Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Cheung is part of the skilled Cornea team at Virginia Eye Consultants in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended medical school at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine prior to completing his ophthalmology residency at Beaumont Health System in Michigan. He then went on to complete a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Eye Institute. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. There, he has worked closely with the residents and has been awarded the Attending Physician of the Year award multiple times. Dr. Cheung has given national and international lectures as well as directed multiple courses and skills transfer labs at AAO and ASCRS. Additionally, he has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. His clinical and research efforts have focused on severe ocular surface disease and lamellar keratoplasty.

Dr. Farid is Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Director of Cornea, Refractive & Cataract Surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California-Irvine. Her clinical practice is divided between patient care, teaching and research. Her research interests focus on corneal surgery, specifically the use of the femtosecond laser for corneal transplantation. She is also the founder of the Severe Ocular Surface Disease Center at UCI and is a center of excellence as part of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration. She has served as the Chair of the Cornea Clinical Committee of ASCRS since 2021. Her work is published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. She is the editor of two leading textbooks in her field and has authored multiple textbook chapters. Dr. Farid travels extensively to present her work at various ophthalmology institutes as well as multiple national and international meetings.

Dr. Gelles is the Director of the Specialty Contact Lens Division at the Cornea and Laser Eye Institute and CLEI Center for Keratoconus in Teaneck, New Jersey. He serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Illinois College of Optometry, New England College of Optometry, and the State University of New York College of Optometry.

Dr. Gelles is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, the Scleral Lens Society, the Contact Lens Society of America, the British Contact Lens Association, the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, and is a PROSE clinical fellow. He has held leadership roles in multiple professional organizations, including the International Keratoconus Academy, the Intrepid Eye Society, Refractive Surgery Alliance, the American Academy of Optometry’s Innovations Council, and the Contact Lens Society of America.

Dr. Hamrah serves as Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Chair of Academic Medicine, Ophthalmology Co-Director, and Cornea Service Director at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. His research has produced more than 185 peer‑reviewed publications and focuses on neuro‑immune interactions, neuropathic corneal pain, immune cell trafficking, and mechanisms of corneal transplant tolerance and rejection.

Dr. Hamrah has held extensive editorial leadership roles, serving on dozens of editorial boards and as associate editor for The Ocular Surface, Translational Vision Science & Technology, Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, and Frontiers in Medicine, as well as section editor for Eye. He is also an ad hoc reviewer for more than 70 scientific journals and a regular grant reviewer for the National Eye Institute, FDA, U.S. Army, and multiple national and international foundations.

Dr. Holz is an ophthalmic surgeon with a clinical focus on advanced anterior segment surgery and the development of minimally invasive techniques that improve surgical precision and patient outcomes. His work integrates hands-on clinical practice with thoughtful problem-solving in the operating room, emphasizing safety, efficiency, and reproducibility. He has particular expertise in complex cataract surgery, corneal procedures, and the management of challenging refractive and post-surgical cases. He also spends time in the developing world teaching as well as performing surgery.

In addition to his clinical work, he is a surgical instructor for the UCSF cornea fellowship program. Dr. Holz is also actively involved in medical-device innovation. He approaches device design from a surgeon’s perspective, prioritizing simplicity, ergonomics, and real-world usability. His professional interests center on bridging clinical insight with practical engineering to advance the standard of care in ophthalmology.

Dr. Karpecki serves as Director, Cornea and External Disease at Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington KY. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Indiana University and completed a fellowship in medical cornea in Kansas City. Dr. Karpecki serves on the TFOS board, the largest international society for dry eye and ocular surface disease.

He served on the DEWS II Diagnostic subcommittee, the DEWS III Treatment subcommittee and was co-chair of the last three Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Symposia. He runs the largest advanced, referral only, dry eye clinic in the United States and serves over 550 Sjogrens’ Syndrome KCS patients in addition to a large population of dry eye patients.

Dr. Sumitra Khandelwal is a Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, Cullen Eye Institute and serves as Medical Director for the Lions Eye Bank of Texas. She attended medical school at the University of Texas at Houston and completed an ophthalmology residency at Emory University in Atlanta. She then went on to complete a fellowship in Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery at Minnesota Eye Consultants.

Her clinical interests include cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. She serves as chair of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Complex Cataract Surgery Committee as well as the Cedars Aspens Education Committee. She also serves on the American Academy of Ophthalmology cataract committee for the annual meeting. She is associate editor of Cornea Cross-Linking (2nd edition) and has written and spoken extensively about optimizing outcomes in cornea and cataract surgery.

Dr. Koetting is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the Department of Ophthalmology in Denver, CO. Her primary focus is anterior segment and ocular surface disease, neuro-optometry, and peri-operative care. She partakes in clinical research and has served as Externship Director and adjunct faculty for several schools and colleges of optometry.

Dr. Koetting is a member of the Intrepid Eye Society, a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry, a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, an active member of the AOA and has served as both local and state officers within AOA. She was named young Optometrist of the year by the state of Virginia. Dr. Koetting lectures locally, nationally and internationally at conferences, continually contributes articles to and serves on editorial boards for multiple publications.

Dr. Lee is a member of the Cornea & Refractive Surgery Service at Eye Consultants of Atlanta and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Lee completed medical school and residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center and a cornea/refractive surgical fellowship at UC Davis Medical Center. He is the Medical Director of the Georgia Eye Bank and Director of the Cornea Fellowship Program at Eye Consultants.

Dr. Lee has served on the board of directors for the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), Georgia Eye Bank, and the Cornea Society. He is Past President of the Cornea Society and past president of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology. Dr. Lee is a recipient of the R. Townley Paton Award for his work in cornea and eye banking by the EBAA. He is co-editor of the textbook, Ocular Surface Disease: Cornea, Conjunctiva, and Tear Film.