9 minute read
Ophthalmology Alumni Spotlight
New Fellows (continued)
Shelley Mo, MD - Glaucoma
Dr. Shelley Mo graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Biology and Mathematics. She then went on to complete her M.D. at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During medical school, she held a leadership position in the Ophthalmology clinic within the student-run East Harlem Health Outreach Program and spent a scholarly year between her 3rd and 4th years of medical school conducting research in high resolution retinal vascular imaging at New York Eye and Ear. Her research centered on the validity of optical coherence tomography angiography in normal and pathologic eyes compared to adaptive optics fluorescein angiography. Prior to starting her ophthalmology training at UPMC, she completed a preliminary year in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-West. She is currently completing her glaucoma fellowship at UPMC. Her hobbies include cooking and cake decorating.
Sabrina Mukhtar, MD - Cornea
Dr. Sabrina Mukhtar was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and at a young age moved to South East Asia. She grew up in several countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand and returned to the United States for her undergraduate degree. She received a BA in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. She then attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University. Before starting residency, she completed a Masters in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh. During this time she worked in Dr. Ladan Espandar’s Ocular Surface Regenerative Therapy Lab. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She currently serves as a cornea fellow here at UPMC. During her free time, Sabrina likes to spend time with family and friends, try out new coffee shops, enjoy great restaurants, read and spin.
Elizabeth Conner, MD - Pediatrics
Dr Conner has come to Pittsburgh from Christchurch, New Zealand. She has interest in corneal surgery and pediatric ophthalmology. After completing a medical degree through the University of Otago, she trained as an Ophthalmologist in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists training program. Dr Conner completed a BMedSci research degree in the management of diabetic eye disease in 2010. Dr Conner has had extensive involvement with the New Zealand Medical Students Association, and is a current member of the New Zealand Medical Association’s ethics committee.
New Fellows (continued)
Meghal Gagrani, MD - Pediatrics
Dr. Meghal Gagrani was born and raised in India. She earned her medical degree with distinction from All India Institute of Medical Sciences at New Delhi where she also completed her ophthalmology residency in 2018. She moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 2019 to pursue a research fellowship followed by a clinical glaucoma fellowship at University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has a special interest in pediatric glaucoma and is delighted to be at University of Pittsburgh for her pediatric ophthalmology fellowship. She is passionate about dancing and loves to cook in her free times.
Sohani Amarasekera, MD - Retina
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Dr. Sohani Amarasekera grew up in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 with a BA in Biology. After graduation, she undertook a year of glaucoma research at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary under the guidance of Dr. Robert Ritch. She then pursued her Master’s of Public Health at Cambridge University, followed by her MD at New York Medical College. She has particular interests in retina and global ophthalmology, and has worked on diverse clinical and surgical projects in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Kenya. She recently graduated from the ophthalmology residency program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where she served as Chief Resident of the program. In her spare time, she enjoys spinning, trying out new restaurants, and cheering on the Raptors.
Denise Gallagher, MD – Retina
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Dr. Denise Gallagher received her MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, followed by an internal medicine internship at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY. She then completed an ophthalmology residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital.
Ophthalmology Alumni Spotlight
Jennifer Davis, MD
Resident, 2001-2004 City:
Canonsburg/Washington, PA
Family:
My husband Ryan and I have been married for almost 24 years. We have four children: Elli (20), Will (18), Loch (17), and Piper (12). Fun fact, my husband and I were high school sweethearts.
Hobbies:
I have, so far, devoted my life to my family and my career. In addition to work, that means lots of youth sports and family travel! As our four children are becoming older and more independent, I plan to pursue my interests in photography and also plan to travel more with my husband. I will also finally make the perfect ragù sauce.
Training:
I graduated from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in 2000 and completed my training at the Eye & Ear Institute of UPMC in 2004.
Jennifer Davis, MD and her father, E. Ronald Salvitti, MD. Dr. Salvitti and Dr. Davis have endowed two chairs within the department to help fund research for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Most important thing to you about having attended Pitt for Ophthalmology:
I had a strong connection to Pitt even before earning a residency position. My father, E. Ronald Salvitti, M.D., did his residency training there. It was always part of my goal to follow in his footsteps and attending medical school at Temple was the first step. I felt really honored to be able to continue on that path by completing my ophthalmology residency at Pitt and then joining him in practice at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center.
Career:
I have been in private practice as an ophthalmologist at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center in Washington, PA since 2004. I specialize in cataract surgery and glaucoma “MIGS” surgery. I serve as the President and Medical Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Surgery Center and was recently appointed to the Board of Visitors of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
What made you stay involved with the Department of Ophthalmology and the Eye & Ear Foundation:
Support for the Eye & Ear Foundation has been a significant goal for my family, under the leadership of my father. He has taught me the importance of giving back to educational institutions that have afforded me the opportunities and the education that I have. I will continue this legacy.
How has the campus/ Department changed since your time at Pitt?
Under the leadership of Dr. Sahel, I have seen significant positive changes not only in major research advancements, but also improvement in relationships with the community ophthalmologists. Dr. Sahel
Jennofer Davis, MD
has shown great compassion for the field of Ophthalmology and has successfully fostered ongoing advancements in the field.
What are you most excited about in the future of the department and/or the Foundation?
It would be hard not to mention the new facilities, but I think those are just a means to an end. The key goal of the department that I’m most excited about is the research progress that is being made. We have had the privilege of being involved in some of this research from a philanthropic support standpoint and the progress that is being made is awe-inspiring and holds the potential to truly change peoples’ lives. Truly amazing work.
Residency Memories:
I was incredibly fortunate to be a part of a residency class that fostered teamwork, but also liked to have fun. My entire residency class, most notably Dr. Tom Harvey and the late Dr. Andy Keverline, and their families made my experience at Eye and Ear one that I will never forget, from crazy stories in the ER to performing skits roasting the faculty as a requirement to graduate. Lots of fond memories.
We Want To Hear From You! Webinar Information
With the release of our new alumni newsletter, Through the Looking Glass, we want to keep in touch with our alumni. Please share exciting personal or professional news with fellow alumni in future editions of our newsletter. Have you recently changed jobs? Got married? Published some exciting research? Welcomed a new member into your family? We want to know about it!
To update your contact information or to share personal and professional news, please visit http://ophthalmology.pitt. edu/alumni/alumni-verificationform The Eye & Ear Foundation, in conjunction with the Departments of Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, has launched a new biweekly webinar series entitled “Sights and Soundbites.” The webinars are presented by department faculty members and highlight their current research initiatives and treatment strategies. These webinars have proven to be an accessible and interactive way to stay connected with patients, donors, faculty, and alumni. If you would like to register to receive webinar invites, please visit www.eyeandear.org/ webinars. To view past webinars, please click on the links below: • Salivary Endoscopy for Salivary Stones • Contact Lens Safety: Benefits of New Technology • What’s the Buzz? The Neuroscience and Treatment of Tinnitus
• Dry Eye: The Problem, The Solutions, The Future • Using Our Brain to See: Cortical Vision and the Movement of Our Eyes • 2021 Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Symposium • Clinical Science Advances in Survivorship Care • Innovations in Dysphagia Management • Psychosocial Interventions for Mental Health • Defining the Value of Survivorship • Advances in Drug Delivery for Glaucoma, Dry Eye, and Other Eye Diseases • Hearing Loss in Babies: What Parents and Grandparents Should Know • Immunology and Viral Eye Diseases: Herpes, Shingles, and Cytomegalovirus • Head and Neck Reconstruction: Past, Present, and Future
• Cataracts: The Latest Developments in Treatment
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