RetinalVascularOcclusion near Teaneck, NJ

Biography: Vlad Diaconita, MD is an Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a retina specialist. Dr. Diaconita is double board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Diaconita completed a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Neuroscience and Physiology from the University of Toronto and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University in Ontario, Canada. He completed a five-year residency program in Ophthalmology followed by a two-year surgical retina fellowship at Columbia University. He has been recognized with awards and grants as a medical educator, researcher and has been a panelist and speaker at national and international conferences. He is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Surgeons, Canadian Ophthalmology Society, Canadian Retina Society, VitBuckle Society as well as other national and international groups. His research interests include macular degeneration, diabetes and vein occlusion treatment, as well as the application of artificial intelligence in ophthalmic imaging.

Biography: Dr. Rafla-Demetrious is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Weill Cornell Medicine. She received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and received her M.D. from SUNY Downstate, graduating with the distinct honor of Summa Cum Laude.Dr. Rafla-Demetrious did her medical internship at St. Vincent's Medical Center in N.Y.C, New York. Thereafter, she began her Ophthalmology residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City in 1994. She then remained there to continue her Fellowship in Glaucoma. Upon completion, she joined the Department of Ophthalmology at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in 2000.Dr. Rafla-Demetrious's clinical practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and anterior segment diseases.Dr. Rafla Demetrious received honors from the Alpha Omega Alpha (AA) in 1991.

Biography: Srilaxmi Bearelly, MD, MHS is a retina specialist with expertise in the evaluation and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions, choroidal neovascularization and macular disorders. Her experience in the treatment of retinal diseases started with a seven-year tenure on the Vitreoretinal Service at Duke University Eye Center in North Carolina (2003 to 2010). Since then, she joined Columbia's faculty in 2010. She has treated thousands of patients, and helped patients and their families through their treatments. She has also volunteered her medical expertise in underserviced areas, such as El Salvador and rural United States. Dr. Bearelly received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, received her M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School, and a Masters of Health Sciences from Duke University School of Medicine. Following her ophthalmology training at Northwestern University, she completed her fellowship training in diseases of the retina and vitreous at Duke University Eye Center. She has written 70 articles, chapters and abstracts, and frequently presents at scientific and professional conferences both nationally and abroad. Currently, Dr. Bearelly is a collaborator on a Columbia University clinical study of retinal changes in preeclamspia (a disease of pregnancy). She is recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Ophthalmology, and with Castle Connolly's Exceptional Women in Medicine award. She received several research awards, including an NIH/NEI K12 and K23 Mentored Research Career Award, and a Young Investigator Award by Retinal Degenerations Symposium at the International Congress of Eye Research Meeting in China. Dr. Bearelly has been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS).