 2024 January 143 (1):1-5. Epub 09/12/2023.

Infectious keratitis in Western New York: a 10-year review of patient demographics, clinical management, and treatment failure.

Maretz C, Atlas J, Shah S, Sohn MB, Wozniak RAF

Frontiers in ophthalmology.. 2024 4 :1469966. Epub 12/11/2024.

Antimicrobial Drug-Drug Interactions in the Treatment of Infectious Keratitis.

Dunster E, Johnson WL, Wozniak RAF

Cornea.. 2023 December 142 (12):1555-1561. Epub 04/27/2023.

Quantifying Clinicians' Diagnostic Uncertainty When Making Initial Treatment Decisions for Microbial Keratitis.

Hicks PM, Singh K, Prajna NV, Lu MC, Niziol LM, Greenwald MF, Verkade A, Amescua G, Farsiu S, Woodward MA,

Cornea.. 2023 November 142 (11):1408-1413. Epub 10/17/2022.

Staphylococcal Enterotoxins Promote Virulence in Bacterial Keratitis.

Johnson WL, Sohn M, Woeller CF, Wozniak RAF

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2023 May 164 (5):5. Epub 1900 01 01.

Three-dimensional heads-up cataract surgery

Mayro E.; Wozniak RAF.

Advances in Ophthalmology and Optometry. 2023; doi.org/10.1016/j.yaoo.2023.02.0.

and P infectious keratitis: key bacterial mechanisms that mediate pathogenesis and emerging therapeutics.

Shah S, Wozniak RAF

Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology.. 2023 13 :1250257. Epub 08/21/2023.

Editorial: Women in antimicrobial resistance and new antimicrobial drugs.

Wozniak RAF, El-Herte R

Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology.. 2023 13 :1263568. Epub 08/25/2023.

Case Report: Scleral hyperpigmentation associated with oral hydroxychloroquine use.

Maretz C, Omoruyi F, Wozniak RAF

Frontiers in ophthalmology.. 2023 3 :1192019. Epub 06/05/2023.

Assessment of Keratitis Severity Using Quantitative Image Analysis in an In Vivo Murine Model of Staphylococcus aureus Bacterial Keratitis.

Meijome TE, Wozniak R, Kang L, Azzouz L, Niziol LM, Johnson WL, Kriegel M, Woodward MA

Translational vision science & technology.. 2022 November 111 (11):12. Epub 1900 01 01.

Retained polyvinyl chloride fragments in the cornea following trauma.

Maretz C, Green KM, Wozniak RAF

American journal of ophthalmology case reports.. 2022 June 26 :101561. Epub 04/29/2022.

Antimicrobial Activity of a Triple Antibiotic Combination Toward Ocular Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates.

Mei JA, Johnson W, Kinn B, Laskey E, Nolin L, Bhamare P, Stalker C, Dunman PM, Wozniak RAF

Translational vision science & technology.. 2022 May 211 (5):26. Epub 1900 01 01.

Intrastromal Antibiotic Injection in Polymicrobial Keratitis: Case Report and Literature Review.

Pak CM, Savage DE, Plotnik R, Wozniak RAF

Case reports in ophthalmology.. 2022 13 (2):550-555. Epub 07/14/2022.

Evaluating the Antimicrobial Properties of Commercial Hand Sanitizers.

Chojnacki M, Dobrotka C, Osborn R, Johnson W, Young M, Meyer B, Laskey E, Wozniak RAF, Dewhurst S, Dunman PM

mSphere.. 2021 March 36 (2)Epub 03/03/2021.

Genomics of Staphylococcus aureus ocular isolates.

Johnson WL, Sohn MB, Taffner S, Chatterjee P, Dunman PM, Pecora N, Wozniak RAF

PloS one.. 2021 16 (5):e0250975. Epub 05/03/2021.

Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography in Ocular Argyrosis.

He X, Simmons NL, Wozniak RAF

Cornea.. 2020 November 39 (11):1433-1435. Epub 1900 01 01.

Efficacy of a Novel Ophthalmic Antimicrobial Drug Combination Toward a Large Panel of Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Ocular Isolates From Around the World.

Laskey E, Chen Y, Sohn MB, Gruber E, Chojnacki M, Wozniak RAF

Cornea.. 2020 October 39 (10):1278-1284. Epub 1900 01 01.

Short-term, high-dose hydroxychloroquine corneal toxicity.

Savage DE, Plotnik R, Wozniak RAF

American journal of ophthalmology case reports.. 2020 June 18 :100713. Epub 04/17/2020.

A Novel, Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Combination for the Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Corneal Infections.

Chojnacki M, Philbrick A, Scherzi T, Pecora N, Dunman PM, Wozniak RAF

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy.. 2019 October 63 (10)Epub 09/23/2019.

Development of a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Combination for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Corneal Infections.

Chojnacki M, Philbrick A, Wucher B, Reed JN, Tomaras A, Dunman PM, Wozniak RAF

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy.. 2019 January 63 (1)Epub 12/21/2018.

Antibiotics in Ophthalmology Practice

Wozniak RAF and Aquavella J.

Expert Review of Ophthalmology. 2017; 12(3): 243-250.

Keratoprosthesis in Ectodermal Dysplasia.

Wozniak RA, Gonzalez M, Aquavella JV

Cornea.. 2016 July 35 (7):1026-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Zinc Pyrithione Improves the Antibacterial Activity of Silver Sulfadiazine Ointment.

Blanchard C, Brooks L, Ebsworth-Mojica K, Didione L, Wucher B, Dewhurst S, Krysan D, Dunman PM, Wozniak RA

mSphere.. 2016 1 (5)Epub 09/14/2016.

Keratitis with Focal Descemet's Membrane Detachment and Intracorneal Hypopyon.

Venkateswaran N, Wozniak RA, Hindman HB

Case reports in ophthalmological medicine.. 2016 2016 :4502105. Epub 09/29/2016.

Considering keratitis: critical questions in disease management

Wozniak RAF; Aquavella J.

Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses. 2015; 10: 28-31.

Clinically Relevant Growth Conditions Alter Acinetobacter baumannii Antibiotic Susceptibility and Promote Identification of Novel Antibacterial Agents.

Colquhoun JM, Wozniak RA, Dunman PM

PloS one.. 2015 10 (11):e0143033. Epub 11/11/2015.

Integrative and conjugative elements: mosaic mobile genetic elements enabling dynamic lateral gene flow.

Wozniak RA, Waldor MK

Nature reviews. Microbiology.. 2010 August 8 (8):552-63. Epub 07/05/2010.

Comparative ICE genomics: insights into the evolution of the SXT/R391 family of ICEs.

Wozniak RA, Fouts DE, Spagnoletti M, Colombo MM, Ceccarelli D, Garriss G, Déry C, Burrus V, Waldor MK

PLoS genetics.. 2009 December 5 (12):e1000786. Epub 12/24/2009.

A toxin-antitoxin system promotes the maintenance of an integrative conjugative element.

Wozniak RA, Waldor MK

PLoS genetics.. 2009 March 5 (3):e1000439. Epub 03/27/2009.

Genomic and functional analysis of ICEPdaSpa1, a fish-pathogen-derived SXT-related integrating conjugative element that can mobilize a virulence plasmid.

Osorio CR, Marrero J, Wozniak RA, Lemos ML, Burrus V, Waldor MK

Journal of bacteriology.. 2008 May 190 (9):3353-61. Epub 03/07/2008.