Phoebe Lin, MD, PhD, graduated summa cum laude, Biochemistry, from Washington University, AOA with Honors from the MD/PhD program at the University of Illinois, then completed ophthalmology residency at UCSF, a vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Duke University, and a uveitis fellowship at Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University. At Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, she performs clinical care in ocular inflammatory and retinal diseases, vitreoretinal surgery, educates residents and fellows, and performs research identifying novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ocular inflammatory disease and macular degeneration. Specifically, her lab utilizes animal models of uveitis (an inflammatory condition of the middle lining of the eye) to address several pathways: leukocyte migration in autoimmune uveitis, immune regulation as a target for autoimmune uveitis, and the role of the mammalian commensal intestinal microbiota in intestinal immunity and systemic immunity affecting the development and mitigation of ocular inflammation. Dr. Lin’s lab is also investigating the impact of an intestinal dysbiosis that occurs in age-related macular degeneration, a disease that is caused by disruptions in innate immunity and fatty acid metabolism. She has published over 100 articles, book chapters, and books.
Aleksandra V. Rachitskaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University’s Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and a member of the vitreoretinal faculty at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute. She specializes in the diagnosis and management of medical and surgical retinal diseases. Prior to her appointment at the Cleveland Clinic in 2014, Dr. Rachitskaya served on faculty of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, as the Chief Resident and Director of Ocular Trauma. An active researcher, Dr. Rachitskaya is involved in numerous clinical trials, including studies on diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. In June of 2015, Dr. Rachitskaya and her colleagues at the Cole Eye Institute completed the first successful Argus II implant in the state of Ohio. Dr. Rachitskaya regularly publishes on her research and she has given numerous national and international presentations on her work. She is an active member of American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Retina Society, and the VBS Society. She is a recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award and the American Society of Retina Specialists Senior Honor Award. Dr. Rachitskaya completed an internship in internal medicine at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and earned her medical degree at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. During medical school, she spent a year at the National Eye Institute as a National Institutes of Health-Howard Hughes Institute Research Fellow and earned an induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. In 2016 Dr. Rachitskaya was the recipient of the prestigious Case Western Reserve University Young Alumni Award.
Justis P. Ehlers, MD, is the Norman C. and Donna L. Harbert Endowed Chair of Ophthalmic Research and the Director of the Tony and Leona Campane Center for Excellence in Image-Guided Surgery and Advanced Imaging Research at the Cole Eye Institute.
He a Staff physician on the vitreoretinal service of the Cole Eye Institute in the Department of Ophthalmology at Cleveland Clinic. He was appointed in 2010. Dr. Ehlers received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude at the University of Notre Dame. He completed his medical degree at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Following medical school, he did an internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and served as Chief Resident from 2004-2005. From the Wills Eye Institute, Dr. Ehlers then completed a vitreoretinal surgery and disease fellowship at the Duke Eye Institute in Durham, North Carolina.
Clinically, Dr. Ehlers specializes in the diagnosis and management of medical and surgical vitreoretinal diseases including: age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), retinal vascular occlusive disease, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, myopic degeneration, cystoid macular edema, ocular trauma, epiretinal membranes, vitreomacular traction syndrome, and macular holes.
Active in research, Dr. Ehlers has served as the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials including studies on macular degeneration, vitreoretinal interface abnormalities, retinal venous occlusive disease, and ophthalmic imaging. He has directed one of the largest prospective intraoperative OCT studies to date.
Dr. Ehlers has a particular interest in advanced vitreoretinal imaging, including novel approaches for image biomarker discovery and applying imaging to surgery through intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT). He leads a dynamic multi-disciplinary research team, including data scientists, computer scientists, engineers, research physicians, and other research personnel .
Dr. Ehlers is a major contributor to the medical literature having authored more than 180 peer-reviewed articles, numerous book reports, and over 200 scientific abstracts. He has also been the co-chief editor for 3 books, including the Wills Eye Manual, 5th Edition, one of the best-selling texts in ophthalmology. He has received multiple NIH grants to support these research endeavors.
He serves on the American Academy of Ophthalmology Council and the American Society of Retina Specialists Board of Directors. His work has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Top 40 Under 40 Award, the AAO Senior Achievement Award, the ASRS Senior Honor Award, the AAO Secretariat Award, and multiple Cleveland Clinic Innovation Awards.
Dr. Finn was born in London and moved to the United States at a young age and grew up in Claremont, California. She earned her BA in Human Biology and minor in Spanish from Stanford University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Finn pursued her medical degree at the Dartmouth School of Medicine in Hanover, New Hampshire followed by ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Finn then performed a fellowship in medical and surgical diseases of the retina and vitreous at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. During fellowship, she received the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation award, given to select outstanding fellows in vitreoretinal surgery. Dr. Finn is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists. She has published numerous original research articles on a wide variety of retinal diseases, including new techniques for macular hole surgery, the use of intraoperative OCT imaging, and biomarkers of atrophy and scar in macular degeneration. Dr. Finn has a strong interest in surgical innovation and retinal imaging analysis.
Dilraj Grewal, MD is a tenured Professor of Ophthalmology at the Duke Eye Center and serves as the Associate Director of the Duke Reading Center, a comprehensive image reading center that is a leader in analysis of ophthalmic images in multi-center clinical trials. He specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients with complex Vitreoretinal pathology and Uveitis. He joined the Duke Eye Center following completion of his Vitreoretinal Surgery fellowship at Duke and Uveitis fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Dr. Grewal is focused on treating patients with new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available as well as investigating several others in the pipeline to better help patients with these potentially blinding diseases.
He has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Ronald G. Michels Foundation Fellowship Award, the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship Award, Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Rhett Buckler and Presidential Awards from American Society of Retina Specialists. He is an elected member of Retina Society, Clubs Jules Gonin and serves on the executive committee of the Macula Society.
Dr. Grewal has authored over 250 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and over 300 presentations at national and international meetings. His research interests span assessment of retinal changes in neurodegenerative diseases, clinical research activities in advanced ocular imaging, surgical techniques and clinical trials for both Retina and Uveitis.
Hong-Uyen Hua, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology and board-certified pediatric and adult retina specialist. A South Florida native, she received a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry at the University of Miami, where she was awarded a full-tuition Isaac B. Singer scholarship. Hua continued her education at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she served as the student government executive president. Following her internship year at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA, she completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute/LA County + USC Medical Center, where she also served as chief resident. Most recently, she completed vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. Hua has been recognized with a number of awards for her research, teaching, and leadership, including Retina Today’s Rising Star in Retina, Best Poster Awards from AAO and ASRS, USC Senior Resident Teaching Award, and membership in University of Miami’s Iron Arrow Honor Society. Her research interests include vitreoretinal imaging, retinopathy of prematurity, medical education, and health disparities. Hua is available for consultation in pediatric and adult retinal diseases.
Prithvi Mruthyunjaya MD, MHS is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Stanford University, member of the Vitreoretinal Surgery Service and is the new Director of Ocular Oncology at the Byers Eye Institute. He is a board certified ophthalmologist who has completed two prestigious fellowships: the first in Vitreoretinal Surgery at Duke University and the second in Ocular Oncology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, England.
He cares for patients with conditions related to cancer of the eye in both adults and children–either benign, pre-cancerous, or eye cancer. These conditions include ocular melanoma, hemangioma, cancers from other parts of the body which spread to the eye, Coats’ disease, retinoblastoma, iris tumors (melanoma, cysts, metastatic lesions) and tumors of the conjunctiva including melanoma, and squamous cells carcinoma. He also manages the eye related side effects of chemotherapy treatments. He is an expert in using the most advanced diagnostic tests to make a personalized treatment plan for every patient. With his expertise in retinal surgery, he treats patients with a variety of advanced techniques including small instrument tumor biopsy, vitrectomy, and radiation therapy.
As a retinal surgeon, he manages complicated retinal diseases including retinal detachment, macular holes, epiretinal membranes, and diabetic eye disease.
I chose to specialize in ophthalmology because I am passionate about helping people who are facing significant threats to their vision, which can be a very scary situation for the patient. I really enjoy educating patients about what is happening inside their eyes, so that they can feel more confident in their care and then we can decide together on the best path forward.
As a vitreoretinal surgeon, I treat both children and adults with medical and surgical problems in the back of the eye. Common problems my patients face are retinal detachment, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusions. I have additional sub-specialty training in pediatric retina surgery and I lead The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s pediatric retina service at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
I’ve been very fortunate to have had tremendous, talented mentors who inspired me throughout my medical training. At each stage, the priceless value of mentorship has really shaped me and confirmed my passion for retina surgery.
I’m excited to carry forward the tradition of excellence already here at The Ohio State University. The passion of this community is uniquely special. I have had the opportunity to be part of different university communities for most of my life, but I have not seen quite the same combination of driven people in such a large organization. I feel very fortunate to be part of the Buckeye family.
In my free time, I love spending time with my family. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors and going on multi-day backpacking adventures. When not watching Ohio State football, you’ll find me cycling or playing guitar with my two young sons.
Dr. Rao was born in Syracuse, New York and was raised in New Jersey and Wisconsin. She was selected among the top 40 senior high school students in Wisconsin to complete a combined undergraduate and medical school degree (UW Medical Scholars program) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During medical school, she also completed a Masters in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with an emphasis on Epidemiology/Biostatistics and program planning/evaluation.
Dr. Rao completed her internship and ophthalmology residency at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. She then had the privilege to do her 2- year Adult and Pediatric Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship at the world renowned Associated Retinal Consultants/William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan, where she trained with 11 outstanding faculty. During her fellowship, she worked closely with Dr. George Williams and the Academy of Ophthalmology on publishing several early big data research projects with the IRIS Registry, the world’s largest eye database. She received the Raymond Margherio Award at the 50th Annual Retina Society on IRIS Registry research focused on age-related macular degeneration and anti-vascular endothelial growth (Anti VEGF) therapy. After her fellowship, she worked on faculty as an assistant professor at the Emory Eye Center and Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where she focused on telemedicine retinopathy of prematurity screening development and was awarded the Research to Prevent Blindness IRIS Grant to evaluate the rates and timing of cataract surgery after pediatric vitrectomies.
Dr. Rao is a board-certified ophthalmologist by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists.
Dr. Rao specializes in all aspects of adult and pediatric vitreoretinal disorders and surgery, including retinal detachments, macular degeneration, diabetes, macular holes, epiretinal membranes, artery/vein occlusions, as well as inherited/acquired pediatric disorders, including retinopathy of prematurity, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, Coats Disease, persistent fetal vasculature and trauma.
Her primary research interests include “big data” analysis to better understand risk factors and clinical outcomes of several adult and pediatric vitreoretinal diseases to aid in widespread clinical practice patterns. She also has special clinical interests in pediatric vitreoretinal diseases and helping translate telemedicine screening and treatment of adult and pediatric retinal disease to areas of outreach.
On a personal note, Dr. Rao enjoys spending time with her family, running and hiking.
Sumit Sharma, MD, is a retina and uveitis specialist at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, where he is the uveitis fellowship director and medical director for information technology. Dr. Sharma also has come full circle at CCLCM, where he is an assistant professor of ophthalmology. He and his wife, Aanchal, have three children: Sarina, Aarav and Niam.
Rishi Singh, MD, has been named as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass General Brigham (MGB).
Dr. Singh will be leading the clinical, educational and research activities within the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear, our academic medical centers and across Mass General Brigham. He will oversee the integration of the department across all domains to seamlessly serve the needs of MGB’s patients and community.
Dr. Singh was the vice president and chief medical officer for Cleveland Clinic Martin North and South Hospitals in Florida. He also serves as a professor of ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Singh earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees from Boston University and completed his residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary through the Harvard Combined Program in Boston before completing a medical and surgical fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute in Cleveland.
Dr. Singh specializes in the management of complex retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment and age-related macular degeneration. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, books and book chapters, and serves as principal investigator for numerous national clinical trials advancing the treatment of retinal disease. He is the founder and past president of the Retina World Congress and serves on the board of the American Society of Retina Specialists. He has received several research honors, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Research Award and the American Society of Retina Specialists Senior Honor Award.
Sunil K. Srivastava, MD, is a renowned vitreoretinal surgeon and uveitis specialist at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, where he also serves as Program Director for both the Medical Retina and Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship programs. Dr. Srivastava’s clinical practice and academic pursuits focus extensively on medical and surgical retinal diseases, as well as uveitis, with particular expertise in advanced ocular imaging technologies.
Dr. Srivastava graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Cornell University and earned his medical degree with summa cum laude honors from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Emory University, where he served as chief resident. He subsequently pursued fellowship training in uveitis and ocular inflammatory diseases at the National Eye Institute, followed by vitreoretinal surgery at Duke University.
Following his tenure on the Emory University faculty, Dr. Srivastava was recruited to the Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute in 2010. His distinguished academic career includes co-authoring more than 325 peer-reviewed publications and delivering over 300 invited lectures worldwide. His significant contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards, including the Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Senior Honor and Presidential Awards from the American Society of Retina Specialists, and multiple Innovator Awards from the Cleveland Clinic for groundbreaking advancements in ocular imaging and analysis. Dr. Srivastava holds or co-holds 11 U.S. patents in ophthalmic imaging technology and serves on multiple data safety monitoring boards.
Dr. Srivastava’s clinical expertise centers on managing ocular inflammatory diseases (uveitis) and complex vitreoretinal conditions. Under his leadership, the Uveitis Service at Cole Eye Institute has evolved into one of the largest and most respected internationally, collaborating extensively with specialists in Rheumatology, Pediatric Rheumatology, and Pulmonary Diseases, and positioning itself as a global referral center for complex ocular inflammatory disorders. As a vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr. Srivastava has provided exemplary care for challenging retinal diseases at both Cole Eye Institute and MetroHealth Hospital for over 15 years.
He serves as principal investigator on multiple federally and industry-funded research studies and directs a robust research laboratory focused on imaging biomarkers in inflammatory eye disease, intraoperative imaging techniques, and AI-driven automated image analysis. Throughout his tenure at Cole Eye Institute, Dr. Srivastava has actively collaborated with experts across Cleveland Clinic departments, including Cardiology, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary Diseases, and Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology, to explore the potential of ocular imaging in predicting systemic disease outcomes.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Srivastava has trained over 70 fellows specializing in medical retina, uveitis, and surgical retina, along with approximately 100 ophthalmology residents. He has received numerous teaching awards at Cleveland Clinic, Emory University, and Duke University. His steadfast commitment to education and mentorship extends nationally, contributing significantly to the development of trainees and colleagues. In recognition of his exceptional educational contributions, Dr. Srivastava will receive the prestigious 2025 American Society of Retinal Specialists Crystal Apple Award. Dr. Srivastava is married to Rachel Gurshman, and they have two children: Samuel (19), a graduate of Shaker Heights High School, and Reena (16), who is currently a student there.
Alex Yuan, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmic Research at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and Physician Scientist at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He earned his medical degree and doctoral degree in neurosciences from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and completed his ophthalmology residency at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute. His specialty interests include regenerative and stem cell therapy, cell-based therapy, as well as gene and drug delivery. Dr Yuan is Co-PI of the Argus II Post-Approval study at the Cole Eye Institute, and serves as Co-Investigator for multiple clinical trials. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has contributed to multiple book chapters. Dr Yuan is the previous recipient of the Cole Eye Fellow Teaching Award and Research Award.
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