Karl Csaky, MD, Ph.D.

Dr. Csaky is the T. Boone Pickens director of the Clinical Center of Innovation for Age-Related Macular Degeneration, chief executive and chief medical officer of the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. His main area of interest is studying both clinical research and drug delivery development as it pertains to retinal diseases. Dr. Csaky is a member of the Macula Society, Retina Society, AAO, ARVO, American Ophthalmologic Society, and the American Society of Retinal Specialists. Dr. Csaky completed a retina fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. His internship was in medicine at Duke University, his ophthalmology residency at Washington University, and he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Essen Eye Clinic, Essen, Germany. Dr. Csaky received his combined MD/Ph.D. degree from the University of Louisville and has over 140 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

David S. Boyer, MD

Dr. Boyer is a world-renowned clinician, surgeon, and educator. He is one of the top 10 most influential retina specialists in the country, and a leading investigator for various national clinical trials on retinal diseases. Dr. Boyer serves as an advisor for multiple research, educational, and charitable institutions. He is senior partner at Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group with offices in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, North Hollywood, Torrance, Pasadena, and Tarzana, CA. Dr. Boyer is a clinical professor of ophthalmology with the University of Southern California/Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated from Chicago Medical School Rosalind Franklin University in 1972. He is affiliated with PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital.

Deborah Ferrington, Ph.D.

Dr. Ferrington is the chief scientific officer at Doheny Eye Institute, a global leader in vision research and basic science. She serves as a permanent member of the National Institutes of Health Biology and Development of the Eye Study Section. Dr. Ferrington has 20+ years of experience in academic research, most recently as professor and Elaine and Robert Larson Endowed Vision Research Chair in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She completed her undergraduate degree in biological science and scientific illustration, and a master of education program from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Ferrington went on to receive her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Kansas, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship.

Antonio Capone, Jr., MD

Dr. Capone is a clinical associate professor of medical sciences at Oakland University in Michigan, and a partner at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is also a chief clinical officer at EyeCare Partners, a leading clinically-integrated network of ophthalmology and optometry providers. Dr. Capone is currently on the leadership board at the Retina Society, and completed an Emory Fellowship, one of the most prestigious in the U.S. He was president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and a member of the Alcon KOL Advisory Board. He received his medical degree from Brown University Medical School and completed an internship in internal medicine at Yale University.

Richard Lindstrom, MD

Dr. Lindstrom is founder and attending surgeon of Minnesota Eye Consultants and adjunct professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and an internationally recognized leader in corneal, cataract, refractive, and laser surgery. He has been at the forefront of ophthalmology’s evolutionary changes throughout his career, as a recognized researcher, teacher, inventor, writer, lecturer and highly acclaimed physician and surgeon. He holds over 30 patents in ophthalmology and has developed a number of solutions, intraocular lenses, and instruments that are used in clinical practices globally. He serves on the Board of Directors of AcuFocus, Inc, TLC Vision, Occulogix, eyeonics, Refractec, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, and Inner City Tennis. After graduating magna cum laude from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lindstrom completed his doctorate degree in medicine in 1972.

Julia A. Haller M.D

Dr. Haller is one of the most respected and influential retina specialists in the world. She is a professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She also holds the William Tasman, M.D., endowed chair at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where she is ophthalmologist-in-chief. Dr. Haller is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, numerous international scientific advisory boards, and sits on the board of trustees of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the Society of Heed Fellows. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University, magna cum laude. Dr. Haller received her medical training at Harvard Medical School, followed by an internship at Johns Hopkins, and a fellowship in ocular pathology at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital. Her residency was at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital, followed by a retina fellowship at Hopkins. Dr. Haller was appointed the first female Chief Resident at Wilmer in 1986.

Paul M. Karpecki, OD, FAAO

Dr. Karpecki currently serves as director of cornea and external disease for the Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington, KY. He is also the chief clinical editor for Review of Optometry and medical director for KEPLR Vision. Dr. Karpecki was appointed to the Delphi International Society at Wilmer Johns Hopkins, which included the top 25 dry eye experts in the world, and co-chair for the previous two Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Symposia. He served on the DEWS II Diagnostic Methodology Committee. Dr. Karpecki is also an associate professor at the Kentucky College of Optometry at the University of Pikeville and serves on the board of the charitable organization Optometry Giving Sight. Dr. Karpecki received his doctor of optometry degree from Indiana University and completed a Durrie Fellowship in Medical Cornea/Refractive Surgery in Kansas City in affiliation with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA, FAAO

Dr. Parekh is a dual-trained internist and board-certified ophthalmic surgeon with experience and expertise in clinical and academic practice, pharmaceutical and medical device technology, medical affairs and R&D, and clinical development. He is the EVP/Chief Innovation Officer at EyeCheq. Previously, he was the chief medical officer and vice president of Eye Care at Allergan. Dr. Parekh is chief, cornea and external diseases, and medical director of the Research Institute at St. Joseph’s Health in NJ. He is a member of the Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board, and the Executive Committee of the healthcare system. Dr. Parekh has also co-founded three prestigious societies in eye care: American-European College of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS), CEDAR/ASPENS Society (CAS), and Vanguard Ophthalmology Society (VOS). He is clinical associate professor of ophthalmology in the Icahn School of Medicine at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, NY. Dr. Parekh holds an MD from Boston University School of Medicine and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.