Journal of Ophthalmic Research and Ocular Care

Dr. Cindy Linn is a neurophysiologist whose interests concern the cellular mechanisms involved in visual processing in the vertebrate retina. She obtained Ph. D. in Neurophysiology from Rice University, Houston, TX and Post doc in Neurophysiology from University of Texas, Galveston, TX and University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. She then started working as Assistant Professor in Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center, LA. Dr. Linn also worked as Associate Professor in Western Michigan University and LSU Health Sciences Center. A major focus in her lab deals with neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity using an in vitro model of excitotoxicity and an in vivo model of glaucoma. In the in vitro studies, adult pig and rat retinal ganglion cells are isolated from other retinal neurons and cultured under excitotoxic-inducing conditions. Studies in the lab have identified a number of a7 acetylcholine receptor agonists that prevent retinal ganglion cells from dying under excitotoxic conditions. The mechanisms associated with excitotoxicity and neuroprotection against excitotoxocity are analyzed using a combination of pharmacological, immunocytochemical, electrophysiological and ELISA techniques. In addition to in vitro studies, a rat model of glaucoma has been developed in adult Long Evans rats to analyze the effects of neuroprotective agents on retinal ganglion cell survival under physiological conditions. In this model, glaucoma is induced in one eye of adult rats and potential neuroprotective agents are introduced to the retina to determine if introduction of these agents to the retina prevents the loss of retinal ganglion cells that is normally associated with glaucoma. Research interests for Cindy Linn include Excitotoxicity, Glaucoma, Retinal pharmacology, Neurophysiology in retina, Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, Retinal ganglion cells, Neuroprotection.

Dr. John D Bullock is a Chair and Professor in the Department of Ophthamology at Wright State University, Ohio, United States of America. Dr. Bullock is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Medical School, completed an internship in internal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis before serving as a medical officer in the United States Navy. After residency training in ophthalmology at Yale University, he completed fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Mayo Clinic. He received a Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from Wright State University and a Master of Public Health degree (emphasizing epidemiology) from the Harvard School of Public Health. He also completed additional training from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Dr. Bullock is the author or coauthor of more than 240 scientific publications, predominantly related to infectious diseases, toxicology, and trauma. He discovered three new causes of blindness and elucidated the etiology and/or description of eight different retinopathies. His research influenced the market withdrawal of two general anesthetics, a warning label for a pharmaceutical agent whose inappropriate use resulted in blindness, and a Consumer Products Safety Commission-mandated warning label. Dr. John D Bullock research interest includes epidemiologist, ophthalmologist, and microbiologist who studies interventions to control serious infectious diseases of the eye. His investigations combine classical epidemiology, mathematical modeling, analytical chemistry and laboratory experimentation.

Dr. Omer Iqbal is a Professor of Pathology and Ophthalmology at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, USA. He is an elected fellow in the American College of Cardiology and European Society of Cardiology. For nearly three decades he has been actively involved in research in the field of Hemostasis and Thrombosis. His scientific interests are wide and varied including diabetic retinopathy, keratoconus, age-related macular degeneration, Stevens Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SJS?TEN), Precision Medicine, mechanism of carcinogenesis, cancer-associated hypercoagulation, interventional cardiology, echocardiography, air travel thrombosis, new anticoagulant drugs, anti-platelet drugs, thrombolytic drugs, personalized medicine, pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, microarray technology, and nanotechnology. He is currently working on the molecular pathogenesis of keratoconus, SJS/TEN, molecular mechanism of action and point-of-care monitoring of new oral and intravenous anti-thrombin, anti-Xa anticoagulant drugs, Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists and thrombolytic agents. He is a member of numerous national and international scientific organizations including ISTH, IUA, ASH, AHA, ACC, ESC and ASCO. He has been an invited speaker at several national and international scientific meetings.

Dr. David M Kleinman, is a board certified ophthalmologist with fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery. Dr. Kleinman received his medical degree with honors and completed a subsequent residency in ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He then recieved additional training through a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Toronto School of Medicine. Dr. Kleinman is the former Chief of Ophthalmology at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado where he also served as Director of Ophthalmic Trauma Services and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute. Besides attending to his clinical practice at the University of Rochester Eye Institute, Dr. Kleinman is President and Co-founder of Eyeon Therapeutics, Inc. a start-up firm developing new treatments for eye diseases. He also serves as a consultant to both large and small ophthalmic pharmaceutical and device companies nationally. Dr. Kleinman's research involves the pharmaceutical treatment of diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration. He has made numerous contributions to clinical and research publications in national and international journals of ophthalmology, and has made presentations throughout the world. In addition, he participated as a surgeon for the Himalayan Cataract Project and served as a staff ophthalmologist for Project ORBIS International, Inc. National Clinical Trials involve VEGF trap treatment for age related macular degeneration and Age related eye disease study 2. Retina research trials involve Adaptive Optics Imaging of Inherited Macular Diseases.

Dr. Bruce Gaynes is Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Research Program Director in Department of Ophthalmology at Loyola University,Maywood, IL. He holds doctorate degrees in both pharmacy and optometry as well as a graduate degree in pharmacology from the Indiana University Medical Sciences Program. He holds a joint appointment at the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Hines, IL and Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, Maywood, IL. Dr. Gaynes worked as Assistant Professor of Optometry in Indiana University, School of Optometry at Bloomington, Indiana and then as Chief of Optometry Service in Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center Allen Park, Michigan. He is now Lecturer in Department of Ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center and Adjunct Assistant Professor in College of Pharmacy at University of Illinois. Dr. Gaynes research interests include development of new therapies for conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, all of which contribute to substantial visual impairment world-wide.

Dr. Minoru Tomita is a board-certified ophthalmologist, Director and founder of Minoru Tomita Eye Clinic Ginza, Tokyo, Japan. He received his medical degree from Aichi Medical University, Japan, completed his internship at Kansai Medical University Hospital, and PHD course from Kansai Medical University. Dr. Tomita also received the fellowship at Harvard University Medical Hospital for 2 years, and received the best fellow paper award, Department Ophthalmology, Harvard University. He became an executive medical director in Shinagawa LASIK Center, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Tomita has received numerous honors during his career, including the grand prize of the poster at American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) in 2010, the grand prize of the cornea and refractive surgery at ASCRS in 2011, the grand prize of the all categories at ASCRS in 2012, the grand prize of the poster at European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons in 2012, the best poster prize at American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in 2013, and the presidential award at the AAO in 2014. In his career, Dr. Tomita inducted as the instructor of Lasik and presbyopia treatments at AAO in 2011, and the chairman of the board of directors at AAO and International Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He has also been visiting professor at Wenzhou Medical University. Dr. Tomita is an international pioneer of the latest treatments. He treated more than 100000 LASIK surgeries and started Minoru Tomita Eye Clinic Ginza in June, 2014.

Dr. Rosa M Corrales joined at Point Guard Partners and its subsidiaries Oculos Clinical Research and Point Guard Biosciences in July 2013, where she’s Regulatory, Operations and QA/QC Manager. As a project leader and manager of several projects, Dr Corrales creates and maintains timeline for drug development programs. As a part of Point Guard Biosciences team; she monitors and reviews pharmaceutical industry information sources for competitive product information, opportunities, and business intelligence. Before this position, she was a Scientist at the Ocular Surface Center, part of the Cullen Eye Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX from March 2003 to December 2006 and from July 2009 to July 2013. Dr. Corrales’s groundbreaking research into dry eye disease focuses on identifying specific genes or proteins that are involved in causing the damage to the ocular surface of the eye. Her research has identified molecular targets for therapy of dry eye disease as well as better methods to diagnose the condition. Prior this position, she was leading projects on stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine at the Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology (IOBA) in the University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain (2006-2009), where she was the Director of the Molecular Biology Lab of this Institute, focused mainly in the diagnosis of clinical infectious diseases in ocular samples as well as in helping other researchers with the needed molecular biology techniques for the development of their projects. During this time she diagnosed more than 500 samples from patients and she collaborated as much in the experimental part as in the analysis of results in 20 research projects. She has over 18 years of research experience in Ophthalmology from basic to translational research, drug discovery and development.

Dr. Frank Tost is a Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology at University Eye Hospital Greifswald, Germany. Since 1998, he worked as a Leading Ophthalmic Consultant and Deputy Director. He graduated in Medicine in 1987 at the Martin-Luther-University in Halle-Wittenberg. Dr. Tost wrote a thesis on "Expressivity of prenatal-toxic, cyclophosphamid-induced disorders of the eye". After training as Ophthalmologist at the University Eye Hospital in Halle, he was appointed lecturer of clinical ophthalmology in Halle/Saale. He was invited to get a professorship in Greifswald. He has received several awards for his research including the Hermann-Wacker-Award of German Society of Ophthalmology. He is member of several Scientific Societies (EVER, DOG, DEGUM, EFSUM) and founding member of the CURAC. Dr. Tost published about 100 scientific papers, most of them concerning teleophthalmology, ophthalmopathology, cytology, immunology, pharmacology, ultrasound, oculoplastic surgery and ocular surface disorders. He is a member of the national council of DEGUM (German-speaking Society of Ultrasound), Section Ophthalmology. Dr. Frank Tost research interest includes Teleophthalmology (Monitoring, Home Care Systems), Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ophthalmopathology, Glaucoma, Impression, cytology, Dry eye, Apoptosis, Neoplasia of ocular surface, Orbital Lymphoma.

Dr. Juan Eduardo Gallo is a Professor in Department of Ophthalmology at Austral University, Argentina. He received his Ph.D in Medical Sciences at Karolinska Institute in 1983. Dr. Juan Eduardo Gallo worked as Vice-Dean in Facultad de Ciencias Biomedicas at Universidad Austral, Staff Member in Department of Ophthalmology at Hospital Universitario Austral. His research interest includes ophthalmology, diabetology, etc.

Dr. Steve Harvey is a Professor in Department of Physiology at University of Alberta, Canada. He received his D.Sc and Ph.D in Endocrinology and B.Sc. in (Honors) Zoology at University of Leeds in 2005, 1977 and 1974 respectively. He also working as Associate Chair in Department of Physiology, Adjunct Professor in Department of Agriculture at University of Alberta. Member of the Neuroscience and Neuroendocrinology Group, University of Alberta. Dr. Steve Harvey has research association in Recognized on campus as an "Established Center of Research Excellence".

Dr. Zihua Hu is the Adjunct Assistant Professor in Departments of Ophthalmology and Biostatistics at State University of New York at Buffalo. He is also working as Bioinformatics Computational Scientist at New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. He obtained Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistryfrom University of Iowa and Post-doc in Genomics from Michigan State University. Dr. Hu has been with the Center for Computational Research since 2002. He works with users interested in bioinformatics resources and provides support and assistance to UB faculty and Roswell Park researchers. Dr. Hu's research has focused on the utilization of interdisciplinary approaches, such as computational biology, genetics, and statistics, to integrate high-throughput biological data to understand gene regulation mechanisms in a systems level for diseases in the fields of Transcriptional regulation of gene expression, microRNA regulation, Genetic variation, gene regulation, and disease.

Dr. Jorge Alberto Perez Leon is a Professor Investigator in Departamento de Ciencias Quimico-Biologicas at Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He received his Doctor of Philosophy and Masters Degree in Neuroscience. Dr. Jorge Alberto Perez Leon research interest includes GABAA receptor, melanopsin-containing cells, functional receptors within the retina, etc.

Dr. Luke Rebenitsh comes very highly regarded from one of the top cornea and refractive surgery fellowship programs in the United States, Durrie Vision, in Kansas City. There he trained and performed research under the auspices of Dr. Daniel Durrie, who is regarded to be one of the foremost refractive surgeons of our time. Dr. Luke is board certified and has been trained in not only modern cornea refractive procedures, such as LASIK and PRK, but also the newest of refractive technological advances. He is active in the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and he is an executive member of the Refractive Surgery Alliance (RSA). Dr. Luke Rebenitsch has his greatest research interest in the newest technologies to treat presbyopia. He was the the first surgeon in the United States to implant 100 Kamra Inlays and is active in clinical research surrounding them. He is also actively doing clinical research surrounding visual quality before and after corneal and implant based refractive procedures. Luke is also a consultant to the FDA for the ophthalmic devices panel.

Dr. Jun Zhang is a Staff Scientist in Synaptic Physiology Section at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, USA. Dr. Zhang completed his Ph.D in Neurobiology and Histology from the University of Sichuan School of Medicine, Chengdu, China in the year 1997. He worked as an Associate Professor at Shanghai Institute of Physiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, China in the year 2000. Dr. Zhang worked as a Staff Scientist at Histopathology Core of National Eye Institute (NEI) from 2009 to 2011, in where he studied eye diseases, such as AMD, retinal degeneration. Dr. Jun Zhang research interest includes molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission in the retinal circuits and glutamatergic pathway in the retinal ribbon synapse as well retinal degeneration diseases focusing on age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Dr. Simone Lan Li is a Clinician Scientist in the Division of Ophthalmology and the CoDirector of the Laboratory of Visual and Ocular Motor Physiology at Akron Children's Hospital, USA. Dr. Li performs independent research on ocular diseases in infants and children. She also supervises the performance of routine electrophysiological testing on patients and families. Dr. Li earned her PhD in Vision Science from Syracuse University and then an OD from the New England College of Optometry in Boston. Prior to coming to Akron Children's Hospital, she completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Vision Science at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas, Texas. During her PhD and postdoctoral training, Dr. Li studied various aspects of the visual system, including stereo vision and binocular function. Dr. Simone Lan Li research interests includes amblyopia, binocular vision, pediatric ophthalmology, nystagmus, psychophysics and computational modeling of the human stereo vision.

Dr. Josef Troger is an Associate Professor in Department of Medicine at University in Innsbruck, Austria. Dr. Troger began his education in ophthalmology in July 1993 at the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical University in Innsbruck and he is senior physician for Department Ophthalmology at the Department for Ophthalmology and Optometry at the University Clinic in Innsbruck, Austria since January 2000. Dr. Josef Troger research interest includes in the neuropeptide research in the eye.

Dr. Antonio Gloria is a Researcher at the National Research Council of Italy. He is a Professor at University of Naples Federico II, Italy and at the Second University of Naples. He is also Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria - Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development, Portugal. Dr. Gloria received a PhD in Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II and he is a Researcher at the National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials. He is also member of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), the Italian Society of Biomaterials (SIB), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and full member of the American Nano Society. Dr. Antonio Gloria's research interest includes Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Biomechanics, Additive Manufacturing, Reverse Engineering, Design and Manufacturing, Materials Science and Technology, Materials Properties, Modeling and Simulation.

Dr. Gabriella Lupo is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biochemical and Biotechnological Sciences of the University of Catania, Italy. Dr. Lupo completed his Ph.D in Biochemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania in the year 1995 and Postgraduate in Microbiology from same university in the year 1991. Dr. Gabriella Lupo research interest includes Studies of in vivo transport through the blood-brain and blood-retinal barrier, Role of the isoforms of phospholipase A2 in the processes of retinal and brain tumor angiogenesis, Effect of bacterial infections on the blood-brain/retinal barriers, Diabetic retinopathy and retinal angiogenesis, Studies of cell adhesion on biocompatible surfaces, Studies of intracellular signaling on human melanoma and retinoblastoma cell lines. Dr Lupo is currently working on diabetic retinopathy, major cause of vision loss, currently treated with anti-VEGF agents. High glucose impairs the retinal pericytes, surrounding endothelial cells, through activation of PLA2/COX-2/VEGF-A pathway.

Dr. Luca Esposito is an Associate Professor at the University of Naples "Federico II" and member of the Department of Industrial Engineering (DII). Dr. Luca Esposito recieved his ph.D. from the University of Cassino in Civil and Mechanical Engineering and a Post Doc degree in Machine Design with thesis in the field of the continuum damage mechanics applied to high temperature. Dr. Luca Esposito research interests involves formulation and modeling of mechanical materials response under extreme operative conditions. Biomechanics, failure analysis and development of constitutive framework for biological tissues and non-conventional materials, are other personal expertise. He makes extensive use of the finite element method as tool of investigation in all the areas of interest. Creep modeling and high temperature material characterization are the main scientific fields of interest. Luca Esposito is author of more than 50 articles on international journals and conference proceedings related to biomechanics, ductile damage and cohesive modeling, local approach to brittle fracture, composites, creep behavior of pure metals and alloys. Dr. Esposito teaches “Machine Design” for the degree course of mechanical engineering and he is also coordinator of the Laboratory of Mechanics of Materials and Structures (LMMS).

Dr. Gorkem Bilgin graduated from Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Turkey. She then went on to complete her residency training in the Department of Ophthalmology at Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital. After completing her residency, she had a scholarship for fellowship training in Neuro-ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Los Angeles, under the tutelage of Anthony Arnold, MD and Dr.Lynn K Gordon, MD, PhD. She is working as an ophthalmologist in Hacettepe University Beytepe Hospital at the moment. Dr. Bilgin's reserch interests includes the study of relation between sleep apnea and neurophtalmologic diseases and glaucoma.

Dr. Lingkun Kong is a Professor in Department of Ophthalmology at Eye Hospital of Harbin Medical University, china. She received her Ph.D in Medical Science at University of Queensland, Australia in 2003. Dr. Lingkun Kong worked as Assistant Professor at The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Lingkun Kong current research projects which are funding and non-funding are Laser and bevacizumab treatment for retinopathy of prematurity; Serum bevacizumab and VEGF level in ROP infant after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab: Phase I clinical trial; Nanoparticle intraocular drug delivery system to prevent systemic absorption of drugs; Development of a new tumor tracking technique to improve outcomes ocular tumor; Biomarkers in retinopathy of prematurity, etc.