Cornea and Eye Banking Forum 2020 Session I

Marjan Farid, MD, is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery and Vice-Chair of Ophthalmic Faculty at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute (GHEI) at UC-Irvine. Dr. Farid's clinical practice is divided between patient care, teaching, and research. Dr. Farid’s research interests focus on corneal surgery, specifically in the use of the femtosecond laser for corneal transplantation. She performs all forms of corneal transplantation -- femtosecond enabled and lamellar keratoplasty. Dr. Farid is also the founder of the Severe Ocular Surface Disease Center at UCI. She performs limbal stem cell transplants as well as artificial corneal transplantation for the treatment of patients with severe ocular surface disorders. She is published in multiple peer reviewed leading journals and text book chapters.  Dr. Farid currently serves as the Chair of the Cornea Clinical Committee of ASCRS and the Program Chair for the EBAA.

Jennifer Li, MD, is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the UC Davis Eye Center where she is the Director of the Cornea and External Disease Service and the Fellowship Director. Dr. Li received her medical degree and completed her residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and subsequently completed a fellowship in Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at UC Davis. She is also the Co-Medical Director of Sierra Donor Services in Sacramento, California. Dr. Li is the immediate past Chair of the EBAA Board of Directors and has served on various EBAA committees including EBAA Accreditation Board, the Scientific Programs Committee and as Chair of the Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Li received the R. Townley Paton Award in 2021 for her contributions to the EBAA, sight restoration and corneal transplantation.

Joshua Hou, MD, is an Associate Professor and the Lyon Chair of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota. He received a BS in Chemistry from Duke University (Durham, NC), where he graduated summa cum laude. He received his MD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO). He then completed an ophthalmology residency and a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Hou currently serves as the Cornea Fellowship Director at the University of Minnesota and maintains a busy tertiary referral practice specialized in complex corneal transplantation and severe ocular surface disease. He is currently the Medical Director of the Lions Gift of Sight Eye Bank, serves as  Chair of the EBAA Scientific Programs Committee, and is an Associate Editor of the Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation Journal. He leads an NIH funded laboratory at the University of Minnesota and his research interests include eye banking, tissue processing, and limbal stem cell deficiency.

Roheena Kamyar, MD, is a Clinical Assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh specializing in Cornea and External Diseases. She currently also serves on the advisory board at the Center for Organ Recovery and Education and is the Assistant Medical Director at the eye bank.

Anthony Aldave, MD, is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Chief of the Cornea and Uveitis Division at the Stein Eye Institute. As a member of the EBAA Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Aldave and colleagues reported an increase in donor-transmitted fungal infections following corneal transplantation in 2013. He has maintained an interest in this topic since, recently publishing an invited editorial on the role of antifungal prophylaxis after receipt of a positive donor rim fungal culture and completing a study investigating the incidence, treatments and outcomes of donor-transmitted fungal infection following DMEK.

Shahzad Mian, MD, is professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School and serves as the Vice Chair for Clinical Sciences and Learning. Dr. Mian previously served as director of the residency training program between 2004-2019. Dr. Mian’s practice is focused in cornea and refractive surgery and research interests include corneal transplantation techniques, ocular graft versus host disease, and eye banking. Dr. Mian received the senior achievement award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2015, the Straatsma award for resident education in 2017 and the R. Townley Paton Award from the EBAA in 2019. Dr. Mian serves on the Board of Eye Bank Association of America, Cornea Society, and Eversight Eye Bank.  Dr. Mian also serves on the Residency Review Committee for Ophthalmology, and as the Senior Medical Director of Eversight Michigan. In addition to serving on the EBAA Board of Directors, Dr. Mian is the Chair of the Medical Advisory Board and a member of the Accreditation Board.