UCLA Ophthalmology: Leaders in Eye Care, Research, and Innovation

The UCLA Health Stein Eye Institute and Doheny Eye Centers stand as a beacon of excellence in ophthalmology, consistently ranked among the top eye care centers in the nation. Founded in 1966 by Jules Stein, MD, and Bradley Straatsma, MD, JD, the institute has a rich history of pioneering advancements in eye care, research, training, and community outreach, all with the overarching goal of preventing blindness.

Comprehensive Ophthalmology Services

UCLA Health offers a full spectrum of ophthalmology services, including both medical and surgical interventions, through the Stein Eye Institute and Doheny Eye Centers. This comprehensive approach ensures that patients receive targeted care tailored to their specific needs.

Areas of Expertise and Specialized Centers

UCLA Health's ophthalmology program boasts a wide array of subspecialty programs and specialized centers, each dedicated to a specific area of eye care. These include:

Aesthetic Center: Experts in ophthalmic plastic surgery enhance patients' appearance through procedures such as eyelid reshaping, fat transfer, and liposuction, ensuring safe and precise eye-related aesthetic treatments.
Center for Community Outreach and Policy: This center focuses on public health ophthalmology research and provides impactful, community-based services, exemplified by the Mobile Eye Clinic, which improves access to care in underserved areas.
Center for Eye Epidemiology: This center employs a team approach to research blinding diseases, funded by private donations, including an endowment from the Ahmanson Foundation.
Clinical Research Center: Providing core support for patient care studies, this center conducts nearly 80 clinical research studies to advance the understanding and treatment of eye disorders.
Diabetic Eye Disease and Retinal Vascular Center: This center specializes in treating diabetes-related eye conditions, contributing significantly to the understanding and care of these diseases through advanced techniques and research-based treatments.
Eye Care Immediate Care: Located in the Jules Stein Building, this service provides same-day evaluation and treatment for urgent eye problems, such as sudden vision changes or eye pain.
Laser Refractive Center: This center offers ultramodern vision correction treatments and was among the first in Los Angeles to use FDA-approved laser treatment for myopia and astigmatism.
Macular Disease Center: Established in 1994, this center provides high-quality care and rehabilitation for macular degeneration, offering patients access to new treatments through clinical trials.
Mobile Eye Clinic: For over 40 years, the Mobile Eye Clinic has provided eye exams and screenings in underserved communities, reaching over 20,000 adults and children annually.
Ocular Inflammatory Disease Center: Founded in 1985, this center coordinates research, education, and patient care for inflammatory eye disorders, participating in clinical and drug therapy trials to advance understanding of these diseases.
Ophthalmic Oncology Center: This center is renowned for its expertise in teaching, research, and clinical management of eye tumors, particularly ocular melanoma, using advanced surgical oncology techniques.
Optic Neuropathy Center: Experts in this center treat conditions affecting the optic nerve, often involving a multidisciplinary approach with ophthalmologists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons.
Orbital Disease Center: This center studies and treats orbital diseases caused by trauma, cancer, inflammation, or infection, offering a high level of expertise in Southern California.
Vision Genetics Center: Addressing hereditary eye disorders, this center offers diagnosis, treatment, genetic counseling, and DNA testing, collaborating with global research groups to ensure access to advanced treatments and clinical trials.
Vision Rehabilitation Center: This center provides rehabilitation services to help people with low vision maximize their function and improve their quality of life, tailoring treatment plans to individual goals and pioneering novel approaches to care delivery.

Conditions Treated and Treatments Offered

UCLA Health's ophthalmologists are experts in diagnosing, treating, and managing a wide range of eye conditions, including:

Astigmatism: An imperfect curvature of the eye causing blurry vision.
Blepharitis: Eyelid inflammation leading to dry eyes, redness, or swelling.
Cataracts: Protein buildup in the eye causing cloudy or fuzzy vision.
Conjunctivitis (pinkeye): Inflammation or infection causing itching, redness, and crusting.
Glaucoma: Conditions damaging the optic nerve, often due to pressure buildup in the eye.
Macular degeneration: Deterioration of the retina causing vision loss.
Myopia (nearsightedness): Difficulty focusing on distant objects.

Treatments range from nonsurgical options like anti-glare glasses, artificial tears, contact lenses, eye drops, and warm compresses to advanced surgical procedures such as:

Blepharoplasty: Plastic surgery to correct droopy eyelids.
Corneal transplant: Replacing damaged cornea with donor tissue.
Orbital decompression: Removing fat or bone to reposition the eye in its socket.
Photodynamic therapy: Using light energy and drugs to destroy cancerous cells.
Pneumatic retinopexy: Injecting air to repair retinal tears.
Strabismus surgery: Correcting eye misalignment.
Vitrectomy: Removing fluid from the eye to treat retinal or vitreous problems.

Research-Driven Treatments and Innovation

UCLA Health is at the forefront of ophthalmic research, consistently translating discoveries into innovative treatments. The team has been instrumental in multiple eye care milestones, including performing the first stem cell-derived transplant of retinal cells to treat legally blind patients. Patients in the program continue to have access to leading-edge, research-based treatment options for many complex ophthalmology and eye surgery needs.

Patricia Era Bath: A Pioneer at UCLA

Patricia Era Bath (1942-2019) was an African American ophthalmologist and humanitarian who made significant contributions to the field. She broke barriers as the first female member of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, the first woman to lead a postgraduate training program in ophthalmology, and the first woman elected to the honorary staff of the UCLA Medical Center.

Bath's journey began in Harlem, New York, where she was inspired by Albert Schweitzer's medical work. She received a National Science Foundation Scholarship, which led her to a research project at Yeshiva University and Harlem Hospital Center, studying connections between cancer, nutrition, and stress.

After graduating from Howard University College of Medicine, Bath interned at Harlem Hospital Center, observing a high proportion of blind patients compared to the Columbia University Eye Clinic. This observation led her to collect data on blindness and visual impairment at Harlem Hospital, which lacked ophthalmologists on staff.

Bath's career at UCLA began after completing her residency and a fellowship in corneal transplantation. She became the first woman ophthalmologist on the faculty at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, where she co-founded an ophthalmology residency program at Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital. At UCLA, she also founded the Ophthalmic Assistant Training Program (OATP) in 1978 and established the Keratoprosthesis Program to provide advanced surgical treatment for blind patients.

Despite facing challenges in securing research grants, Bath persevered and continued her research pursuits as a visiting professor at centers of excellence in France, England, and Germany. She also served as a professor of ophthalmology at Howard University's School of Medicine and St. George's University.

Bath's humanitarian efforts extended worldwide through the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness (AIPB), which she co-founded. The organization focused on providing eye care to underserved populations, including newborns and visually impaired students in Africa.

Bath's legacy includes coining the term "laser phaco" for laser photoablative cataract surgery and developing the laser phaco probe, a medical device that improves the use of lasers to remove cataracts. She was recognized for her contributions with numerous honors, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Recognized Expertise and Leadership

UCLA Health's ophthalmologists are recognized for their expertise in patient care and research. Many of the clinicians are consistently ranked among Los Angeles Magazine's "Top Doctors."

Notable Faculty and Residents

UCLA Health boasts a distinguished faculty and attracts talented residents from across the country. The residency program is designed to train future leaders in ophthalmology.

Faculty:

Benjamin Bert, MD, FACS
Jane W. Chan, MD
Judy L. Chen, MD
Vikas Chopra, MD
Giulia Corradetti, MD
Ali Mahdavi Fard, MD
Alexander S. Fein, MD
Brian A. Francis, MD, MS
Michael Gilhooley, MD, PhD
Gad Heilweil, MD
Kirk Hou, MD, PhD
Michael S. Ip, MD
John A. Irvine, MD
Justin Karlin, MD, MS
Monica R. Khitri, MD
Phillip Le, MD, PhD
Kenneth L. Lu, MD
Nariman Nassiri, MD, MPH
Vivian L. Qin, MD
Peter A. Quiros, MD
Daniel Rootman, MD, MS
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD
Alfredo A. Sadun, MD, PhD
Peter Tien, OD
Jessica Tran, MD
Irena Tsui, MD
Victoria Tseng, MD, PhD
Maria Villalba, MD MS
Victoria H.

EyeSTAR Program Residents:

The EyeSTAR program is designed to train leading ophthalmologists through a combination of clinical training and research.

John Lee, MD (EyeStar): Undergrad: Rice University | Medical School: University of Miami. He will be attaining a PhD in molecular biology and genetics through the EyeSTAR program.
Emile Vieta, MD (EyeStar Genetics): Undergrad: University of Puerto Rico | Medical School: San Juan Bautista. Emile will undertake clinical genetics fellowship training and conduct genetics research as he learns to be a leading ophthalmologist at UCLA.

Intern Year Residents (PGY1):

Elliot Choi, MD: Undergrad: Johns Hopkins | Medical School: Case Western. His research in gene therapy, supported by multiple NIH training awards, has resulted in multiple publications, as well as patents.
Samuel Cohen, MD: Undergrad: USC | Medical School: Stanford. He has been active in research and already has multiple first-author publications in prestigious journals.
Reem Karmouta, MD: Undergrad: UCLA | Medical School: UCLA. She has consistently shown leadership in public service and mentorship.
Samuel Lee, MD: Undergrad: Rutgers | Medical School: UCLA. His research with Anne Coleman MD resulted in multiple publications and presentations at national meetings.
Erik Souverein, MD: Undergrad: UCLA | Medical School: USC. He has been involved in research throughout his undergraduate and medical school career, and was recognized by USC with the Distinction in Research award.
Lydia Zhong, MD: Undergrad: Princeton | Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis. She has pursued her interest in research throughout her academic career, including work at Zheijang University, Princeton, Harvard, Washington University, and at UCLA.
Chris Le, MD: Undergrad: UC Santa Barbara | Medical School: University of Colorado. He is also an active researcher and has presented his work at several national conferences and has published in major ophthalmic journals.

1st Year Residents (PGY2):

Sara Emami, MD: Undergrad: UC San Diego | Medical School: UCLA. Sara has an interest in epidemiologic research, working with Anne Coleman studying glaucoma, and has already presented her work at ARVO.
David Hsu, MD: Undergrad: Stanford | Medical School: U Penn. He has done research in strabismus, dry eye and cardiology.
Matthew Miller, MD: Undergrad: Rice | Medical School: Baylor. His academic projects included publishing his work in medical ethics.
Erin Napier, MD: Undergrad: Georgetown | Medical School: University of Hawaii. She has shown outstanding ability in her scientific work, publishing multiple peer review papers (with a focus on strabismus).
Ethan Osias, MD: Undergrad: Walla Walla | Medical School: UCLA. Ethan has established his academic credentials with multiple peer review publications, many of them in Orbit and Plastics.
Jason Strawbridge, MD: Undergrad: USC | Medical School: UCLA. Jason has performed at the highest level academically throughout his career and has a reputation at UCLA as a quick learner, gifted physician who already functions at the level of a resident, and team player who is loved by his patients and who elevates all those around him.
Jessica Tran, MD: Undergrad: Tulane | Medical School: Mt. Sinai. She has continued a very productive research year as a medical student with multiple publications focusing on glaucoma.
Maria Villalba, MD MS: Undergrad: Miami-Dade | Medical School: University of Miami. Her research productivity has also been at the highest level.

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