Scientific Symposium

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.

Joshua H. Hou, MD, is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Duke University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He then received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. After that, he completed both his ophthalmology residency and cornea and external disease fellowship at the University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary. Since 2015, Dr. Hou has served as Medical Director of the Lions Gift of Sight. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Hou also maintains a research laboratory at the University of Minnesota and is currently supported by the Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation. His main research interests include limbal stem cell deficiency and corneal tissue processing. Dr. Hou has been an active member of the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) since completing his cornea fellowship in 2014. He is a past participant of the EBAA Physician Leadership Program, and he currently serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Board and Scientific Programs Committee. He is also a regular physician lecturer for the EBAA Slit Lamp Microscopy Seminar.

Mark J. Mannis, MD, is the Fosse Endowed Chair in Vision Science Research, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, UC Davis Eye Center at the University of California, Davis. He also serves as Medical Director of Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank in Sacramento, California. Dr. Mannis is a recipient of the R. Townley Paton Award from EBAA and was a recipient of the Lew Wasserman Award in research from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. for his work in the development of antimicrobial peptides in ophthalmology. He has received the Moacyr Alvaro Gold Medal from the Federal University of Sao Paulo for contributions to ophthalmic education in Latin America and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He was the 2014 recipient of the Castroviejo Medal for his lifetime contributions to the subspecialty of cornea and both the Claes Dohlman Award from the Cornea Society and the EnergEyes award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his mentorship and teaching accomplishments. He conducts a busy referral practice in diseases of the cornea and external eye based at the University of California, Davis.

Jonathan Lass, MD, is the Charles I Thomas Professor in the CWRU Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and University Hospitals Eye Institute.  He also directs the Cornea Image Analysis Reading Center at UH and CWRU and serves as the Medical Director for Eversight Ohio.  He recently served as the PI for the National Eye Institute-sponsored Cornea Preservation Time Study which elucidated the factors impacting graft success and endothelial cell loss following DSAEK.  He received the Paton Award from the EBAA in 2012 and the Castroviejo Award from the Cornea Society in 2017.

Bennie H. Jeng, MD, MS, is the Harold G. Scheie Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Scheie Eye Institute, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Washington University and his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He then completed his ophthalmology residency and chief residency at the Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in cornea and external diseases at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation/University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in 2003.

He returned back to the Cole Eye Institute to serve on faculty, during which time he was the recipient of a K-grant from the NIH and also earned his Master’s degree in Clinical Investigation from Case Western Reserve University. He subsequently returned to Proctor/UCSF as an Associate Professor and then Full Professor, where he served as co-director of the UCSF cornea service, Director of the Proctor/UCSF Cornea Fellowship program, and Chief of Ophthalmology at San Francisco General Hospital, as well as being an R01-funded researcher in ocular surface diseases. In August 2013, Dr. Jeng began his tenure as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served for nearly 9 years. He assumed his current position in July 2022.

Dr. Jeng has been very active with EBAA, dedicating his time and expertise to the association. He has served on the Research Committee since 2013 and is currently the Chair. He has also served on the Accreditation Board for nearly a decade and is currently Co-Chair. In addition, he has also been a longstanding member of the Medical Advisory Board and the Scientific Programs Committee (including as past Chair), and he has also served on the EBAA Board of Directors.

Dr. Jeng is also involved in the leadership of many other ophthalmologic societies, as President of the Cornea Society, Immediate Past-President of the Eye and Contact Lens Association, on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Ophthalmology, and on many AAO committees. He is a current member of the American Ophthalmologic Society as well as the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Dr. Jeng has published over 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and 30 book chapters, and he has delivered over 400 invited lectures nationally and internationally.

Elmer Tu, MD, is a Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and the Director of Cornea Service at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Tu serves as Medical Director for Eversight, and is a current member of the EBAA Medical Advisory Board and the Eversight Medical Advisory Board. 

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.

Francis W. Price, Jr., MD is founder and president of Price Vision Group and the Cornea Research Foundation of America. He is the president and co-founder of the Medical Practice Consortium which oversees operations of nonprofit organization with $15 million in annual revenues.  The Medical Practice Consortium provides benefit coverage to 90 independent Indiana medical practices.  The Consortium has developed innovative ways to control rising prescription drug costs. He is an internationally recognized ophthalmic surgeon and recipient of the Life Achievement Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Barraquer Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and been principal investigator of more than 130 clinical studies of ophthalmic devices, medications and surgical techniques.

Mark Terry, MD, has been the Director of Corneal Services at the Devers Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon since 1990. He is also a Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Oregon Health Sciences University. He received his undergraduate degree at Yale University, his medical degree at St. Louis University and completed his residency in Ophthalmology in San Francisco at the Naval Hospital Oakland. He has been the Medical Director of Lions VisionGift Eye Bank in Oregon and the Scientific Director of the Lions VisionGift Research Laboratory since 1990. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the AAO, the R. Townley Paton Award from EBAA, and is a member with thesis of the prestigious and exclusive American Ophthalmological Society since 2007. 

David C. Ritterband MD, FACS, is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Health. He is currently the System Director of Refractive Surgery for the Northwell Health System and practices at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH). Dr. Ritterband received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his Doctorate in Medicine from New York Medical College. He completed his ophthalmology residency at New York Medical College and his Corneal and External disease fellowship at The Eye and Ear Institute of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Ritterband dedicates his time to clinical ophthalmic care, surgery, research and teaching. He has a special interest in ocular microbiology and corneal transplantation.

Clara Chan, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto and the President of the Canadian Cornea and Refractive Surgery Society. She teaches fellows as part of the Cornea fellowship program and is the Medical Director of the Eye Bank of Canada, Ontario Division. She has published more than 110 peer-reviewed papers and is the Cornea Editor for Eyeworld magazine. Most recently, Dr. Chan was included in The 2021 Ophthalmologist Power List, recognizing the top 100 most influential global female figures in ophthalmology. 

M. Soledad Cortina, MD, is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and attending physician in the Cornea Service at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. Cortina serves as Director of the Keratoprosthesis Artificial Cornea Program, and Director of the Infirmary’s Comprehensive Ophthalmology Faculty Practice and General Eye Clinic. She is also co-director of the cornea fellowship program. Dr. Cortina joined the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary as a board-certified cornea specialist in 2010. She received her medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, Argentina. Dr. Cortina completed her residency at Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine; a research fellowship at Louisiana State University’s Neuroscience Center; and a clinical fellowship in cornea at UIC’s Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. She currently serves as Medical Director for Eversight. Dr. Cortina currently serves as Vice-Chair of the EBAA Scientific Programs Committee and a member of the Accreditation Board and Medical Advisory Board.