The Tufts Eye Alumni Association

The Tufts Eye Alumni Association
Eye care specialists who share a Tufts University heritage
TEAA NEWSLETTER
volume 1 number 2
Fall, 2009
First Tufts Eye Alumni reunion a success
The first annual Tufts Eye
Alumni Association (TEAA)
reunion was held on Saturday,
June 20th, the day following the
2009 New England Eye Center
(NEEC) resident and fellow
graduation ceremonies. The
reunion was a great success!
Attendees had an opportunity to
not only reconnect with other
Tufts alumni but also were able
to listen to three excellent clinical
talks given by former Tufts
Maura Santangelo, MD
Bill Deegan, MD
ophthalmology residents, Bill
Deegan, Sarkis Soukiasian and
Maura Santangelo.
The day began with breakfast
followed by brief comments
from Jay Duker, Professor and
Chair of the Department of
Ophthalmology, regarding the
current state of the department,
and Tom Hedges, Director of
Neuro-ophthalmology,
Frank D’Ambrosio Sr., M.D., retires
On Saturday, April 4, 2009, at the Spring Hill Suites Marriott,
Devens, Massachusetts, a retirement party was given for Frank
D’Ambrosio who has been an outstanding figure, especially as an
active member of the Tufts Alumni Association and the eye
department. Frank was a member of the great class of 1945 at Tufts
Medical School and has been an inspiration for all of us with regard
to generating alumni support. During the last 15 years, Frank has
been a devoted member of the eye department providing
opportunities for many of the faculty to practice in his office in
Leominster. Frank is among the most generous founding members
of the Tufts Eye Alumni Association.
continued on p. 2
highlighting the history of the
Tufts Department of
Ophthalmology.
These remarks were followed
by talks from the three former
residents. The first talk, entitled
“Ongoing Challenges in the
Management of Retinoblastoma,”
was given by Bill Deegan. Bill
graduated from Tufts College
(1983), Tufts Medical School
(1988), and the Tufts
Ophthalmology Residency
program (1992). to p. 3
Sarkis Soukiasian, MD
2
The Tufts Eye Alumni Association (TEAA)
—Mission—
The mission of the Tufts Eye Alumni Association (TEAA) is to foster
a sense of community among eye care professionals who are graduates
of Tufts schools and/or the Tufts ophthalmology teaching program.
TEAA will organize educational and social activities for residents,
fellows, medical students and alumni. Additionally it will serve as a
clearinghouse to keep alumni informed about activities/achievements
of other alumni and updates on the New England Eye Center and the
Tufts Department of Ophthalmology. TEAA will strive to provide
both financial and advisory leadership to support the educational and
research missions of the Department of Ophthalmology. TEAA’s
initial efforts will be to establish an endowed professorship for the
Director of Ophthalmic Education in order to insure that future
residents and fellows benefit from the highest standard of mentorship.
TEAA will establish a fund and conduct an annual drive to help
achieve its goals. It will develop a website, publish a bi-annual
newsletter and host an annual reception at AAO. TEAA will organize
educational forums and periodic reunions. An advisory board will be
created to insure that the TEAA mission is achieved.
~UPCOMING EVENTS~
Annual TEAA/NEEC AAO reception at the 2009
Academy meeting, San Francisco. All alumni are invited.
The Tufts Eye Alumni Party will be held at the W Hotel in San
Francisco on Sunday, October 25th from 7-10 pm during this year’s
American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco. All
alumni are invited, and we hope to see you there. Please RSVP to
Stephanie Dunn at 617-636-4677, [email protected]
Come to the 2nd
Annual Tufts Eye
Alumni Day
-Save the dateNext Tufts Eye Alumni
reunion to be held Saturday,
April 24, 2010
This year, we thought it might
be worthwhile to have the Tufts
Eye Alumni Reunion during the
Tufts Medical School Reunion.
We hope that this might be
more convenient for many
members, since the month of
June is a very busy time for
many individuals and their
families. This will also give
alumni an opportunity to
experience the exciting changes
that have been made in the
Medical School, as well as at the
New England Eye Center. This
year, we again plan to invite
three alumni speakers. Anyone
who wishes to participate in
alumni reunions should feel free
to contact Tom Hedges or Jay
Duker.
Frank D’Ambrosio Sr., M.D., retires at 88
continued from page 1
Frank’s illustrious career began in the U.S. Army Air Corps after
graduating from Tufts Medical School. He practiced in Boston before
establishing offices in Concord and Leominster. He also served as the army’s
ophthalmology consultant for the east coast and as the consultant for the
Mass. Commission for the Blind, which last year honored him for his years of
service. Frank has received other honors and awards from many civic
organizations, including the Lions Club and Tufts University, for
distinguished service. He also serves as chaplain for the Mass. State Police.
Last December, after 60 years in practice, Frank retired to spend more
time with his family. At his retirement party, he spoke of being with his wife
of 66 years, Jennie, and their 9 children, 31 grandchildren, and more than 20
great-grandchildren. He and Jennie have been travelling to Las Vegas and
Italy when not relaxing in their Concord home. Additionally, Frank serves as
an ordained Catholic deacon in Holy Family Parish in Concord.
3
First Tufts Eye Alumni reunion a success
continued from page 1
He completed fellowships in Vitreoretinal
Diseases and Surgery, at Washington Hospital
Center (1994) and Ocular Oncology/Pediatric
Retinal Diseases and Surgery, at Doheny Eye
Institute, Children's Hospital, USC School of
Medicine, Los Angeles (1995). Bill has a thriving
practice in Washington D.C. where he specializes in
retinal tumors. He sees patients from all over the
world. Bill Deegan is associate clinical professor at
Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Next on the podium was Sarkis Soukiasian, also a
graduate of Tufts College (1979), Tufts Medical
School (1983) and the Tufts Ophthalmology
Residency Program (1989). After fellowships at
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard
Medical School (Ocular Immunology and Uveitis,
1990, and Corneal and External Diseases, 1991),
Sarkis developed a very successful practice in
complex cataracts, laser vision correction, corneal
diseases, and uveitis at the Lahey Clinic in
Burlington, Massachusetts. He is Assistant Clinical
Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine and
a well-respected teacher within the residency
program. Sarkis gave a talk entitled “Demystifying
the Uveitis Workup,” which he gives annually at the
American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Joel Reisman and Ernie Sutcliffe
The final talk, entitled “Ophthalmology as a
Development Tool: Adventures in the Himalayas,”
was given by Maura Santangelo. Maura showed
amazing photographs to describe her experiences.
Maura graduated from Brown University and the
Tufts Ophthalmology Residency Program (1980).
After a fellowship at Ophthalmic Consultants of
Boston, Maura went into practice in Binghamton,
Peter Kelley and Paul Cotter
New York, and is clinical assistant professor at
Upstate Medical University, Clinical Campus
Binghamton. In addition to building her practice and
raising a family, much of Maura’s energy has been
devoted to international ophthalmology. She has
traveled to many different countries and has been
most engaged in providing ophthalmic care in the
Himalayas. She is Chair Elect, Ophthalmologist and
Medical Advisor to Seva Tibet Sight Program.
Working in nine countries in addition to the United
States, Seva Foundation supports projects in the area
of health and wellness, community development,
environmental protection and cultural preservation.
This reunion was a great opportunity for Tufts
alums who had not seen each other for a number of
years to reunite. A sense of community among the
graduates of the ophthalmology program at Tufts
was reestablished. Many who were there indicated
that this was a great experience and promised to
attend our next alumni reunion. By the way, the food
was fantastic. Our sincere thanks go to Christine
Yardley and Stephanie Dunn who were
indispensable in making this happen.
4
Attending the first Tufts Eye Alumni Association reunion were
Milhim Aswad
Brad Baker
Isabel Balderas
Caroline Baumal
Amita Bhatt
Jeffrey Chang
Vivek Chaturvedi
Vicki Chen
Paul Cotter
Bill Deegan
Jay Duker
Andrew Gillies
Michael Goldstein
Varant Hagopian
Tom Hedges
Katrinka Heher
Joseph Ho
Mitesh Kapadia
Jean Keamy
Peter Kelly
Melissa Kern
Dru Krishnan
Dan Landmann
Caroline Marten-Ellis
Cynthia Mattox
Frank McCabe
Brendan McCarthy
Deb McCoy
Dave McMahon
Jennifer Mullon
David Reese
Elias Reichel
Norman Reinach
Joel Reisman
Chris Robinson
Isaac Rudloe
Maura Santangelo
Johanna Seddon
Sarkis Soukiasian
Dom Strazzulla
Mitch Strominger
Ernie Sutcliffe
Lloyd Wilcox
Foreground:
Drs. Seddon,
Hedges,
Santangelo,
Schenk, and
Wilcox. Larry
Schenk, an
orthopedic
surgeon, is the
husband of Maura
Santangelo.
Back in the day
Former residents (l to r) Maura Santangelo, Sarkis Soukiasian, and Bill Deegan, circa 1980, ’89, ’92, respectively.
The Tufts Eye Alumni Association Website can be currently found by going to
http://medical.alumni.tufts.edu . We will provide information regarding all of the activities sponsored by the Tufts
Eye Alumni Association. We welcome any news or ideas which could be put on the site.
5
Renovations for the wetlab are underway
cataract. Practice is needed to achieve the desired
With the support of the Tufts Eye Alumni
result. Since cataractous lenses provide the
Association contributions, we now have enough
money to begin renovations on the fourth floor of learning surgeon with a more realistic model than
the clear lenses of pig eyes as
the Boston Dispensary,
delivered to the lab, the ability to
which includes the Bernard
readily make a cataract is of benefit
Schwartz Teaching
in the teaching laboratory.
Laboratory, the
We are trying to obtain two
Ophthalmology Pathology
additional phaco machines from
Teaching Laboratory, and
Alcon and Bausch and Lomb. The
the Moshe Lahav Library.
grant proposals have been written
While these changes will
and submitted, and now we are
make the area more
awaiting the companies’ replies. We
comfortable and pleasing to
are also in need of two additional
the eye, the goal of the
operating microscopes. If anyone is
reconfiguration is to
upgrading an operating microscope
increase the usefulness of
and would like to donate the older
the space for residents,
microscope to our laboratory, please
fellows, medical students
contact Joel Reisman at (617) 510and alumni.
0953.
Our wetlab is available at
Alumni who have volunteered
various times but is most
have found that the wetlab has
active on Fridays when
Dr.
Anderson
with
resident
Catherine
Cox,
MD
excellent equipment for both
most instruction is
teaching and learning new techniques.
scheduled. With the help of NEEC researcher
Siobhan Cashman, we have been manufacturing
“I was very impressed with the wetlab
our own
facilities. I would suspect that the NEEC wetlab
viscoelestic to
is one of the best equipped in the country! It
augment our
represents a tremendous resource for the residents
donated
and fellows,” remarked Carolyn Anderson, MD,
supplies. Dr.
after spending a day in the wetlab.
Reisman has
Dr. Dan Chu elaborated on his recent teaching
been
experience. “The wetlab at the New England Eye
experimenting Center is a wonderful resource for the residents to
with creating
begin learning the surgical skills they will need.
cataracts in pig Everyone who has been a resident remembers the
eyes. A
anxiety of sitting down at the surgical microscope
mixture of
for their first cataract case, and repeating the
alcohol and
progression of steps in their mind from
formaldehyde
paracentesis to suturing the wound. Guidance,
is injected into repetition, spatial awareness, and familiarity with
the lens through the pars plana, and the eye is then instruments all help to foster and improve
microwaved for approximately 5 seconds. The
microsurgical skills and prepare the residents for
precise volume of solution to inject and duration
the operating room. Joel Reisman, MD, and David
of microwave radiation exposure are critical to
Schultz have set up an amazing multi-station
prevent adhesion of the anterior capsule to the
wetlab with several phacoemulsifcation units,
6
teaching scopes, video monitoring, and all the
instrumentation needed to get familiar with basic
surgical skills. Joel has made it easy to come in and
add to the foundation he has established with the
new residents. It was really a pleasure to work one
on one with the residents in this environment and
answer any questions they had regarding the skill
they were practicing. I look forward to seeing the
progress they are making in the wetlab translate
into the operating room.”
We hope that many more alumni will volunteer
in the wetlab in the future. Please contact Joel
Reisman at [email protected] or
education coordinator Elizabeth Cook
[email protected] to arrange your
visit.
Special thanks are due to New England Eye
Center photographer and technician David
Schultz for his invaluable assistance in managing
the laboratory with Dr. Reisman.
Sharewood Clinic provides teaching opportunity for Tufts Eye Alumni
We also are developing an ophthalmology
service at the Sharewood Clinic in Malden Center.
Sharewood (www.sharewood.info) is a free clinic
that is operated by medical students and provides
care for anyone who desires it regularly on Tuesday
evenings. Through the energy and inspiration of
Emily Waisbren, currently a fourth-year medical
student at Tufts, we now are providing eye
screening on a monthly basis and plan to expand
this so that eye care may be provided. The
residents have been helpful in overseeing the
medical students, and we hope also in the near
future to have experienced practicing
ophthalmologists get involved. This is an excellent
volunteer activity that could be shared among
several ophthalmologists who would have an
opportunity to mentor residents, as well as medical
students. For those who are interested in this type
of activity, please contact Dru Krishnan, Director
of Residency Training at
[email protected], or Tom Hedges
at [email protected].
Recent New England Eye Center publications
Schirmer CM. Chan M. Mignano J. Duker J. Melhus CS. Williams LB. Wu JK. Yao KC. Dose de-escalation
with gamma knife radiosurgery in the treatment of choroidal melanoma. Int J Radiation Oncology,
Biology, Physics. 2009;75(1):170-6.
Kim JS. Ishikawa H. Sung KR. Xu J. Wollstein G. Bilonick RA. Gabriele ML. Kagemann L. Duker
JS. Fujimoto JG. Schuman JS. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurement reproducibility improved
with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009;93(8):1057-63.
Yoon SJ. Rhee DY. Marx JL. Blaha GR. Rogers AH. Baumal CR. Reichel E. Duker JS. Anatomic and visual
outcomes of noninfectious endophthalmitis after intravitreal triamcinolone. Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;147(6):1031-6.
Gorczynska I. Srinivasan VJ. Vuong LN. Chen RW. Liu JJ. Reichel E. Wojtkowski M. Schuman
JS. Duker JS. Fujimoto JG. Projection OCT fundus imaging for visualising outer retinal pathology in nonexudative age-related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009;93(5):603-9.
Witkin AJ. Vuong LN. Srinivasan VJ. Gorczynska I. Reichel E. Baumal CR. Rogers AH. Schuman
JS. Fujimoto JG. Duker JS. High-speed ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography before and
after ranibizumab for age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology. 2009;116(5):956-63.
Kaluzny JJ. Wojtkowski M. Sikorski BL. Szkulmowski M. Szkulmowska A. Bajraszewski T. Fujimoto
JG. Duker JS. Schuman JS. Kowalczyk A. Analysis of the outer retina reconstructed by high-resolution,
three-dimensional spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 2009;40(2):102-8.
Chen Y. Vuong LN. Liu J. Ho J. Srinivasan VJ. Gorczynska I. Witkin AJ. Duker JS. Schuman. Fujimoto JG.
Three-dimensional ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography imaging of age-related macular degeneration.
Optics Express. 2009;17(5):4046-60.
Srinivasan VJ. Chen Y. Duker JS. Fujimoto JG. In vivo functional imaging of intrinsic scattering changes in the
human retina with high-speed ultrahigh resolution OCT. Optics Express. 2009;17(5):3861-77.
Ishikawa H. Kim J. Friberg TR. Wollstein G. Kagemann L. Gabriele ML. Townsend KA. Sung. KR. Duker JS.
Fujimoto JG. Schuman JS. Three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) image enhancement with
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segmentation-free contour modeling C-mode. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009;50:1344-9.
Wiegand TW. Rogers AH. McCabe F. Reichel E. Duker JS. Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of
choroidal neovascularisation in patients with angioid streaks. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009;93(1):47- 51.
Busbee BG, Alam A, Reichel E. Lidocaine hydrochloride gel for ocular anesthesia: results of a prospective,
randomized study. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 2008;39(5):386-90.
Diskin S. Cao Z. Leffler H. Panjwani N. The role of integrin glycosylation in galectin-8-mediated trabecular
meshwork cell adhesion and spreading. Glycobiology. 2009;19(1):29-37.
Hedges TR, Vuong, LN, Gonzalez-Garcia AO, Mendoza-Santiesteban CE, Amaro-Quiereza AL. Subretinal fluid
from anterior ischemic optic neuropathy demonstrated by optical coherence tomography. Arch
Ophthalmol 2008;126:812-815.
Hedges TR. Bernard Schwartz, MD, PhD, founding Chair of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine,
and founding editor of Survey of Ophthalmology. Surv Ophthalmol. 2009;54:625-629.
Edwards AO. Swaroop A. Seddon JM. Geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration and TLR3.[comment].
N Eng J Med. 2009;360(21):2254-5; author reply 2255-6.
Seddon JM. Reynolds R. Maller J. Fagerness JA. Daly MJ. Rosner B. Prediction model for prevalence and incidence of
advanced age-related macular degeneration based on genetic, demographic, and environmental variables. Invest
Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009;50(5):2044-53.
Yu CL. Tucker MA. Abramson DH. Furukawa K. Seddon JM. Stovall M. Fraumeni JF Jr. Kleinerman RA.
Cause-specific mortality in long-term survivors of retinoblastoma. J Nat Cancer Inst. 2009; 101(8):581-91.
Yi K. Mujat M. Park BH. Sun W. Miller JW. Seddon JM. Young LH. de Boer JF. Chen TC. Spectral domain optical
coherence tomography for quantitative evaluation of drusen and associated structural changes in
non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2009;93(2):176-81.
Seddon JM. Reynolds R. Rosner B. Peripheral retinal drusen and reticular pigment: association with CFHY402H
and CFHrs1410996 genotypes in family and twin studies. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009;50(2):586-91.
Fagerness JA. Maller JB. Neale BM. Reynolds RC. Daly MJ. Seddon JM. Variation near complement factor I is
associated with risk of advanced AMD. European Journal of Human Genetics. 2009;17(1):100-4.
Strominger MB. Rogers GL. Wagner RS. Dissociated vertical deviation and inferior oblique overaction. J Ped
Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2009;46(3):132-6.
Cao Z. Saravanan C. Goldstein MH. Wu HK. Pasricha G. Sharma S. Panjwani N. Effect of human tears on
acanthamoeba-induced cytopathic effect. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(3):348-52.
Bird B. Romeo M. Laver N. Diem M Spectral detection of micro-metastases in lymph node histopathology.
Biophotonics. 2009;2(1-2):37-46.
Weinreb I. Gnepp DR. Laver NM. Hoschar AP. Hunt JL. Seethala RR. Barnes EL. Chetty R. Perez-Ordonez B.
Seromucinous hamartomas: a clinicopathological study of a sinonasal glandular lesion lacking
myoepithelial cells. Histopathology. 2009;54(2):205-13.
Dilks DD. Baker CI. Peli E. Kanwisher N. Reorganization of visual processing in macular degeneration is not
specific to the "preferred retinal locus". J Neuroscience. 2009;29(9):2768-73.
Luo G. Woods RL. Peli E. Collision judgment when using an augmented-vision head-mounted display device. Invest
Ophthalmol & Vis Sci. 2009;50(9):4509-15.
Giorgi RG. Woods RL. Peli E. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of peripheral prism glasses for hemianopia.
Optometry & Vision Science. 2009;86(5):492-502.
Donations for Teaching Fund & TEAA activities needed
Last year, after the memorial for Bernard Schwartz, a significant number of donations were given by alumni
in his memory to the Tufts Eye Alumni Teaching Fund. With these funds, renovations for the teaching
laboratory on the fourth floor of the Boston Dispensary have begun. However, we still need considerably
more funding to complete the project. We also look forward to continuing to have various events,
especially the reunion just for alumni next spring. However, this does require donations from alumni, and
we hope that the initial success of our Tufts Eye Alumni activities will motivate others to contribute and for
those who have already contributed to continue to be as generous as they can. Donations should be sent to
New England Eye Center, c/o Thomas Hedges or Jay Duker. Checks should be made out to the Trustees
of Tufts College, and designated for the Tufts Eye Alumni Teaching Fund.
The Tufts Eye Alumni Association
Eye care specialists who share a Tufts University heritage
Resident and fellow graduation held June 19, 2009
This year, as in the past, on Friday afternoon before graduation ceremonies, our residents and fellows
presented a fascinating review of the many research projects they have completed, many of which have
been or will be presented at ARVO and the Academy and most of which will be published. The quality
of presentations was superb and generated a considerable amount of discussion. This was followed by
the Morton Grant lecture, “On the Shoulders of Giants: The Evolution of Ophthalmology,” given by
Norman Medow, M.D., Professor and Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Manhattan Eye & Ear
Infirmary. Following Dr. Medow’s talk, the traditional awarding of the diplomas to graduating residents
and fellows took place. After this, cocktails followed by an excellent dinner were offered at the Marriot
Courtyard Hotel during which the residents provided some of the best video skits ever.
Graduating resident Jeffrey Chang attended Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University
School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Jeff is currently a surgical retina fellow at the combined New
England Eye Center/Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston training program.
Vivek Chaturvedi did his undergraduate training at Washington University in St. Louis and went to
medical school at the University
of Oklahoma. Vivek is currently
a surgical retina fellow at Illinois
Retina Associates / Rush
University.
Dan Landmann completed
undergraduate studies at Tufts
University School of
Engineering and went to
medical school at Tufts
University. Dan is continuing his
training as an oculoplastics
fellow here at the New England
Eye Center.
Steve Yoon graduated from
Johns Hopkins University and
went to medical school at the
University of Virginia. Steve is
currently doing a one year
oculoplastics fellowship at the
Drs. Duker, Yoon, Chaturvedi, Chang, Landmann, and Krishnan
University of California – Irvine.
We at the New England Eye Center were very fortunate to have Jeff, Vivek, Steve and Dan as
residents. We know that they will be very successful practitioners of ophthalmology, and we are proud
to count them among our graduates.
The graduating fellows were Maayan E. Keshet and Michelle S. Ying, Cornea, External Disease &
Anterior Segment; Isabel M. Balderas and Tom C. Hsu, Glaucoma; Janet J. Chieh and David S.
Liao, Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery; Lindsay M. Smithen, Medical Retina, and Joseph Ho, OCT
Research. Fellows of their caliber enhance the New England Eye Center and we look forward to hearing
of their future success.