For the past week, Retina Rounds has been honored to welcome Dr. Mayank Bansal as our guest surgeon.  He has shared a wide spectrum of educational vitreoretinal surgical videos and now we welcome him for our podcast interview with Dr. Steven Schwartz.  Dr. Bansal is the founder and director of Claritas Eye & Retina Center in Delhi, India and has trained throughout the world including the famous All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India,  The Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, UK, the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles and a research fellowship at Stanford University.  Dr. Bansal talks about strategies to address healthcare needs and access in India as well as  innovation using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology for inherited retinal dystrophies.

As part of our “Giants in Retina” series, Retina Rounds is honored and excited to welcome Dr. David Brown.  Dr. Brown built one of the premier private practices and clinical research centers in the world at Retina Consultants of Houston and his practice has served as a model for how to maintain high quality and ethical standards when conducting clinical research.  Beyond his numerous scientific contributions in retina, Dr. Brown has also been a pioneer in the business of retina, having led groups of top tier retina practices around the country to form Retina Consultants of America.  Dr. Brown talks about his group’s considerations when they decided to partner with private equity, how this has facilitated their ability to raise the level of care in communities around the country, and the impact that private equity has had on their recruitment of the best and brightest young retina doctors.  

As part of our “Giants in Retina” series, Retina Rounds is honored to welcome Dr. Barry Kuppermann.  For over 3 decades, Dr. Kuppermann has been an innovator and pioneer in the field of ophthalmic drug delivery, having made transformational contributions in the management of both infectious and inflammatory ocular disorders.  In addition, Dr. Kuppermann has been an academic leader.  As Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine and Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Dr. Kuppermann has built one of the premier retina divisions and ophthalmology departments in the country.  In this episode, Dr. Kuppermann talks about the guiding principles in his professional life, including intellectual curiosity and integrity, the role mentors and collaborators have played in his career arc, and the values that have kept him excited and engaged in academic medicine. 

To wrap up our week of pediatric vitreoretinal surgery, we are delighted to welcome to the Retina Rounds Podcast Dr. Aaron Nagiel.  As many of you have seen through the videos he has shared with us, Dr. Nagiel is an extremely talented and innovative surgeon.  During this podcast we will get to learn more about Dr. Nagiel’s career path, what drew him to pediatric retina, his thoughts on the future of gene therapy, how to learn new skills as a surgeon, and his pearls as a medical educator.  Let’s check it out!

For our latest podcast, Retina Rounds welcomes Dr. Naresh Mandava, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado.  Over the past 18 years under Dr. Mandava’s leadership, the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado has seen immense growth including the building of the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center and the expansion of their clinician-scientist faculty to being one of the largest and most innovative faculty in the country.  In this episode, Dr. Mandava talks about his roots and mentors and how they inspired him to build a culture of excellence and innovation in his department.  Dr. Mandava also provides many pearls to junior retina specialists on how they can reach their potential and deal with setbacks.  Let’s check it out!

In this week’s podcast, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. Jack Wells, former Vice-Chair for the DRCR.net,  Ophthalmology Department Chair at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, managing member of Palmetto Retina Cdenter in Columbia South Carolina, and a leader in clinical trials.  Dr. Wells talks about his formative years under the mentorship of Tom Aaberg, Alan Bird and Zdenek Gregor, how he got involved in clinical trials and the professional satisfaction that participation in research has brought to his career.  He also reviews key learnings from the DRCR.net trials and tips he provides to fellows in training.  Let’s check it out!

In today's podcast, part of our "Giants in Retina" series, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. Mark Blumenkranz.  Dr. Blumenkranz has been an innovator as a clinician, surgeon and department chair.  Known for many contributions in ophthalmology, Dr. Blumenkranz founded the retina fellowship training program at the Beaumont Eye Institute and was the guiding force behind the creation of the Byers Eye Institute while Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University.  In this interview, Dr. Blumenkranz discusses the difficult decisions he had to make as he navigated from academic medicine to private practice and back to academia, the process of building one of the top eye institutes in the country, and the impact that innovation can and should have on the lives of patients.  

In the latest episode of our "Giants in Retina" series, Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. David Parke.  Dr. Parke has been a leader in ophthalmology, academia and organized medicine having served as the President and CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma and the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Parke discusses his career path in ophthalmology, the guiding principles as a leader of an academic department and the initiatives he established while CEO of the AAO that served to strengthen our field and empower ophthalmologists.  The interview provides a unique perspective on how leadership within organized medicine and ophthalmology can help to advance the field!

For Podcast #2 in our "Giants in Retina" Series, Dr. Steven Schwartz interviews Dr. George Williams.  Dr. Williams is Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Beaumont Eye Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan.  He has served as past President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has been instrumental in shaping healthcare policy, benefiting numerous patients.  In addition, Dr. Williams is a leader in graduate medical education, having served as a mentor to countless residents and fellows.  In this episode, Dr. Williams talks about his personal professional journey, the values he looks for in choosing colleagues and trainees, the joys of training and learning from ophthalmologists around the globe and the role ophthalmologists can play in shaping healthcare policy.  It's an enlightening interview that highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships in our professional lives.

For the first episode in our podcast series, Retina Rounds podcast co-host, Steven Schwartz, MD interviews an innovator, surgical pioneer and one of the fathers of modern vitreoretinal surgery: Steve Charles, MD. Dr. Charles has developed many of the machines and tools we use every day in the operating room, which is one of the many reasons he received the Laureate Recognition Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology . In this interview, Dr. Charles talks about his path in ophthalmology, shares insights on the early days of developing a modern vitreoretinal surgical platform, and provides valuable clinical pearls for both comprehensive ophthalmologists and retina specialists. The interview is filled with many interesting stories and anecdotes, which you will love!