Scientific Advisory Board

David S. Boyer, M.D.

David S. Boyer, M.D. is a Board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous and is a senior partner at Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group with offices in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, North Hollywood, Torrance, Santa Clarita and Pasadena, California. Dr. Boyer, who is also a Clinical Professor with the University of Southern California, has an extensive research background. He has been involved in trials studying age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cytomegalovirus retinitis. His professional affiliations include the Los Angeles Medical Association, Los Angeles Eye Society, American Board of Ophthalmology, Discovery Fund for Eye Research, American Academy of Ophthalmology, California Medical Association, Retina Society, Macula Society, American Medical Association and Retinitis Pigmentosa International. A widely-published author and avid lecturer, Dr. Boyer has been on the advisory boards for Alcon, Allergan, Eyetech, Genentech, iCo, ISIS, Novartis, Neurotech, Pfizer, Regeneron and the Macular Degeneration Partnership. He is a member of the board of directors of the Research Study Club, Discovery Fund for Eye Research and has been a member of the board of directors of the American Diabetes Association Los Angeles Chapter and the Center for the Partially Sighted.

Thomas Ciulla, M.D.

Dr. Thomas Ciulla, M.D., is a retinal physician who serves as Director of the Midwest Eye Institute in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Ciulla is board-certified in ophthalmology and has served as Co-Director of the Retina Service and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology on the faculty of the Indiana University School of Medicine, prior to entering private practice at the Midwest Eye Institute. Through Midwest Eye Institute, Dr. Ciulla performs clinical studies in macular and retinal diseases, with particular emphasis on age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal occlusions. He has been the principal investigator and sub-investigator on clinical trials sponsored by the NIH and NEI and has served as a consultant, Principal Investigator or Medical Monitor for numerous ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies. He has served on the Advisory Boards of numerous large medically affiliated companies, has lectured nationally and internationally, has authored nearly 100 publications, and co-edited two major textbooks.

Michael Elman, M.D.

Dr. Michael Elman, M.D., is a board certified ophthalmologist and has practiced ophthalmology for over 30 years, specializing in diseases of the retina and vitreous. Author of more than 150 publications on retinal diseases and surgery, Dr. Elman is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is currently the Director of Retina Surgery at Franklin Square Hospital. Dr. Elman directed the Clinical Research Unit at the University of Maryland and was bestowed the Young Scholar Award for the entire University of Maryland. He serves as the Chairman of Executive Committee of the National Eye Institute’s Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCRnet). He was also Study Chairman of the DRCRnet’s Protocol I, a national collaborative clinical trial that recently revolutionized the treatment of diabetic macular edema.

Jeffrey S. Heier, M.D.

Dr. Jeffrey S. Heier is one of the leading retinal clinical researchers in the country for new treatments in exudative and non-exudative macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, venous occlusive disease, vitreoretinal surgical techniques and instrumentation, and diagnostic imaging of the retina. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board or as Clinical Design Consultant to over twenty biotechnical or pharmaceutical companies, lectures nationally and internationally on retinal research and the innovative approach to the treatment of retinal diseases, and has authored numerous works in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Heier received his medical degree from Boston University, then did his transitional internship and ophthalmology residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. Between his internship and residency, Dr. Heier served as a physician in a Combat Support Hospital in the Persian Gulf War, for which he was awarded a Bronze Star. Dr. Heier then completed a vitreoretinal fellowship at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston/Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently, he is the Director of the Vitreoretinal Service at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, and Co-director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship. Dr. Heier is the Secretary of On-line Education and e-learning for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Ophthalmic Services Committee for the New England Ophthalmological Society, Chairman of the Retina Society Credentials Committee, and an At-large Member of the American Society of Retina Specialists Executive Board.

Daniel Roth, M.D.

Dr. Daniel Roth is an associate clinical professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a partner at the Retina Vitreous Center in New Jersey. He graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian of his undergraduate class at Yeshiva University in New York City. He received his M.D. degree from Yale University, completed his residency in ophthalmology at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and fellowship in vitreoretinal disease and surgery at the world-famous Cleveland Clinic. He has been honored as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society, Retina Society and Macula Society. He has received a Fight for Sight and a Howard Hughes Research Fellowship, as well as AAO Achievement Award and ASRS Honor award. Dr. Roth was elected by his peers for inclusion in Best Doctors in America® and in the Guide to America’s Top Ophthalmologists®. He has been a Principal Investigator for many clinical trials and sits on the committee for continuing medical education at the medical school. Dr. Roth has written chapters for numerous medical textbooks, and his research on eye disease has been published in many peer-reviewed medical journals.

Lawrence J. Singerman, M.D.

Lawrence J. Singerman, M.D. is a Board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in the treatment of retina and vitreous disorders. After completing his retinal training at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Singerman established Retina Associates of Cleveland in 1974. With 8 other retina specialists and over 100 employees, the practice sees patients throughout Northern Ohio. Dr. Singerman is active in the field of clinical research and has been a principal investigator in more than 75 multicenter clinical trials sponsored by NIH and pharmaceutical companies. Many of these studies of treatments for diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and other vitreoretinal diseases have led to FDA-approval of new drugs. Dr. Singerman serves on editorial boards for major ophthalmology journals. He has edited two textbooks and has authored a book and over 300 publications. He has also chaired or organized over 80 national and international courses and symposia on macular and retinal vascular disease. In 1977, Dr. Singerman founded the Macula Society, an international association of leading investigators and clinicians in the field of retinal diseases. He has been continuously re-elected to the position of Executive Secretary of the Society. In 1999, he received the Society’s J. Donald M. Gass Medal for Outstanding Contributions in the Study of Macular Diseases, and in 2009 he was awarded the Arnall Patz Medal for outstanding contributions in the study of retinal vascular diseases. Dr. Singerman was the Vice Chair of the Council of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the Executive Committee of the Academy’s Board of Directors. In 2006, he was given the Academy’s Life Achievement Honor Award.

Jason Slakter, M.D.

Dr. Jason Slakter, M.D., of the Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York is an internationally recognized retinal and macular disease specialist, and is the Founder and Director of the Digital Angiography Reading Center (DARC) in New York, which is the largest center for ocular image evaluation for clinical trials of posterior segment disease with over 800 certified clinical sites in over 40 countries worldwide. As Director of DARC, a principal investigator of many clinical trials, and a pharmaceutical industry consultant, Dr. Slakter has played a major role in the discovery, development and commercialization of treatments for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular disease, central serous chorioretinopathy and other retinal diseases. He has provided critical assistance in the design of clinical trials at all stages of development, and has participated in numerous meetings with the FDA. Dr. Slakter has published more than 85 papers and book chapters.

John Joseph Wroblewski, M.D.

John Joseph Wroblewski, M. D., is a board-certified ophthalmologist who has been treating diseases of the retina, macula, and vitreous for twenty-two years. He is the senior partner of Cumberland Valley Retina Consultants located in Western Maryland and South-Central Pennsylvania. Doctor Wroblewski is a graduate of the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, England, and has served as a consultant and medical advisor to several ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies. He has participated in the design of multiple clinical protocols and has been a Principal Investigator in twenty-three national clinical trials conducted over the past twelve years, all of which investigated the efficacy of different pharmaceutical agents in the treatment of exudative macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and diabetic retinopathy. Doctor Wroblewski has lectured nationally and internationally and is the founder and president of Retina Care International, a not-for-profit organization actively working since 2005 to help solve the diabetic retinopathy pandemic in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Dr. Wroblewski received his M.D from Georgetown University School of Medicine.