Faculty Continues Expansion

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of five new faculty members. Bascom Palmer continues its rich tradition of having the nation’s best and brightest ophthalmologists advancing the practice of ophthalmology through innovation in therapeutics, diagnostics, and vision research.

MAURA DI NICOLA, M.D.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute welcomes Maura Di Nicola, M.D., a board-certified specialist in retinal diseases, uveitis, and ocular oncology, to the faculty as an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology. She received a doctor of medicine degree, summa cum laude, from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Italy, where she also completed an internship in the department of ophthalmology’s uveitis and oncology service. Following a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Milan, she completed a research fellowship in ocular oncology at Wills Eye Hospital. Di Nicola then served as a research associate in ocular oncology at the University of Cincinnati, where she also completed an ocular oncology clinical fellowship. This training was followed by a uveitis and medical retina clinical fellowship at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research interests include diagnosis and treatment of retinal and ocular inflammatory diseases, as well as adult and pediatric ocular tumors, with a focus on multimodal imaging. She is available for consultation on retinal diseases, uveitis, and ocular oncology, either in person or through virtual visits.

ANH H. PHAM, M.D., PH.D., a board-certified specialist in glaucoma, joins the faculty as an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology. Pham received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, with highest honors, from the University of California at Berkeley, and a doctorate in molecular and cell biology from the California Institute of Technology. She received her medical degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Following an internship in preliminary medicine at Huntington Memorial Hospital, she completed an EyeSTAR post-doctoral fellowship and a residency in ophthalmology at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute. Most recently, Pham completed a fellowship in glaucoma at Bascom Palmer. Her research interests include examining mitochondrial dysfunction in glaucoma models and gene therapy for mitochondrial DNA diseases. She is available for consultation on glaucoma either in person or through virtual visits

MARIAM S. VILÁ-DELGADO, M.D., a board-certified specialist in neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, and pediatric and adult strabismus, joins the faculty as an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor of science degree in cellular and molecular biology. At the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, she received a medical degree, magna cum laude, in addition to completing a transitional year internship and a residency in ophthalmology. This training was followed by two fellowships at Bascom Palmer: the first in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, and the second in neuro-ophthalmology. A member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Vilá-Delgado is part of the Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Collaborative Center team in partnership with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. She is available for consultation either in person at Bascom Palmer or through virtual visits for neuro-ophthalmology – including optic neuritis; optic neuropathy and visual field defects; pediatric ophthalmology; and childhood and adult strabismus.

BASIL K. WILLIAMS JR., M.D., joins the faculty as an associate professor of clinical ophthalmology and Bascom Palmer’s vice chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). A board-certified specialist in retinal diseases and ocular oncology, Williams comes to Miami from Cincinnati, where he was the Mary Knight Asbury Chair of Ocular Oncology and associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center; a vitreoretinal specialist, ocular oncologist, and director of the retinoblastoma program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; and a vitreoretinal diseases specialist and surgeon at the Cincinnati Eye Institute. Williams received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Yale University and received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School. Following his transitional year internship at Resurrection Medical Center, Williams completed a residency in ophthalmology as well as a surgical retinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer, both preceding his tenure as the Institute’s chief resident. The following year he completed an ocular oncology fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital. His research interests include vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, as well as adult and pediatric surface and intraocular tumors. A member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Williams has received numerous teaching awards including the Medical Student Educator of the Year from the University of Cincinnati, the William Tasman M.D. Outstanding Fellow Teaching Award from Wills Eye Hospital, and Fellow of the Year Award from Bascom Palmer.

In his role as the Institute’s vice chair for DEI, Williams will lead the strategic planning of Bascom Palmer’s commitment to DEI, and serve as a national figure to ensure diversity in recruiting, training, mentoring, and hiring within the field of ophthalmology. Williams has been active in DEI activities within the medical community, having served as vice president of diversity and inclusion of the Vit-Buckle Society, and has taken an active role in committees of the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Retinal World Congress. He has presented 34 invited lectures on topics ranging from vitreoretinal surgery to intraocular tumors to the role of diversity and challenges in the field. Williams is available for consultation in retinal diseases and ocular oncology for in-person appointments and virtual visits.

CONNIE M. WU, M.D., a board-certified glaucoma specialist, joins the faculty as an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology. She completed a combined BA/ MD program in liberal medical education at Brown University, where she graduated magna cum laude, receiving a bachelor of science degree in human biology and a medical degree with a scholarly concentration in aging. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Wu completed transitional year training at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center at Stanford University followed by a residency in ophthalmology and a fellowship in glaucoma at Wills Eye Hospital. Her research interests include clinical practice guidelines and patterns, quality improvement, and lifestyle factors of glaucoma progression. She is available for consultation either in person or through virtual visits.