OUR RESIDENTS

Graduating Class of 2011:

Charles C. Lin, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Harvard College, BA, Environmental Science and Public Policy; UCSF; Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Joseph “Yossi” N. Martel, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Univ. of Nevada, BS, Biological Sciences; University of Nevada; Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Jason P. Ruggiero, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Brown University, ScB, Neuroscience; New York University; Hospital of San Raphael, New Haven, CT
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Brett L. Shapiro, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Pomona College, BA, Chemistry; UCSF; Hawaii Residency Program
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Alison H. Skalet, MD, PhD
_College, Medical School, PhD, Internship: Tulane University, BS, Cellular and Molecular Biology & BFA, Music Performance; University of Pennsylvania, Global Health; University of Pennsylvania, Immunology; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Graduating Class of 2010:

Juanita S. Bryant, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: University of New Mexico, Biology; Wayne State University; Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Cyril A. Dalmon, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: University of California, Davis, Biological Sciences ; UCSF; Kaiser Oakland
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Phoebe Lin, MD, PhD
_College, Medical School, Doctorate, Internship: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, Biochemistry; University of Illinois at Chicago; University of Illinois at Chicago; MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, IL
Resident Bio: I grew up in Niles, Illinois, a Northwest suburb of Chicago, after which I went to Wash U in St. Louis for my bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. It was during undergrad that I initially became interested in research. At the University of Illinois, my thesis work involved characterizing a then novel G-protein coupled receptor that I found to be involved in immune modulation by causing lymphocyte apoptosis and inhibition of neutrophil activation. I have published first author papers in the Journal of Immunology, the Journal of Biological Chemistry , and more recently, in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, as well as a chapter in Duane’s Ophthalmology. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, trying new foods, cooking, camping, hiking, kayaking, shopping, and watching old movies. Current Research Projects: I am currently studying genetic and immunologic markers of ocular inflammatory disorders. I am also involved in a study on protein misfolding in ocular melanoma.

Jennifer B. Taylor, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Yale University, Biological Sciences; Univ. of Pennsylvania; Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Marielle P. Young, MD
_College, Medical School, Internship: Yale University, History and International Studies; Univ. of Utah; Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Graduating Class of 2009:

Shelley Day, MD
_College and Medical School: Harvard, History & science ; Harvard
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Ying Han, MB, PhD
_Medical School and PhD: Nanjing Medical Univ., Nanjing, China; UC Berkeley, Vision Science PhD
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Isabella Phan, MD
_College and Medical School: UCLA, Anthropology; UCSF
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Soraya Rofagha, MD, MPH
_College, MPH and Medical School: Ohio State Univ., Political Science; Johns Hopkins School of Public Health MPH; Ohio State University
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Michelle Trager, MD
_College and Medical School: Stanford, Biological Sciences ; UCSF
Resident Bio: Michelle, aka Mimi, was born in Seattle, WA and grew up in Danville, CA. After studying biology and spanish at Stanford University, she went on to medical school at UCSF. She spent a year in new york city for her medicine internship at Cabrini Medical Center (Mt. Sinai). She has a special interest in languages (chinese and spanish), travel, running, and piano. She is training for a marathon and also enjoys occasional rock climbing. Current Research Projects: In medical school, Michelle did ophthalmology research on CNS and ocular lymphoma. She is also doing research to understand accommodation to enhance our understanding of accommodating intraocular lenses. She is a co-author for a publication in the journal of cataract and refractive surgery.

Graduating Class of 2008:

Jesse Biebesheimer, MD
_College and Medical School: UCLA; Molec., Cell, Developmental Biology; UCSF
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Julie Chen, MD
_College and Medical School: Harvard College, Biology; Harvard Medical School
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Alejandra de Alba, MD, MPH
_Medical School and MPH: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; Univ. of Arizona/Arizona State
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Mark Pennesi, MD, PhD
_College, Graduate School and Medical School: University of Pennsylvania, BSE, Bioengineering; Baylor College of Medicine, PhD, Neuroscience; Baylor College of Medicine, MD Resident Bio: Mark was born in Mount Kisco, New York, but grew up in Dallas, Texas where he attended Jesuit College Preparatory School. He headed back to the Northeast for college and received a BSE in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He returned to Texas to earn an MD/PhD at Baylor College of Medicine. His PhD was in neuroscience and focused on using retinal electrophysiology to study animal models of retinal degeneration and dysfunction. He has published multiple papers in journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Neuron, the Journal of Neuroscience, and Vision Research.

Michael Yoon, MD
_College and Medical School: Stanford University, Biology, Economics; UCSF
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Graduating Class of 2007:

Anthony Agadzi, MD
_College and Medical School: Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, BA, Biology; Univ. of Minnesota Medical School
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Tina Rutar, MD
_College and Medical School: Dartmouth College, BA, Biology; Harvard Medical School
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Diamond Tam, MD
_College and Medical School: University of British Columbia, BSc in Biochemistry and Chemistry; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin
Resident Bio: Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Diamond earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University of British Columbia, then went overseas to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for medical school. After graduating from medical school, he spent one year in New Haven, Connecticut for internship. Current Research Projects: My research interests are in phacoemulsification and anterior segment surgery in resident education, and also in research involving axonal transport of herpes simplex virus in the eye.

Bryan Winn, MD
_College and Medical School: Amherst College, BA, Chemistry; Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Resident Bio: (more info coming soon)
Current Research Projects: (more info coming soon)

Graduating Class of 2006:

Jennifer Diehn, MD
_College and Medical School: University of Iowa; Stanford Medical School

Scott Lee, MD, MPH
_College and Medical School: Brown University; UCLA Medical School
Resident Bio: I was born in Livingston, NJ and grew up in the West Virginia/Ohio area. I went to college at Brown University. In college, I spent a year abroad
in El Salvador and Cambridge, England. My interests included playing in
the symphony and on the football team. The following year, I did a
sociology fellowship in Korea, and then a joint MD-MPH degree at UCLA and
Harvard. Current Research Projects: My research interests are based primarily in international ophthalmology. I am working with the proctor foundation on trachoma in Ethiopia.

Brandon Lujan, MD
_College and Medical School: University of Minnesota; Harvard Medical School

M. Reza Vagefi, MD
_College and Medical School: Johns Hopkins University; Yale Medical School.
Resident Bio: I grew up in Tyler, TX. After receiving a B.A. in French Literatrure from Johns Hopkins University, I pursued a year of research in hereditary diseases of the eye at the Wilmer Eye Institute before beginning medical school. I attended Yale University School of Medicine where I continued my interests in the visual sciences and studied visual processing in autistic individuals. Upon graduating from medical school in 2002, I completed a year of internship in internal medicine at Stanford University. I am excited to be a resident at UCSF and look forward to my training in ophthalmology. Current Research Projects: Genetics of Age Related Macular Degeneration, Pseudoaccommadation in Monofocal IOLs


Graduating Class of 2005:

Richard Alvarado, MD
_College and Medical School: University of Washington; Dartmouth Medical School. Resident Bio: I grew up and went to college in Seattle, Washington. My parents and younger brother, Eric live and work in Seattle. As an undergraduate I studied wildlife biology but changed career paths shortly before graduating. There I met my wife, Amy, who also graduated from University of Washington with a B.S. in wildlife biology. We live across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin with our three year old Isabella. My interests outside of ophthalmology include hiking and bicycling. I plan to apply for a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology upon completion of residency. Current Research Projects/Awards: I am currently working on a couple of basic science research projects with Jorge Alvarado, MD evaluating the effect of different molecules and proteins on the fluid conductivity of trabecular meshwork endothelial and schlemm's canal endothelial cells in vivo.

Marsha Cheung, MD
_College and Medical School: University of Pennsylvania; Harvard Medical School
Resident Bio: I grew up in Kansas City. I attended college at the University of Pennsylvania where I majored in biology and spent some of my free time on the downhill ski racing team, painting, and playing the piano for a campus musicians group. I attended Harvard Med School, did my internship and met my husband in Boston. Now, I mostly enjoy just hanging out with him and running. I am currently midway through my second year of residency and I am planning to apply for fellowship in retina. Current Research Projects/Awards: My current research projects involve development of a novel corneal onlay, studying the electrophysiologic abnormalities in ocular albinism, and evaluating the pneumatic retinopexy success rates at UCSF.

Poorab Sangani, MD
_College and Medical School: Williams College; Cornell University Medical College. Resident Bio: I was born in New Hartford, a sleepy little town in upstate New York. After high school I attended Williams College where I rowed on the Varsity Men's Crew team and graduated with a double major in Chemistry and Economics. From there I moved to Manhattan where I spent four thoroughly enjoyable years at Cornell University Medical College. I am now a second year resident in ophthalmology at UCSF, but still find time to enjoy outside interests including running, tennis, golf, music, and great food. Current Research Projects/Awards: My current research interests are broad. I am currently pursuing a number of different projects, including an epidemiologic project on HIV and corneal ulcers, a study of the electrophysiologic abnormalities in amblyopia, and investigation of the role of growth factors in the progression of retinopathy of prematurity.

Robin Vora, MD
_College and Medical School: Cornell University; Cornell University Medical College. Resident Bio: I grew up in the snow and cold of Rochester, NY. From there to more snow in Ithaca, and then to the big city for medical school. Now, I'm here. When not at work, I have been hiking, playing tennis and golf, or just hanging out. Current Research Projects/Awards: Research interests include: working on a new corneal topical analgesic, looking at the toxicities of the preservatives found in injectable steroids, and possibly utilizing video games to enhance compliance in children with amblyopia.


Graduating Class of 2004:

Jyotsom Ganatra, MD, MPH
_College and Medical School: U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; UCSF Medical School. Resident Bio: I was born in Bombay, India and came to the USA at age 5. I grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying Cell & Structural Biology and Religious Studies. I then attended UCSF Medical School. After my third year, in order to explore interests in international health and ophthalmology, I pursued a Masters in Public Health at UC Berkeley while doing research with Todd Margolis at the Proctor Foundation on Acute Retinal Necrosis Syndrome and Ocular Toxoplasmosis. I joined the UCSF Ophthalmology Residency Program after a medical internship at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. Current Research Projects/Awards: Currently, I am working with Dr. Richard Abbott on International Guidelines in Eye Care and with Dr. Ira Wong on the use of Descemet's membrane as a substrate for corneal epithelialization for the treatment of neurotrophic ulcers and stabilization of keratoprostheses.

Janie Ho, MD
_College and Medical School: Harvard University; DuKe University Medical School
Resident Bio: I was born in Taiwan and moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina at a young age. At Harvard University, I majored in Enviromental Science and Public
Policy. This was followed by medical school at Duke University, where I spent a year doing research in pediatric hematology. My internship year was at MetroWest Medical Center, just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where my husband is a general surgery resident. We plan to return to Boston after my residency, where I will continue training in vitreoretinal surgery as a fellow at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Current Research Projects/Awards:My current research involves the ocular angiogenesis factors, hypoxia-inducible factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, in an RPE cell model. I have also done work on penetrating keroplasty outcomes at UCSF, and the histology of radial optic neurotomy for the treatment of CRVO.

David Hollander, MD, MBA
_College and Medical School: Stanford Univ.; U. of Pennsylvania Medical School
Resident Bio: I grew up in Los Angeles and majored in chemistry at Stanford. I
attended Penn for medical school, during which time I completed an M.B.A.
in health care at Wharton. I briefly returned to Los Angeles for my
medicine internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. My wife and I will
be heading South once again for my fellowship in Cornea and External
Disease at Jules Stein. Current Research Projects: Congenital glaucoma, post-operative endophthalmitis, health care economics. Awards: Asbury Award, PCOOS Resident Prize, NEI Travel Grant, 2nd place-Ophthalmology Times/AMO
Resident Writers Program

Michelle Nee, MD
_College and Medical School: MIT; Johns hopkins University Medical School. Resident Bio: I was born and raised in Maryland, attended college at MIT, and then medicine at Johns Hopkins. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and frequenting the many fine restaurants in the city. Next year, I will be lucky enough to continue my education here at UCSF as the glaucoma fellow. Current Research Projects 1) Investigation of a new tonometer tip called the Dynamic Contour tonometer and its application in glaucoma and refractive surgery patients. 2) Outcomes of ahmed valves with Mitomycin C in patients with Uveitis.

Graduating Classes Prior to 2004: Click here for a list of all residents since 1932