Please share with us your background.
I was raised in Jenison, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. My dad taught history at my high school and was my swim coach, a student council advisor, and the local Friday night DJ. He did everything he could for his students, and the environment of compassion and dedication he nurtured is certainly reflected in how I care for my patients today.
My undergraduate studies were at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) with dual concentrations in Neuroscience and Italian, and a Biochemistry minor. I then moved to New York City for medical school and residency.
When did you first know that you wanted to become a vitreoretinal surgeon?
As an undergraduate, I worked at an optometry office and shadowed a cataract surgeon over winter break. Watching phacoemulsification was the most satisfying thing I had ever seen in my life. The surgery was beautiful, patients were thrilled with their vision almost immediately, and the impact stayed with them for their lifetime.
My undergraduate experience with fundus photography led to working as a fluorescein angiographer in medical school, which ultimately transitioned into a clinical research position developing novel imaging devices with Richard Rosen, MD, at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. From retinal oximetry to OCT-angiography and adaptive optics, the opportunity to learn and understand visual health was unparalleled. This fascination is what turned me into a budding vitreoretinal surgeon.
Who are your mentors?
I am truly grateful for everyone on the retina and uveitis services at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the University of Illinois Chicago, but I would not be here today without the mentorship of Dr. Rosen. He brought me into the New York Eye and Ear family and allowed me to study, learn, and grow into the person I am today.
Describe your current position.
I am a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon and uveitis specialist at Wagner Macula & Retina Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. My weeks are balanced between clinical care, the OR, clinical research, and resident education. As one of the few practices that offers ocular tumor and uveitis services between Washington D.C. and North Carolina, we see a wide variety of retinal pathology. Our outreach clinics span 150 miles up and down the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, and our telemedicine screening program continues expanding our reach.
What has been the most memorable experience of your career thus far?
As the daughter of a history teacher, I have a great respect for tradition and the past. Most people are probably unaware that the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary was established in 1820 by two Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons graduates, Edward Delafield, MD, and John Kearney, MD, who went to London, experienced the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital (now known as Moorfields Eye Hospital) and returned to New York City to realize the city needed its own specialty hospital.
While I am not a male, nor a Columbia-trained surgeon, there was this full-circle moment when I walked into the doors of Moorfields for my first day of fellowship nearly 200 years later. Returning to the place where it all started was a special moment, and the beginning of a year filled with the most wonderful memories.
What advice can you offer to individuals who are just now choosing their career paths after finishing fellowship?
Daydream about what you want your life to look like after fellowship! Do you want access to a lab? Get involved with clinical research? Teach? Operate? Prioritizing how you want to spend your time and what your future goals are can help delineate which jobs may or may not be a good fit for you. From there, be prepared to never stop learning, as we are blessed to work in a field that is continually evolving.
