A Legacy of Leadership and Care"MY APPOINTMENTS WITH DR. SRINIVASAN areessentially preventive good luck," quips Rand Araskogwith a smile in his voice, speaking from his office inPalm Beach, Florida. "I hike up to the Harkness EyeInstitute four times a year to keep my vision healthy. Ofcourse, it is always a pleasure to see him, and we'vebecome great friends over the years."

Mr. Araskog, the retired chairman and chief executiveofficer of ITT Corporation, feels so strongly about theexcellent care he has received at the Harkness EyeInstitute that he and his wife, Jessie Gustafson Araskog,have established the A. Gerard DeVoe—B. DobliSrinivasan Directorship of Ambulatory Eye Care withan extraordinary gift. Rand and Jessie Araskog at their

home in New York City.

IN THIS ISSUE...

View from the Chair..................2

Visionary Leadership.................3

Flanzer Fellows .........................3

Caring for the Community........7

Visionaries & Luminaries...........8

A publication ofThe Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute and the

Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons

Spring 2004

World-Class TalentTIME AND AGAIN, brilliant, talented and dedicatedphysicians and scientists from all over the world saythat they have been drawn to New York City by theopportunity to study and work among the expert andrenowned faculty at Columbia University MedicalCenter (CUMC). The Department of Ophthalmology'snewest faculty members are no exception.

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Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Chairman William Acquavella Rand Araskog Dr. Endré Balazs Shirlee BrownRobert L. Burch III Howard L. Clark, Jr.Abraham E. CohenJoseph C. Connors E. Virgil Conway Dorothy Eweson Gloria and Louis Flanzer Joel Hoffman T. C. Hsu Florence and Herbert Irving Helen and Martin Kimmel Dr. Henry Kissinger Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr.John Manice Barbara Margolis Bjorg and Stephen OllendorffHomer McK. Rees John Robinson James Shinn William Spier Miranda Wong Tang Richard Woolworth Dukes Wooters

IN MEMORIAM Seymour Milstein Candace VanAlen

MEDICAL ADVISORS Rando Allikmets, Ph.D.Gaetano Barile, M.D.Richard Braunstein, M.D.Stanley Chang, M.D.John Espy, M.D.John Flynn, M.D.William Schiff, M.D.Harold Spalter, M.D.Janet Sparrow, Ph.D.B. Dobli Srinivasan, M.D.James Tsai, M.D.Stephen Trokel, M.D.

VIEWPOINTJane E. Heffner, EditorKathleen H. Boyd, Writing & Design

Photography courtesy of

Kevin Langton, OphthalmologyCharles E. Manley, Biomedical

Communications, CUMCCharlie Martin, JSEI, UCLA

View From the ChairDear Friends,Spring has blossomed in New York City, andwith it, many new plans, activities and ideasin the Department of Ophthalmology.Traditionally, this is an exciting and busytime when we observe tremendous growthin our residents' academic and clinicalknowledge and begin planning for the com-ing academic year.

With this latest issue of Viewpoint, it is mygreat pleasure to announce that RandAraskog, a founding member of our Boardof Advisors, and his wife, Jessie Gustafson Araskog, haveendowed the A. Gerard DeVoe—B. Dobli SrinivasanDirectorship of Ambulatory Eye Care in honor of these tworevered department physicians. Their gift will directly benefitthe 20,000 individuals who use our eye clinic services each year.

At Columbia University Medical Center, we thrive on being atthe forefront of ophthalmology—from the well-attendedage-related macular degeneration conference to the state-of-the-art Flanzer Amphitheatre. We are successful in large partdue to our outstanding faculty and the many talented youngdoctors and scientists who are working to understand, treatand cure diseases of the eye.

As you glimpse inside our world, please accept my renewedthanks for your dedication and commitment to our work inadvancing ophthalmology and vision care. Your benevolence,dear friends and former patients, has resulted in unrestrictedgifts to our Annual Fund that have totaled more than$145,000 to date. Thank you, one and all, and please knowhow much we appreciate your caring.

With all good wishes to you and yours for a healthy Spring,

STANLEY CHANG, M.D.K.K Tse and Ku Teh Ying ProfessorEdward S. Harkness ProfessorChairman, Department of Ophthalmology

Stanley Chang, M.D.

BOARD OF ADVISORS Department of Ophthalmology

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Visionary LeadershipThe Gloria and Louis Flanzer Amphitheatre

Flanzer FellowsStudying with the Best to Make a Difference

OSMAN CEKIC, M.D., PH.D., one of twoFlanzer Fellows, began his one-year fellow-ship in the Department ofOphthalmology in July 2003.Educated in Turkey, his nativecountry, he received his M.D.from Hacettepe UniversityMedical School in 1990. Afterhis ophthalmology residency atAnkara University Hospital, hetaught at Inonu UniversityMedical School until 1998 andthen moved to Osaka, Japan, forpostgraduate studies. He

IT IS A THURSDAY AFTERNOON and residents are arriv-ing for weekly Grand Rounds in the new Gloria and LouisFlanzer Amphitheatre on the seventh floor of the Harknessbuilding at 165th Street. With 72 seats, the amphitheatre’swarm hues bring comfort to a stimulating environment thatis simultaneously spacious and intimate. The graduallyinclining floor ensures an unobstructed view from each seat.

"This beautiful new facility is used every day of the week,from morning until evening," notes Dr. John Flynn, Chief ofPediatric Ophthalmology and Vice Chairman of theDepartment of Ophthalmology. "It is the ‘Taj Mahal’ of inti-mate lecture facilities—the audio/visual equipment isabsolutely state-of-the-art."

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Flanzer

received a research fellowship and then hisPh.D. in vitreo-retinal surgery at Osaka

University Medical School. Dr.Cekic felt strongly about con-tinuing his education atColumbia University under Dr.Stanley Chang.

"At Columbia, I have an oppor-tunity to perform every kind ofretinal treatment, from macularand other retinal surgery tophotodynamic laser therapy," henotes.Dr. Osman Cekic

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need of technologically advanced eye care,”Dr. Stanley Chang explains. “By endowingthis directorship, the Araskogs have guaran-teed that the deparment will be able to con-tinue to provide high quality ophthalmologycare and services to the medically under-served adults and children from the neigh-boring Washington Heights community."

Rand Araskog became a patient of Dr. DeVoein the mid-1970s for a cataract in his righteye. "At that time, Dr. DeVoe was one of themost recognized doctors at the Harkness EyeInstitute and perhaps in the country. It was acritical point in my career and my needs werehandled superbly—both in confidentialityand with the exceptional outcome of the sur-gery. I simply couldn't trust my vision to any-one less skilled," he recollects. "Dr. DeVoe'sprofessional exterior belied his true innerkindness. He felt all of his patients wereequally important."

Over the next several years, Mr. Araskog con-tinued to see Dr. DeVoe for follow-upappointments, and was gradually introducedto Dr. Srinivasan. "It was clearly a mentoringrelationship—Dr. DeVoe was Dr. Srinivasan'smentor and inspiration," he recalls.

In the mid-1980s, during Mr. Araskog'stenure as Chairman and CEO of ITT, hebegan to develop a similar problem in his lefteye. In 1988, he had surgery in that eye, thistime with Dr. Srinivasan. The incision wasnearly undetectable and his resulting visionwas impeccable. He went on to have a repeatsurgery in his right eye to take advantage ofadvances in treatment. Although a differentsurgeon performed that procedure in PalmBeach, it was done in careful consultationwith Dr. Srinivasan.

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Legacy of Leadership (con’t.)

The newly-endowed Directorship is namedin honor of both Dr. A. Gerard DeVoe andDr. B. Dobli Srinivasan. Dr. DeVoe, professoremeritus and former chairman of theDepartment of Ophthalmology, established abasic and clinical corneal research center atthe Harkness Eye Institute in 1961, the first ofits kind in the United States. During histenure as chairman of the department, Dr.DeVoe sustained a deep commitment to theeye clinic that serves the Washington Heightscommunity [see Caring for the Community].Dr. B. Dobli Srinivasan, professor of clinicalophthalmology and current director of theeye clinic, trained under the highly respectedDr. DeVoe and is a recognized leader in thefield of ophthalmology. Dr. Srinivasan willhold the inaugural directorship.

"Rand and Jessie Araskog understand theimportance of our commitment to those in con’t. next page

Dr. Stanley Chang with Dr. A. Gerard DeVoe.

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"Dr. Srinivasan has always been extremelythorough, cautious and conservative," Mr.Araskog observes. "His belief is that a sight-ed eye is a gift, and the potential benefits andrisks of any surgical procedure should beconsidered carefully. I trust his judgmentimplicitly."

With gratitude for the successful surgeriesthat have preserved his sight, Mr. and Mrs.Araskog decided to make a significant gift inhonor of Dr. DeVoe and Dr. Srinivasan. Witha chuckle, Mr. Araskog recounts how the twodoctors’ respect for one another influencedthe naming of the directorship.

"Dr. Srinivasan requested that Dr. DeVoe'sname appear first," Mr. Araskog recalls. "ButDr. DeVoe wrote a persuasive letter to Dr.Chang insisting rather that Dr. Srinivasanshould receive the honor. I settled the mat-ter—I told Dr. Chang that I would like tohave Dr. DeVoe's name placed first, in recog-nition of his tremendous contributions to thefield of ophthalmology, but especiallybecause I knew that Dr. Srinivasan reallywanted his mentor’s name to be ahead ofhis." And so the directorship was named.

From History To Legacy

"The relationship between the Araskogs andthe Department of Ophthalmology atColumbia goes back some 30 years,” Dr.Srinivasan notes. “What began as a typicaldoctor-patient relationship grew into a long-term interest in our community service activ-ities."

In 1990, Dr. Chang's predecessor formed thedepartment’s Advisory Board with the intent

Legacy of Leadership (con’t.) of forging connections among friends, for-mer patients, physicians and scientists topromote the exciting research and clinicalwork of the department. Rand Araskog wasinvited to become one of the founding mem-bers of the Advisory Board at that time.

Rand Araskog explains his interest. "I accept-ed the invitation to join the Advisory Boardbecause I believed so strongly in the impactof the research and clinical work that wastaking place.”

Simultaneously, ITT was investing philan-thropically in a variety of community initia-tives, including those assisting urban chil-dren and families.

About a year later, Columbia’s ophthalmolo-gy department received a gift of $1.5 million

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Dr. Srinivasan examines a clinic patient.

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from ITT to refurbish the eye clinic facility,which was in dire need of capital renovationsand improvements.

“The congruence of ITT's corporate philan-thropy with the obvious renovation needs ofthe eye clinic was truly serendipitous,”remarks Mr. Araskog. “While I certainlyplayed a role in bringing the needs of the eyeclinic forward, it was ITT's community rela-tions experts that decided that a gift wouldbenefit the corporation's philanthropic goals.Needless to say, I was and still am pleasedwith the outcome. I believe the grant'semployment by the Harkness Eye Instituterepresents the very best result of corporatephilanthropy."

Dr. Srinivasan adds, "Thanks to ITT, we wereable to upgrade our facilities to offer a high-er level of care and comfort to the communi-ty—something that would not have beenpossible otherwise. The renovations weredriven by the training needs of the residentsand the sheer volume of patients and breadthof treatment needs. We are deeply grateful forthe trust and confidence the Araskogs haveshown with their personal support of theclinic, and I am humbled by their incrediblegenerosity."

Dr. Gerald D. Fischbach, executive vice presi-dent for health and biomedical sciences anddean of the Faculty of Medicine at ColumbiaUniversity, concurs. "The Araskog’s recentgift recognizes the excellence that defines thisdepartment's superb faculty and cutting-edge research, as well as the need for andeffect of the ambulatory eye clinic in the sur-rounding community. We are grateful to Mr.

Legacy of Leadership (con’t.) and Mrs. Araskog for their generosity andsupport."

"Jessie and I believe in sharing one's time andresources whenever possible. It is gratifyingto know that our gift will help maintainaccess to advanced eye care for people in theWashington Heights community," says Mr.Araskog. With gratitude, he adds, "I havereceived absolutely the best care possible atthe Harkness Eye Institute. And, I retain20/20 vision in both eyes. What a gift!"

Flanzer Fellows (con’t.)

Dr. Cekic is especially interested in age-relat-ed macular degeneration (AMD). Explaininghis work, Dr. Cekic continues, "In Japan, sur-gical macular relocation is used as a treat-ment for exudative (wet) AMD. It is an effec-tive but invasive procedure that involvesrotating the macula around the optic diskand then reattaching it in a way that willimprove the patient's vision. Here, theapproach is more conservative—we are usingphotodynamic laser therapy to target andseal blood vessels beneath the macula to pre-vent further blood vessel growth. Thisapproach, combined with intravitreal steroidinjections, has proven to be as effective asmacular translocation, and is inherently lessinvasive."

Dr. Cekic works in several CUMC locations,including the Flanzer Eye Center, the retinalclinic in the department's community eyeclinic, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital and withColumbia Ophthalmology Consultants on71st Street. He typically sees at least 30 new

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Caring for the CommunityThe ITT Eye Clinic at CUMC

PATIENTS WAIT to besummoned in a bustlingseating area inside the ITTEye Clinic of the HarknessEye Institute, while thosewho have just stepped outof the elevator queue up tocheck in with one of thethree receptionists. Everyfew moments, a newpatient is escorted throughthe double doors that leadto the fourteen examiningrooms.

Inside, Dr. B. Dobli Srinivasan,the ITT Eye Clinic directorsince 1990, reviews everymedical chart, and alternately quizzes resi-dents and answers questions on topics relatedto their patients.

“We serve upwards of 20,000 adults and chil-dren each year, primarily from the sur-rounding Washington Heights community,"explains Dr. Srinivasan between phone calls,charts and questions. "Many patients have noother access to vision care. Their needs rangefrom routine eye exams to complex surgery.Our residents spend three years learning inthis environment, supervised by top-notchattending ophthalmologists. They rotatethrough the general clinic as well as the glau-coma, retinal, uveitis, laser, corneal and pedi-atric specialty clinics. Our goal is to turn outethical, knowledgeable and skilled ophthal-mologists capable of providing the best eyecare possible."

Dr. Grace Lee, ChiefResident, comments, “Theclinic provides the founda-tion for our ophthamologiccareer. We learn how to doeye exams and differentprocedures and how to jug-gle ten things at once. Wealso learn how to interactwith patients (often inSpanish!) and with theattending physicians.”

Dr. Lee continues, “Dr.Srinivasan, with his knowl-edge and experience, is anever-constant presence inthe clinic. Although we

learn efficient clinic operations, his focusalways is on ensuring high quality residencytraining and providing superior patient care.”

Dr. Stanley Chang offers his view. “The peo-ple of Washington Heights entrust theirvision to us. Dr. Srinivasan, our attendingphysicians and our residents take that trustand responsibility very seriously. It is a tremen-dous hands-on learning experience for ourresidents, and we are grateful for the oppor-tunity both to teach and to serve.”

Dr. Lee is quick to point out how the resi-dents learn from their patients. “It is gratify-ing to know we are helping people who haveno insurance and few other resources, buthonestly, I believe we are the ones who bene-fit the most. Our patients are the best part ofthe clinic. They teach us about patience,trust, endurance and friendship.”

Dr. B. Dobli Srinivasan and Dr.Grace Lee, Chief Resident, in theITT Eye Clinic.

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Successful FirstAMD ConferenceTHE FIRST CONFERENCE at CUMCspecifically focused on age-related maculardegeneration (AMD) was hosted in mid-March by the Department of Ophthalmologyand organized by Stanley Chang, M.D.,

Rando Allikmets, Ph.D.and Janet R. Sparrow,Ph.D.

AMD is a complex dis-order involving bothgenetic and environ-mental factors, and isthe leading cause of visu-al impairment afflicting agrowing segment of theelderly population.

“Our goal was to gath-er top vision scientistsand ophthalmologiststo discuss current

hypotheses regarding the role of RPE lipofus-cin, drusen, immune factors and light expo-sure in the pathogenesis of this devastatingeye disease,” says Janet Sparrow, Ph.D.,

Paul A. Sieving, M.D.,Ph.D., Director of theNational Eye Institute

Mr. Robert L. Burch IIIAlcon, Inc.

Bausch & LombEyetech

Genentech, Inc.Novartis

Pfizer, Inc.

AMD Conference Sponsors

Gerstner ClinicalResearch Center WORK IS NEARLY COMPLETE on theLouis V. Gerstner, Jr. Clinical Research Centerin Vision. Occupying the entire fifth floor ofthe Harkness Eye Institute building, the newstate-of-the-art facility is a result of threeextraordinary gifts from the Louis V.Gerstner, Jr. Foundation, Russ and AngelicaBerrie and The Starr Foundation. Russ andAngelica Berrie’s gift has established TheRussell Berrie Diabetic Retinopathy ResearchUnit within the Gerstner Center, which ispart of The Berrie Family DiabeticRetinopathy Program, a cooperative effortbetween the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Centerand the Department of Ophthalmology. TheStarr Foundation has underwritten The StarrFoundation Retina Research Unit.

Collectively, these three clinical research pro-grams create a multi-faceted research centerdedicated to clinical study of a variety ofvision problems, especially those affectingthe retina. Look for more about the GerstnerCenter in the next issue of Viewpoint!

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K. Langton

Fitting the PiecesTogetherTOM HILL enjoys working at Columbia.With 37 years of experience in private indus-try under his belt, most recently at Dynacast,Tom has returned to his roots in milling andmachining since joining the CUMC staff inJune 2003. His engineering expertise andaffable personality make him the "go-to" manwhen doctors and scientists in the ophthal-mology and neurobiology departments needa specialized or retrofitted piece of equip-ment for their cutting-edge research.

"When one door closes, another one opens,"Tom reflects. "When Dynacast decided tomove south, my wife and I chose to stay, sinceYorktown Heights is our home. Shortly after,I ran into a colleague who told me about thisposition—and here I am!"

Tom Hill in his workshop.

Dr. Max ForbesTo Be HonoredAt Conference DR. JAMES TSAI IS ORGANIZING theDepartment of Ophthalmology’s next scien-tific conference on glaucoma, scheduled forSeptember. The two-day conference willhonor Dr. Max Forbes' contributions to glau-coma and ophthalmology.

The conference, entitled "New Frontiers inClinical Glaucoma," will be held on Friday,September 10 at the New York Academy ofMedicine and on Saturday, September 11 atthe Columbia University Medical Centercampus.

The invited speakers and faculty includeinternationally-renowned specialists as wellas regional glaucoma experts. Dr. GeorgeSpaeth from Wills Eye Hospital will be deliv-ering the inaugural Max Forbes Lectureshipin Glaucoma.

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Have your eyes examined annually,especially if you are over 65.

Eat a nutrient-rich diet. Your eyes willbenefit from the antioxidants foundin dark, leafy green vegetables suchas spinach and kale (with thecarotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin)and tomatoes (lycopene).

Take daily vitamin supplements richin antioxidants such as vitamins Cand E, beta-carotene and lutein.Trace minerals such as zinc, seleniumand copper may be beneficial (if notcontraindicated by other health con-ditions). Zinc is not advised forpatients who are taking blood-thinningmedications such as Coumadin®.

Wearr large, yellow-tinted sunglasses toblock the sun’s damaging ultravioletrays and reduce exposure to blue light.

Quit smoking. Smoking can increaseyour risk of developing AMD.

Protecting YourEyes From AMD

Although scientists believe there is agenetic component to one’s risk ofdeveloping AMD, here’s how you canreduce your environmental risks:

Director of the Retinal Cell BiologyLaboratory and an associate professor ofophthalmic science at CUMC. “We discussedtherapeutic preventive and treatmentoptions ranging from vitamin and antioxi-dant supplements to emerging interventionsinvolving small molecule drugs and genetherapy. We also received updates on recentprogress in combating the neovascular formof AMD and existing clinical trials.”

Matthew LaVail, Ph.D., gave the SmelserLecture titled “Experimental Pharmaceuticaland Gene Therapy for Retinal Degenerations.”Distinguished guest faculty formed a verita-ble “Who’s Who” of American, Canadian and British ophthalmologists.

Matthew LaVail, Ph.D., (2nd from right) flankedby CUMC ophthalmology faculty and AMDorganizers (left to right) Janet Sparrow, Ph.D.;Stanley Chang, M.D.; Rando Allikmets, Ph.D.

AMD Conference (con’t.)

K. Langton

K. Langton

Martin Friedlander,M.D.,Ph.D., ScrippsResearch Institute(left), with LawrenceA. Yannuzzi, M.D.,Vice Chairman andDirector of RetinalServices,ManhattanEye, Ear & ThroatHospital.

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"Our three newest assistant professors, as wellas the two Flanzer Fellows, possess the enthu-siasm, creativity, compassion and razor-sharp intellect for which Columbia isknown," says Dr. Stanley Chang with pride."Each one brings the expert knowledge, stel-lar skills and cutting-edge research intereststhat our students, patients and colleaguesexpect from Columbia faculty. As theircareers develop and progress,each one will become anambassador of good will andgood health. It is a pleasure tointroduce and welcome them toour community."

Lama Al-Aswad, M.D.

"Congenital and pediatricglaucoma is often under-diag-nosed. Untreated, it can causechildren to become legallyblind," explains Dr. Lama Al-Aswad. "Because the diseasecan be difficult to control, early detection andappropriate treatment—usually surgical—iscritical to preserving sight for these children."

Dr. Al-Aswad is one of three new assistantprofessors who received their facultyappointments to the Department ofOphthalmology in 2003. A native of Syria,Dr. Al-Aswad earned her M.D. fromDamascus University Medical School. Shecame to the United States in the mid-1990sfor an ophthalmology research fellowship atthe Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmarythrough Harvard Medical School, and subse-quently interned at the Boston University

School of Medicine. She completed her oph-thalmology residency and served as ChiefResident at the State University of New Yorkat Brooklyn. Prior to coming to Columbia,Dr. Al-Aswad completed an adult and pedi-atric glaucoma fellowship at the University ofTennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

"My interest in glaucoma, and especiallypediatric glaucoma, attracted me toColumbia. There are few institutions in thecountry that specialize in this area. Columbia

is among the most cutting-edge, particularly with regardto surgical procedures andclinical trials," says Dr. Al-Aswad. She specializes in lasertreatments and every type ofglaucoma surgery, from inci-sional surgery to shuntimplants. In recognition of herclinical expertise, Dr. Al-Aswadwas selected to contribute achapter on laser treatment forglaucoma that was publishedin the most recent edition of

"The Clinical Guide to GlaucomaManagement," an instructional textbookused by general ophthalmologists worldwide.She is planning a new clinical trial of antifi-brotic medications to prevent scar tissuefrom forming over the glaucoma drainageimplant "bleb," the reservoir for the excessfluid that is surgically created over theimplant.

"Glaucoma is a life-long disease for which wehave treatments, but not a cure. In adultpatients, we can manage the disease and slowits progression over time. Pediatric glaucoma

World-Class Talent (con’t.)

Dr. Lama Al-Aswad

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Harkness Eye Institute at ColumbiaUniversity's College of Physicians andSurgeons and Manhattan Eye, Ear and ThroatHospital. (Retina fellowships are extremelycompetitive—in New York there are onlytwo.)

Having just completed six months atManhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Dr.Ober began his year-long Flanzer Fellowship,in January of this year. Next January, he will

complete the remaining sixmonths of his fellowship atManhattan Eye, Ear andThroat Hospital.

"I spend most of my timeworking with Dr. Chang, Dr.Barile, Dr. Schiff and Dr. DelPriore—seeing patients in theFlanzer Eye Center, assistingwith surgery, and working inthe lab," Dr. Ober explains. "AtColumbia I have the opportu-nity to learn all aspects of a

medical and surgical retinal practice, fromthe management of age-related maculardegeneration to the surgical repair of compli-cated retinal detachments. The schedule isintense, but the opportunity to learn isinvaluable."

"I am grateful and feel very lucky to havebeen selected for this fellowship. Workingwith Dr. Chang is a 'once-in-a-lifetime'opportunity," says Dr. Ober. "Knowing thatthe Flanzers care so much about advancingthe field of ophthalmology and Columbia'sprogram makes it even more extraordinary.It is truly an honor to have been entrustedwith this special gift."

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Flanzer Fellows (con’t.)

and current retina patients each day andassists all the retina specialists including Dr.Chang, Dr. Del Priore, Dr. Schiff and Dr.Barile.

"Overseas, Dr. Chang is one of the mostrespected and well-known American oph-thalmologists. His visits to my country andto Japan convinced me that I wanted to studyunder him at ColumbiaUniversity," says Dr. Cekic withadmiration. "I am grateful forthis opportunity, and thankfulto Mr. and Mrs. Flanzer for mak-ing this fellowship possible."

Dr. Cekic completes his fellow-ship at the end of June, and willreturn to Turkey to practiceand teach as an assistant pro-fessor of ophthalmology atSuleyman Demirel Universityin Sparta.

Michael Ober, M.D.

Michael Ober, M.D., received his undergrad-uate degree in chemistry from CornellUniversity in Ithaca, NY, and went on to earnhis M.D. from Wayne State University Schoolof Medicine in Detroit.

Upon completion of his residency in oph-thalmology at Cornell University MedicalCenter at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, hewas selected for one of the most prestigiousretina fellowships in the United States—atwo-year cooperative fellowship in vitreo-retinal surgery with both the Edward S.

Dr. Michael Ober

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is very rare, but in these cases, the risk ofblindness is much greater because we have tomanage the disease from childhood onthrough adulthood," explains Dr. Al-Aswad."Sadly, many children go undiagnosed for toolong. Educating pediatricians on the warningsigns of congenital and pediatric glaucoma iskey, since early diagnosis and expedited treat-ment can make a tremendous difference inhelping these children retaintheir sight."

Michael Chiang, M.D.

"We are living in a time whentechnological advances havethe potential to revolutionizemedicine and healthcare deliv-ery," Dr. Michael Chiangexpresses with enthusiasm."Columbia has the top bio-medical informatics programin the United States."

Dr. Chiang is yet another of the department'snewest assistant professors. He holds anundergraduate and two advanced medicaldegrees from Stanford and Harvard respec-tively, and completed his ophthalmology res-idency and a fellowship at Johns Hopkins'Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. Chiang is now pur-suing his passion for biomedical informaticswith a fellowship at Columbia, in addition toteaching and specializing in pediatric oph-thalmology and adult strabismus (crossedeyes).

Biomedical informatics is a broad term thatdescribes the application of information

technology to medical practice and research.It encompasses a range of applications, fromcomputerized patient records and chartingsystems to data collection and analysis forresearch. Telemedicine is one area of biomed-ical informatics of particular interest to Dr.Chiang. Diagnostic in nature, telemedicineallows physicians in different locations toshare the digitized results of patients' testresults via a secure and HIPAA-compliantinternet connection, and receive expert diag-

noses and treatment recom-mendations without leavingtheir offices.

Dr. Chiang is involved in a col-laborative NIH-funded studywith Columbia's Dr. JohnFlynn and several other oph-thalmologists to design, imple-ment and evaluate a computer-ized telemedicine infrastruc-ture to screen for and diagnoseretinopathy of prematurity

(ROP) in low birth-weight infants. Involvingabnormal growth of blood vessels in the reti-na, untreated ROP will cause irreversibleblindness in 50% of infants with the condi-tion, while the remainder will suffer seriousvision loss. ROP is the leading cause of child-hood blindness worldwide—yet if it is detectedwithin two months of birth, vision can be saved.

"The real tragedy with ROP is that it can bedetected and laser-treated with excellent out-comes. Yet the ophthalmologic expertise nec-essary to screen premature infants is oftenfound only at large academic centers, ratherthan at the hospital where the child is being

World-Class Talent (con’t.)

Dr. Michael Chiang

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Flanzer Amphitheatre (con’t.)

Residents attend classes and lectures in theFlanzer Amphitheatre Monday throughFriday. On Thursday afternoons, residentsattend Grand Rounds, in which respectedphysicians present analyses of real-life med-ical cases concerning specific diseases of theeye. A special fluorescein conference takesplace every Thursday at 7:00 a.m., in whichtop surgeons, faculty and residents gather toreview digital photographs of patients' reti-nas illuminated by fluoroscein angiograms.

"When residents experience Grand Rounds,observe a surgical procedure or participate inthe weekly fluorescein conference in theFlanzer Amphitheater, the basic knowledgethey've absorbed from lectures and medicaltexts comes to life," explains Dr. StanleyChang, a long-time friend and physician tothe Flanzers. "Gloria and Louis Flanzer havedemonstrated tremendous generosity in ren-ovating and equipping this incredible facilitywith such vivid technology."

From the podium at the front of the room,lecturers and guest speakers project their dig-ital presentations to the 54-inch plasmascreen. The experiential learning potential isdeepened by live audio/video feeds from eachof three surgical suites and multiple micro-scopes through which observers can closelyview a slide or procedure in progress. A spe-cial headset allows the surgeon to hear andrespond to observers’ questions in real-timethrough a moderator without disturbing oralarming the patient.

"The Flanzers also have created two new clin-ical retina fellowships to support the workand education of talented young surgeons asthey perfect their diagnostic and surgicalskills here under our top retinal specialists,"Dr. Chang continues. "These prestigious fel-lowships attract the most gifted young physi-cians practicing in the world today. TheFlanzers' commitment to Columbia UniversityMedical Center, and indeed, to the future ofophthalmology, is truly extraordinary, anddeeply appreciated."

Pieces Together (con’t.)

Tom's approach to research is similarly mat-ter-of-fact. "Usually, the researchers tell mewhat they would like the part to do, and thenI make it," he says with modesty. "Sometimesthey have a drawing of what they want.Other times, I listen to their ideas and createa part from that."

This creativity comes easily. Tom enjoysworking with the machinery to mill plastic,

aluminum and steel parts, but can shifteffortlessly to the computer on his desk.

"This software allows me to design just aboutanything," Tom explains. "It's exciting to beworking in such a renowned research envi-ronment as Columbia, and I'm just glad thatI can use my skills and knowledge to make adifference."

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World-Class Talent (con’t.)

treated," explains Dr. Chiang. "In this study,we are working with neonatal medical staff atour partner institutions to capture images ofinfants' retinas with a special digital camera.Then they transmit the images to us via theinternet for remote diagnosis."

"In addition to allowing for expert diagnosiswithin the narrow treatment window, thisoption is less physiologically stressful to theinfant," Dr. Chiang explains.“The potential benefits withrespect to speed, outcome, costand satisfaction are very excit-ing!"

Stephen Tsang, M.D., Ph.D.

"The retina is the most accessi-ble part of the central nervoussystem for genetic and surgicalmanipulations," says StephenTsang, M.D., Ph.D., discussinghis research. "In fact, the retinahas been studied as a model system for thebrain due to its similar organization, devel-opment and signaling pathways. Many neu-rotransmitters and hormones signal theirtarget cells through cascades comparable tothose of retinal rod and cone receptors, thecells responsible for night and day vision,respectively."

Dr. Stephen H. Tsang, a native of Hong Kong,is a recently-appointed assistant professorand the new Hoffman Scholar. A clinician-scientist trained in clinical ophthalmologyand molecular biology research, he receivedboth the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees atColumbia, mentored by Stephen Goff, Ph.D.,a Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientist,

also at Columbia. Dr. Tsang completed hisresidency at the Jules Stein Eye Institute atUCLA. More recently, Dr. Tsang has beenworking with Professor Alan Bird ofMoorfields Eye Hospital in London onimproving the care of individuals with mac-ular disorders and retinitis pigmentosa. Dr.Tsang's retina program is well-respected and hehas received several grants in support of hisresearch from the National Eye Institute,Research to Prevent Blindness, Fight For

Sight/Prevent Blindness America,Foundation Fighting Blindness,Burroughs-Wellcome, the Amer-ican Geriatrics Society andHirschl Trust, among others.Currently, he is a member of theFight-For-Sight grant-in-aidreview panel.

Dr. Tsang is collaborating withlong-time friend and Columbiacolleague Dr. C.S. "Victor" Lin[see Viewpoint: Holiday 2003].This NIH-funded research

project involves engineering a genetic switchthat may help to regulate the timing andamount of therapeutic genes in the humanretina.

"As a geneticist at Columbia, I have immenseopportunities to integrate clinical practiceand fundamental research," says Dr. Tsang."The University-patented genetic engineer-ing technology has changed the standard ofcare for many patients. I am grateful for Dr.Chang's leadership and the opportunity tocollaborate with such talented and diversecolleagues as we work to apply genetic dis-coveries to ophthalmic disease and to edu-cate our students who will become futureleaders in medicine."

Dr. Stephen Tsang

C. M

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