Editorial Board

Dr. Asghari is the Associate Director of Clinical Education for BostonSight. Her clinical practice is patient-centric, collaborative and focuses on caring for those with complex ocular surface and corneal diseases with the aid of advanced customizations of scleral lenses.

As the Associate Director of Clinical Education, she also serves as adjunct clinical faculty for MCPHS school of Optometry and New England College of Optometry (NECO), working with students and contact lens residents. Dr. Asghari completed her Doctorate in Optometry from Southern California College of Optometry, graduating summa cum laude. Prior to joining BostonSight, she completed her PROSE clinical fellowship, as well as her post-doctoral residency in Cornea & Contact Lens and Ocular Disease from The Ohio State University Havener Eye Institute.

Dr. Asghari is equally passionate about education as she is about patient care. She enjoys working with students, lecturing, and writing for publications with her professional goal of expanding the understanding and scope of treatment for ocular surface diseases. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO), was awarded the VSP/AOF Practice Excellence Scholarship and was elected as a Top Doctor by the National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF) in 2018 and again in 2021.

Dr. Melissa Barnett is a principal optometrist at the University of California, Davis Eye Center in Sacramento and Davis, California. She is an internationally recognized key opinion leader, specializing in dry eye disease and specialty contact lenses. Dr. Barnett lectures and publishes extensively on topics including dry eye, anterior segment disease, contact lenses and creating a healthy balance between work and home life for women in optometry. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a Diplomate of the American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry, a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association and serves on the Board of the American Optometric Association Contact Lens and Cornea Section, Gas Permeable Lens Institute, International Society of Contact Lens Specialists and is Past President of The Scleral Lens Education Society.

Drs. Melissa Barnett and Lynette Johns authored and edited the book Contemporary Scleral Lenses: Theory and Application with the unique perspectives and contributions of international experts. Dr. Barnett was awarded the inaugural Theia Award for Excellence for Mentoring by Women in Optometry. She was granted the Most Influential Women in Optical from Vision Monday in 2019.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, hiking and spending time with her family, Todd Erickson, also an optometrist, and two sons, Alex and Drew.

To learn more, visit her website at: www.drmelissabarnett.com

Dr. Dierker is Director of Optometric Services at Eye Surgeons of Indiana, an adjunct faculty member at the Indiana University School of Optometry, and Immediate Past President of the Indiana Optometric Association. Dr. Dierker is the Co-Founder and Program Chair of Eyes On Dry Eye, the largest event for eyecare professionals in the industry. He has made significant contributions to raising awareness of dry eye and ocular surface disease in the eyecare community, including the development of Dry Eye Boot Camp and other content resources across dozens of publications.

Dr. Ahmad Fahmy is the Director of Optometric Services at Minnesota Eye Consultants. He received his professional training and the Doctor of Optometry degree in 2001 from the Illinois College of Optometry, and completed residency training in the perioperative care of glaucoma, anterior segment pathology, and refractive surgery with Minnesota Eye Consultants, P.A. in 2004. He earned Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry in 2004, and Diplomate designation in the American Board of Optometry in 2014. Dr. Fahmy is an Adjunct Faculty Assistant Professor of the Illinois College of Optometry, and Southern California College of Optometry.

Dr. Fahmy is a devoted advocate of an integrated eye care delivery model and serves as a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s Integrated Practice Committee (IPC), as well as an editorial board peer reviewer for the journal Clinical Ophthalmology. He has been involved in the clinical care of disadvantaged populations and is devoted to continued involvement in the development of philanthropic eye care initiatives. He also remains committed to teaching and mentoring. He is actively involved in numerous clinical research trials and has a special interest in the ocular surface disease.

Dr. Fulmer is the sole owner of Legacy Vision Center, a cold start, medically focused practice in Huntsville, AL, which launched at the end of 2020. A graduate of the UAB School of Optometry, she completed an ocular disease and primary care residency at the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center before returning to Alabama to serve as the Center Director and consultative optometrist for a referral-based, tertiary care facility and then as an associate at a multi-doctor family practice. Her clinical interests include disease management, particularly glaucoma, uveitis, dry eye, and neurology-related cases, as well as educating students and colleagues through lecturing and writing. She is an active member in the American Academy of Optometry and American Optometric Association and currently serves her profession as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Optometric Association and as President of the North Alabama Optometric Association. In her free time, Dr. Fulmer enjoys spending time with her husband and family, spoiling their fur-babies, traveling, attending concerts, and exploring the outdoors while kayaking and hiking. She also loves giving back through volunteering, including serving on the Board for HEALS, Inc, an organization that focuses on providing healthcare to local in-need youth.

Dr. Danielle Kalberer is an optometrist practicing on Long Island, NY. She attended the SUNY College of Optometry, completed residency at the Northport VAMC, is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is Board Certified in Medical Optometry.

Dr. Amrita Kaur is an optometrist practicing in Pittsburgh, PA. She is a 2016 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University. In the exam room she enjoys a challenging neuro or posterior segment case, pediatric exams, and getting to know her patients. Outside of the exam room, she enjoys drawing, playing tennis, and a good cup of tea!

Dr. Lech graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry and holds a degree in biology from UC San Diego. Upon graduation, he served as an eye doctor in the Navy and practiced at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, CA. While there, he was the director for both the Optometry Clinic and Specialty Contact Lens Services clinic. In 2004 he relocated to Roseville with his family and opened ClearVue Eye Care. Dr. Lech is deeply involved in iCareforIndia, a periodic mission to provide eye care and other critical healthcare services to some of the world's most distant and in-need populations.

Dr. McGee is the visionary founder of Precision Vision of Edmond, a boutique-style eyecare practice that specializes in dry eye disease, specialty contact lenses, and aesthetics. She is also the co-founder of Precision Vision of Midwest City, an MD-OD practice specializing in premium IOL and cataract surgery. She earned her OD degree from Northeastern State University College of Optometry, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She is a member of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians and the American Optometric Association. Currently she serves as the Immediate Past-President the OAOP. She is also an adjunct faculty member of Northeastern State University College of Optometry. She was named Young Optometrist of the year in 2012 by the OAOP.

Dr. Huda Minhas received a bilingual Doctorate of Optometry at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, with an honors undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. She currently practices in Sacramento at an MD-OD clinic that specializes in cataract surgery, ocular diseases, and secondary/tertiary care. Her philosophy is that healthy eyes are important to one's overall health, wellness, and well-being. In her spare time, Dr Minhas enjoys weightlifting, fine cuisine, and hiking.

Dr. Morrison is residency trained in cornea and contact lens and is the owner of In Focus: Specialty Contact Lens & Vision Solutions, a private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona specializing in contact lenses for advanced ocular conditions and comprehensive care for difficult visual cases.

Michael Ammar, M.D., is a board-certified vitreoretinal surgeon and partner at Retina Consultants San Diego. He obtained his medical degree in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California where he received the Dean’s Recognition Award for clinical and surgical excellence each of his medical years. His achievements and accolades resulted in his induction into Alpha Omega Alpha, the nation’s highest honor society, and graduating Summa Cum Laude with the USC Highest Distinction Award. He continued his training with ophthalmology residency in the Ivy League at the University of Pennsylvania, Scheie Eye Institute. He then pursued a surgical retina fellowship at the top-ranked Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.

At the Wills Eye Hospital, Dr. Ammar performed and taught thousands of procedures and surgeries for retinal conditions and complex ocular trauma. He has been involved in cutting-edge clinical trials and has authored numerous book chapters and studies. He has presented his work nationally and abroad. He has also served as a reviewer for multiple academic journals such as Retinal Cases and Brief Reports, American Journal of Ophthalmology, and RETINA.

Dr. Eric K Chin is a board-certified ophthalmologist in the Inland Empire of Southern California. He is a partner at Retina Consultants of Southern California, and an Assistant Professor at Loma Linda University and the Veterans Affair (VA) Hospital of Loma Linda. He is a graduate of University of California Berkeley with a bachelor’s of science degree in Bioengineering. Dr. Chin received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School, completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of California Davis, and his surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Iowa. During his residency and fellowship, he was awarded several accolades for his teaching and research in imaging and novel treatments for various retinal diseases.

Eric Donnenfeld, MD is one of the ophthalmology industry's leading experts. With a career spanning over 20 years, he has helped to revolutionize the field. He is highly passionate about ophthalmology, his career, and helping his patients.

As a Fellowship-trained cornea and glaucoma surgeon, Dr. Greenwood performs the most advanced techniques in cornea transplants, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), laser-assisted cataract surgery, and laser vision correction (LASIK). He is a leader among eye surgeons and is honored when patients choose him to restore their vision.

Dr. Alanna Nattis is a cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon, as well as the Director of Clinical Research at SightMD. She is an Ophthalmology Editor for Eyes On Eyecare, and serves as an associate professor in ophthalmology and surgery at NYIT-College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a prestigious Ophthalmology residency at New York Medical College and gained vast experience with ophthalmic pathology in her training at both Westchester County Medical Center and Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan.

Following her residency, she was chosen to be a cornea/refractive surgical fellow by one of the most sought after sub-specialty ophthalmic fellowships in the country, training with world-renowned eye surgeons Dr. Henry Perry and Dr. Eric Donnenfeld. During residency and fellowship, Dr. Nattis published over 15 articles in peer-reviewed journals, wrote 2 book chapters in ophthalmic textbooks, and has co-authored a landmark Ophthalmology textbook describing every type of eye surgical procedure performed, designed to help guide and teach surgical techniques to Ophthalmology residents and fellows. Additionally, she has been chosen to present over 20 research papers and posters at several national Ophthalmology conferences. In addition to her academic accomplishments, she is an expert in femtosecond laser cataract surgery, corneal refractive surgery including LASIK, PRK, laser resurfacing of the cornea, corneal crosslinking for keratoconus, corneal transplantation, and diagnosing and treating unusual corneal pathology. Dr. Nattis believes that communication and the physician-patient relationship are key when treating patients.

Dr. Constance Okeke is an Ivy League-trained, board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma and cataract surgery.

Dr. Okeke earned her college and medical degree at Yale University. She completed her Ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and then went on to complete a Fellowship in Glaucoma at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of University of Miami where she was a coveted Heed Research Fellow. Dr. Okeke continued to the Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania where she served as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, lead the glaucoma division for research, while also obtaining a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE).

In 2009 Dr. Okeke joined Virginia Eye Consultants (VEC) and continued training residents as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. She serves as the Lead Glaucoma Specialist at VEC and has participated as a Principal Investigator for numerous glaucoma related clinical trials involving new devices and medications.

Dr. Okeke is a pioneer in MIGS, or micro invasive glaucoma surgery. Among her many pioneering accomplishments in treating glaucoma and cataracts, she was the first in the Hampton Roads area to offer Trabectome, iStent, iStent Inject, Kahook Dual Blade, Visco360, Trab360, Ab Interno Canaloplasty (ABIC) and the first in the country to combine Trabectome with femtosecond laser in cataract surgery. “The Building Blocks of Trabectome Surgery: A Step-by-Step Approach for Patient Selection” is her first book.

Dr. Okeke’s research and writing has been featured in many ophthalmology publications, and she serves as an editorial advisory board member for the Glaucoma Today, Glaucoma Physician, CollaborativeEye and Hampton Roads Physicians publications. In addition to teaching, Dr. Okeke also has educational YouTube channels that feature glaucoma surgical techniques called iGlaucoma. Dr Okeke is an early adopter, educator, and speaker on various podiums nationally and internationally about the lastest in glaucoma medical and surgical treatment. Recently, Dr Okeke was voted to The Ophthalmologist's Power List 2021.

Learn more about Dr. Okeke's work here.

Dr. Deep Parikh, M.D. is a distinguished specialist in the field of Medical Retina and Uveitis. He maintains a private practice at Gentile Retina New York City and Long Island and is honored to hold the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor and Clinical Instructor at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai where he is actively involved with teaching Ophthalmology residents and fellows, Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU Long Island School of Medicine, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at SUNY College of Optometry.

His clinical focus on uveitis and retina disorders reflects a deep commitment to addressing complex ocular conditions. Renowned for his patient-centered approach, Dr. Parikh combines his advanced medical knowledge and training with empathetic care to provide comprehensive solutions for his patients. His exceptional communication skills enable him to share intricate medical concepts with both peers and the public, making him a highly sought-after speaker. Dr. Parikh's passion for clinical research signifies his commitment to staying at the forefront of medical advancements and providing his patients with the best possible care informed by the latest insights and innovations.

Dr. Nimesh A. Patel specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases. His clinical interests and expertise involve working with both adult and pediatric patients, He is an active member of the Retina Service at Mass. Eye and Ear, as well as at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he is the Director of Pediatric Retina.

Dr. Patel is an innovator with a passion for clinical research and online education platforms. He has published numerous original peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters spanning a range of subjects including surgical techniques, retinal vascular diseases, intraocular lenses, retinal imaging, and ocular infections. He is on the editorial board for the American Journal of Ophthalmology and hosts their podcast. In his spare time Dr. Patel enjoys playing tennis, reading and exploring the world.

Dr. Nandini Venkateswaran is a member of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and an Instructor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. She is a fellowship-trained cataract, cornea and refractive surgeon. Dr. Venkateswaran earned her medical degree with a distinction in community health from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. She completed her Ophthalmology residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/University of Miami, after which she completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Duke University.

Dr. Venkateswaran truly enjoys employing her clinical and surgical expertise and research background to treat patients with a compassionate, customized and multidisciplinary approach. She specializes in complex cataract surgery, femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery with intraoperative aberrometry, most advanced techniques in corneal transplantation (DMEK, DSAEK, DALK, PKP), laser refractive surgery (LASIK and PRK), corneal cross-linking, anterior segment reconstruction (including secondary IOL implantation and iris repair), dry eye disease and ocular surface lesions and tumors.

Dr. Venkateswaran is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and currently serves on several committees in these organizations. She has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters early in her career. She has received several awards for her excellence in research and clinical care and has presented her scientific work at numerous national and international meetings.

Outside of work, Dr. Venkateswaran enjoys spending time with her friends and family, learning to cook, and riding her peloton bike.