Lawrence A. Yannuzzi, MD
Founder and Chairman
Dr. Larry Yannuzzi is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University Medical School, where he was honored as a distinguished alumnus. He is a professor of clinical ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical School, vice–chairman and director of the Retinal Research Center of the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and founder and president of The Macula Foundation, Inc.
He is a world renowned retinal specialist who has published more than 300 scientific papers and 11 textbooks, with particular interest in diseases of the macula, such as diabetic retinopathy and age–related macular degeneration. He has also been given awards and distinctions in his field for contributions on retinal imaging drug development, ophthalmic laser, and the diagnosis and treatment of macular and retinal diseases. His achievements have gained worldwide respect and admiration. Most recently, he was given an honorary doctorate at the University of Ancona, the Michelson Award for Retinal Vascular Disease in Gent, the Alcon Research Institution Award, a distinguished alumnus award at Boston University, and a lifetime achievement award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
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Yale L. Fisher, MD
Dr. Yale L. Fisher is a clinical ophthalmologist specializing in vitreoretinal diseases. He is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Attending Surgeon at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, a subsidiary of Lenox Hill Hospital. Dr. Fisher is a Voluntary Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami.
Dr. Fisher is a graduate of Cornell University (Ithaca, New York), and Weill Cornell Medical School (New York, New York) where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Societies.
Dr. Fisher’s career is noteworthy in the areas of patient care, teaching, and research. He is the author of several textbooks in the field of vitreoretinal diseases and ultrasonography. Dr. Fisher has published more than 50 scientific articles and numerous scientific exhibits and posters. He was a course director for the American Academy of Ophthalmology for over 22 years and a review editor for many prestigious ophthalmic journals. He has received numerous awards for national and international professorships and lectureships. He has also been awarded the coveted Senior Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has lectured throughout the United States and abroad in the areas of ultrasonography and vitreoretinal surgery, developing new techniques and instruments in his field as well as pioneering developments in ocular endoscopy. He was selected by departmental chairmen and sections chiefs at major centers nationwide as one of the 400 best doctors in America. Dr. Fisher has developed numerous intraocular surgical instruments which have advanced the field of vitreoretinal surgery. These instruments include electromagnets as well as endoscopic techniques for situations where microscopic visualization is limited or impossible, all innovative contributions to the field of ophthalmology and the goals of preservation and restoration of vision.
Dr. Fisher has been devoted to teaching throughout his 40 year career. Ultrasonography, OCT imaging and endoscopy continue to be his greatest interests.
Most recently, Dr. Fisher launched a novel and extensive instructional website for educational purposes. The site, www.ophthalmicedge.org, contains lectures, animations and an extensive, interactive video library of real time Contact B-Scan ultrasonograms. The site continues to expand with contributions from worldwide sources. Financial contributions from philanthropic individuals and charitable organizations funded the site. The site is free to the viewer.
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John Sorenson, MD
Dr. John A. Sorenson is a board certified ophthalmologist specializing in vitreoretinal surgery and macular disease. He is an Attending Surgeon at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.
Dr. Sorenson is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He did his ophthalmology residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and his fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery and macular disease at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital.
Dr. Sorenson is a nationally recognized expert in the care of age–related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and in the surgical management of retinal detachments. He has authored or co–authored over 75 articles in peer–reviewed journals, and has lectured at many scientific meetings throughout the world. He has participated in many of the teaching activities of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and, in 1996, received its Honor Award for his services. He is a member of many professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Vitreous Society and the Retina Society. His research interests primarily involve the diagnosis and treatment of age–related macular degeneration. He serves as a scientific reviewer for the major ophthalmology journals.
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Jason S. Slakter, MD
Dr. Jason S. Slakter is a board certified retinal and macular disease specialist, who practices and is a partner at the Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, N.Y. In addition, he is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine.
Dr. Slakter is a nationally and internationally recognized retinal specialist who has been involved in the design and application of a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. He has played a key role in the clinical development of digital indocyanine green angiography (ICG), particularly for the evaluation of macular degeneration and chorioretinal inflammatory disease. He has published more than 80 papers and book chapters. He is also an author of the first comprehensive text on the subject of ICG angiography.
Dr. Slakter’s chief research interests relate to the management of exudative age–related macular degeneration, retinal vascular disease and central serous chorioretinopathy. He has served as a principal investigator in many of the pivotal clinical trials for these diseases and is currently conducting clinical studies related to a number of macular conditions. He created and is the director of the Digital Angiography Reading Center, which has become one of the world’s largest image evaluation organizations, serving as a key resource for industry-sponsored studies of new treatments for retinal disorders. He is on the medical advisory boards and serves as a consultant to many of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies involved in the development of new treatments for AMD, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular disease.
Dr. Slakter is a member of numerous medical organizations including the Macula Society, the Retina Society, the American Society of Retina Specialists, and the New York Ophthalmological Society. He is the Editor–in–Chief of Retinal Physician, is on the editorial board of Retina and serves as a scientific reviewer for all of the major scientific ophthalmic journals.
Dr. Slakter is the recipient of many awards. In 1999, he received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award. He also received the Macula Society’s Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award for outstanding contribution to the treatment of ocular disease by an individual under the age of 45, as well as the Helen Keller Manhattan League Award in 2003. Dr. Slakter also received a Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology at the 2004 annual meeting.
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Richard S. Spaide, MD
Curriculum Vitae
Richard F. Spaide, M.D. is a specialist in retinal diseases and has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, numerous book chapters, and edited several books. He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He completed his Ophthalmology Residency at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York and his Retina Fellowship at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital. His major research interests include macular diseases, retinal surgery, and ocular imaging. Past highlights in his published papers include indocyanine angiography, fundus autofluorescence, characterization of central serous chorioretinopathy, application of mechanical engineering principles to macular hole formation, development of concepts concerning oxidative damage and characterization of lipid peroxides in Bruch's membrane, the combination of photodynamic therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone for age-related macular degeneration, and development of new methodologies to image the choroid. His current research interests include autofluorescence imaging, optical coherence tomography, treatment of macular degeneration, small incision vitrectomy surgery, and new computer-based rendering techniques to visualize retinal anatomy. Dr. Spaide is on medical boards of a number of institutions, has been mentioned in multiple Who's Who and Best Doctors lists and has received a number of awards. He is on the Editorial Board of several journals, an Associate Editor of the journal Retina, and is a co-editor of the Medical Retina book series which is part of the Essentials in Ophthalmology published by Springer. Dr. Spaide has served on numerous scientific advisory boards.
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K. Bailey Freund, MD
Dr. K. Bailey Freund is a board certified retina specialist who joined Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York in 1996. He is a graduate of Williams College and New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Freund did his internship at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Freund’s residency training in general ophthalmology and two–year fellowship in medical and surgical retina were at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital.
Dr. Freund specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with all retinal disorders including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular and inflammatory diseases. Dr. Freund is an expert in difficult–to–diagnosis or rare conditions that have eluded other specialists. He is invested in giving patients and families answers to the questions they ask, providing clear treatment recommendations and careful follow–up over the years, and collaborating with patients on their goals, while always giving them the latest information about treatment options ranging from lifestyle changes, diet, medications, or surgery.
Dr. Freund is on the faculty of the New York University School of Medicine as a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. He is on staff at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and
Lenox Hill Hospital.
He teaches medical students, residents and retinal fellows. He is the author of over 60 articles in peer reviewed ophthalmologic journals and has written numerous book chapters. Dr. Freund has developed materials to teach diagnostic techniques to other retinal specialists. He recently authored a guide for macular degeneration patients and their families which uses narration and animation to vividly explain all aspects of the disorder including, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. This publication is available in DVD, CD–ROM and booklet form.
Dr. Freund has been a principal investigator in pivotal trials of novel treatments for retinal diseases, providing his patients with the opportunity to gain access to new treatments before they had been approved for the general community. In addition, he has initiated investigations into novel treatments for a variety of retinal diseases including Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, Angioid Streaks and Retinal Vein Occlusion.
Dr. Freund has been elected to the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Macula Society and the Retinal Society.
Dr. Freund was born and raised in Manhattan and continues to reside there with his wife of 18 years who is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and his five–year old son and twelve–year–old daughter. He spends his weekends and holidays Upstate in Dutchess County. Dr. Freund enjoys playing the guitar and is a prominent collector of vintage magic apparatus.
Click on the following link to learn more about Dr. Freund's Magic!
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Robert W. Klein, MD
Dr. Robert W. Klein is a member of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and Tisch Hospital, which is part of New York University Medical Center. He is a former Director of Ophthalmology at Goldwater Hospital on Roosevelt Island.
Dr. Klein received his B.A. degree magna cum laude, as well as his M.D. degree, from New York University where he also completed his medical retinal fellowship and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology. His impressive academic record earned him election to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He is a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons.
Dr. Klein practices general medical ophthalmology and has a special interest in glaucoma and medical retinal diseases in conjunction with laser surgery. He was the ophthalmology consultant to the Emmy award–winning ABC television show “For Your Information” [FYI] and a consultant on two FYI books. He has been a prominent consultant to the medical research department of a major international pharmaceutical company.
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James M. Klancnik, Jr., MD
Dr. James M. Klancnik is a board certified ophthalmologist who specializes in medical and surgical disorders of the retina and vitreous. He has a particular interest in acute and chronic diseases of the macula including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular disease. His surgical interests include macular holes, macular pucker, retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy. He utilizes all forms of ophthalmic imaging including fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, as well as noninvasive forms of imaging such as optical coherence tomography, autofluorescence photography and ultrasonography.
Dr. Klancnik is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University. He earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha and Hobart Amory Hare honor medical societies. He completed his internship at the Lankenau Hospital and his ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital. He completed his medical and surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Columbia University. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine.
Dr. Klancnik is a member of numerous medical organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. He is an author of numerous peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has presented at scientific meetings nationally and internationally. He is active in numerous clinical trials as principle or sub–investigator and serves as a reviewer for several ophthalmology journals.
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Michael J. Cooney, MD MBA
Dr. Michael J. Cooney is a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon at Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York in Manhattan. Dr. Cooney attended Siena College in upstate New York and graduated as valedictorian from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Upon completing an internal medicine internship at New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Cooney completed his ophthalmology residency at Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He was asked to stay on at Johns Hopkins for a medical and surgical retina fellowship at Wilmer Retinal Vascular Center. Dr. Cooney was an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins until 2001, when he joined the faculty at Duke University Eye Center. At Duke, Dr. Cooney was director of the medical retina service, the Duke Center for Macular Degeneration, and the medical retina fellowship program from 2001 to 2005.
Dr. Cooney received his MBA degree from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He serves as a consultant and advisory board member for several pharmaceutical companies. In 1998 Dr. Cooney helped to establish InnoRx, an ophthalmic drug delivery and pharmaceutical company acquired by SurModics, and served as a consultant from 2000 to 2002.
Dr. Cooney's clinical practice focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases, particularly age–related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He is actively involved in the clinical development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for vitreoretinal disease and the training of residents and fellows at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital. Dr. Cooney has authored over 40 publications and book chapters and is an editor for all major ophthalmology journals.
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Irene A. Barbazetto, MD
Dr. Irene A. Barbazetto joined Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York in 2009. She is a board certified vitreoretinal surgeon and macular disease specialist in the Unites States and Germany.
Dr. Barbazetto is a graduate of Hamburg University, Germany where she completed her PhD thesis investigating a newly developed vision screening test (H-Test) for pre-school children. Her ophthalmology residency was completed in Lübeck, Germany.
In 2000 she began a research fellowship with Stanley Chang, MD at Columbia University, New York. She completed an internship in general surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and an ophthalmology residency at Columbia University. She was awarded a medical and surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Columbia University.
Dr. Barbazetto is an active clinical researcher and has published more than 40 peer-review articles and book chapters. She serves on the Editorial Board of Graefe’s Archive of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious publications. In addition to her clinical work she served as an investigator on several international trials including the first clinical trials of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using verteporfin for age-related macular degeneration. She pioneered the use of PDT in the treatment of choroidal hemangioma and other ocular tumors.
Dr. Barbazetto was the recipient of the 2009 Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
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Michael Engelbert, M.D. Ph.D.
Dr. Michael Engelbert joined Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York in 2010. He is a vitreoretinal surgeon and macular disease specialist, with a special interest in age-related macular degeneration and retinal detachment surgery, as well as sight-threatening infections of the eye.
Dr. Engelbert received his medical degree magna cum laude from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany, after which he dedicated himself several years to basic research in the study of endophthalmitis, a vision-threatening infection that can occur after eye surgery. He earned a Ph.D. for this work, and is considered a leader in this field. Dr. Engelbert is continuing this research at the Skirball Center for Molecular Pathogenesis at NYU in cooperation with Dr. Richard Novick, a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Before joining the residency program at Columbia University, Dr. Engelbert served his internship at Griffin Hospital, a Yale-affiliated center in Connecticut, where he was granted the Vincent D. DeLuca award for the best medical intern.
Afterwards he was resident and chief resident in the Department of Ophthalmology of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Insitute on the campus of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
Following his residency training, Dr. Engelbert was awarded a medical and surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Columbia University.
Dr. Engelbert is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), the European Society of Vitreoretinal Specialists (EVRS), the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). He has published numerous papers on retinal disease, received several awards and has been granted permanent resident status in the United States in the category “outstanding scientist.” He serves as a reviewer for the premier journals in the field, including the Archives of Ophthalmology, Retina, Eye, and Graefe’s Archives of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.
He is a Research Assistant Professor at New York University and Clinical Instructor at NYU and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he is actively involved in instructing residents and fellows in the art of medical retina and retinal surgery.
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