The faculty members in the Department of Ophthalmology have distinct expertise in diagnosing and treating many challenging and rare diseases of the eye.

William F. Mieler, M.D.
Professor, Department Chairman, and Director of the Residency Program

Dr. Mieler is an expert on the treatment of diseases of the macula, retina and vitreous, as well as medical and surgical management of eye injuries.  Dr. Mieler  received his training at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  He completed residency training in ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute followed by fellowships in retina-vitreous at the Eye Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin and in ocular oncology at the Wills Eye Hospital.

Dr. Mieler is the Chairman of the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO), and has served as a director since 1998. He served as president of the Macula Society in 2002-04.  He is currently on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Retinal Specialists and the Pan-American Association.

Since 1995, Dr. Mieler has been consistently recognized as one of the "Best Doctors in America," and in 2002-03 the Consumer' Research Council of America selected him as one of "America's Top Ophthalmologists."

(773) 702-3838

Dr. Chris Albanis provides comprehensive medical and surgical eye care.  After graduating from The College and the Pritzker School of Medicine at The University of Chicago, Dr. Albanis completed her residency in Ophthalmology at The University of Chicago Hospitals, where she served as the Chief Resident.  She enjoys educating her patients in the clinic.  Her pleasure in teaching extends to her colleagues, which has earned her several invitations to lecture on various common ocular diseases.  Dr. Albanis has authored many publications and regularly presents at research meetings – focusing on outcomes studies.  In addition to caring for her patients, she enjoys photography, painting and sailing.  Dr. Albanis is fluent in Greek.

(773) 834-5429

Dr. Arun provides comprehensive and emergency ophthalmology services.  She completed her residency at the University of Chicago, where she also earned her medical degree.  Dr. Arun directs the Ophthalmology Emergency Service at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

(773) 702-3937

J. Terry Ernest, M.D., Ph.D.
Cynthia Chow Professor

Dr. Ernest specializes in the medical problems of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy. He received his training at the University of Chicago, and served as chairman of the department from 1985 to 2005. Dr. Ernest is a comprehensive ophthalmologist caring for general medical and surgical eye problems. 

(773) 702-8888

Lili Farrokh-Siar, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Dr. Farrokh-Siar completed her residency in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Chicago and served as the Chief Resident.  She recently completed a glaucoma fellowship with Dr. Theodore Krupin at the University Eye Specialists. She has received several awards during her training including the Beem Fisher Award and Albert Potts Award.  Her interests include medical and surgical treatments of glaucoma, tube shunts, and cataract surgery. 

(773) 834-7110

Michael Grassi, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Dr. Grassi is an ophthalmologist who specializes in the diagnosis and management of conditions affecting the retina.  He received his medical degree from Northwestern University in 1999.  He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2000.  His ophthalmology residency was at the University of Iowa from 2000 to 2003 where he stayed to complete a medical retina fellowship in 2005 followed by a research fellowship in molecular ophthalmology in 2006. He is a member of many organizations and professional societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the Society of Heed Fellows, and Alpha Omega Alpha.  His clinical interests include age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular disease, posterior uveitis and inherited retinal diseases. His current research focuses on genotype-phenotype correlations in age-related macular degeneration and approaches toward understanding the molecular pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.  Dr. Grassi cares for patients both at the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Chicago as well as our satellite office in Oak Forest.

Dr. Green specializes in medical and surgical treatment of vitreal-retinal diseases. He has expertise in surgical treatment of retinal holes that directly affect vision. Dr. Green received training at the Eye and Ear Infirmary of the University of Illinois. 

(773) 702-3937 

Mark J. Greenwald, M.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Dr. Mark Greenwald joined the Pediatric/Strabismus Section of our department as its full-time Director in October 2004, after spending 4 years at the University of Washington in Seattle.  Dr. Greenwald has a long prior association with the Chicago ophthalmologic community, beginning as a resident at UIC (1977-80), then as faculty at Northwestern University (1984-2000).  He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the recipient of honor awards from the AAPOS and the AAO.  Dr. Greenwald is recognized nationally for his work in the areas of amblyopia, eye trauma in childhood (particularly shaken baby syndrome), retinoblastoma, and pediatric cataract.  His clinical activity at the U of C will have particular focus on consultation for childhood and adult strabismus, and retinopathy of prematurity.

(773) 702-6169

Seenu M. Hariprasad, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Director of Clinical Research
Vitreoretinal Service

Dr. Hariprasad is a specialist in the diseases and surgery of the retina, vitreous, and macula.  He received his undergraduate degree in Neurobiology at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  He completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA where he performed research investigating the role of ocular blood flow in the pathogenesis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Dr. Hariprasad completed his residency training in Houston, TX at the Baylor College of Medicine’s Cullen Eye Institute. During this time and during his surgical retina fellowship training at the Barnes Retina Institute (Washington University) in St. Louis, Dr. Hariprasad was intimately involved in numerous clinical trials investigating novel treatments for Endophthalmitis, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Diabetic Retinopathy.  He continues these research interests here at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Hariprasad is Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.  He is an active member of multiple professional societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the American Society of Retina Specialists.

(773) 702-3937 / (773) 702-6110

Rama D. Jager, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science

Dr. Jager specializes in medical and surgical diseases of the retina, vitreous, and macula. He received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. Dr. Jager received his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. He also graduated with an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Chicago and he completed his fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at the Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Jager has authored several journal articles and books including Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Comprehensive Text and the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Review Manual for Ophthalmology. His current research interests include age-related macular degeneration, macular surgery, intravitreal injections and artificial vision.

Dr. Jager is Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is an active member of the American Society of Retina Specialists and the American Medical Association. Dr. Jager cares for patients both at the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Chicago as well as our satellite offices in Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, and Tinley Park.

(708) 687-2222

Dr. Ksiazek is a comprehensive ophthalmologist whose interests are broad-based.  A graduate of Rush Medical College in Chicago, she completed first a neurology residency at the University of Michigan, followed by a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.  She then went on to her ophthalmology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.  She is currently board certified in Neurology as well as Ophthalmology.  She has experience with running the Veteran’s Eye Clinic in Indianapolis before coming to Chicago.  Here she continues seeing patients with a wide variety of problems including cataracts, glaucoma, eyelid problems, as well as neuro-ophthalmic disease.

(773) 834-8429

Dr. Marcus Marcet specializes in oculoplastic and orbital surgery.  He earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Florida.  After graduation, he served as an intern in medicine at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City.  Dr. Marcet completed his ophthalmology residency in Boston at the New England Eye Center of Tufts University.

After his residency, Dr. Marcet went on to complete three additional years of advanced training.  He first completed a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Subsequently, he completed a two-year fellowship in oculoplastic and orbital surgery sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS).  His ASOPRS fellowship took place at Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee.  Dr. Marcet has published papers and presented nationally on a variety of subjects involving the eyelids, orbit, and nasolacrimal system.

Dr. Marcet is Board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.  He is an active member of multiple professional societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Medical Association.

Dr. McLeod is an Infectious Diseases specialist with particular expertise in toxoplasmosis, a disease which can lead to loss of sight, hearing and brain damage.Toxoplasmosis is caused by the small, common parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. In her research laboratory Dr. McLeod studies toxoplasmosis and T.gondii, focusing on development of better means to prevent and treat this disease. Dr. McLeod is Director of The Toxoplasmosis Center at The University of Chicago and of the Chicago-based, NIH sponsored, National Collaborative Study of Toxoplasmosis. She is a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Fellow of the American College of Physicans, and consistently is recognized as one of the "Best Doctors in the U.S.,Midwest and Chicago". She also is President of The Toxoplasmosis Research Institute.

She received her A.B. from The University of California, Berkeley, her M.D. from The University of California, San Francisco, and completed her Internship and Residency at The Hospitals of The University of Pennsylvania and The University of California in San Francisco and her Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford University.

Professor McLeod was awarded The Jules and Doris Stein Research to Prevent Blindness Professorship at The University of Chicago (1998-2005). She is also a member of the Departments of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) and Pathology and The Committees on Molecular Medicine, Genetics and Immunology and The College at the University of Chicago. She is Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Her research laboratory studies protective and pathogenic immune responses to T. gondii. They study genetics of susceptibility and resistance to T.gondii as a basis for understanding pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis and for developing a vaccine to prevent the infection. Her laboratory also studies novel metabolic pathways and their products in this and related parasites (such as the parasite that causes malaria) as a foundation for developing better approaches to treatment and medicine delivery to cure active toxoplasmosis and the chronic, latent infection.

(773)834-4130

Jeffrey W. Nichols, M.D.
Clinical Associate of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Dr. Nichols has a fine reputation as a Neuro-Ophthalmologist in Chicago and he has lectured on both basic Neuro-Ophthalmology and advanced clinical diagnosis and treatment.  He is well liked by colleagues and patients and is an excellent addition to our part-time faculty.

(773) 702-3937

Dr. Saidel specializes in diseases of the cornea, external disease, refractive surgery and uveitis.  He earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and biochemistry at the University of Arizona.  His medical degree is from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he did research on oxygen consumption by the retina.  Dr. Saidel received ophthalmology training at the Department of Ophthalmology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Subsequently, he completed a fellowship at the Proctor Foundation / University of California San Francisco in cornea, uveitis and refractive surgery.   He has presented and published papers on wide ranging subjects including ocular inflammation and trachoma, the major cause of blindness by infectious disease in the developing world.  His trachoma research continues with ongoing projects in Ethiopia.

(773) 702-0438

Louise A. Sclafani, OD, FAAO, a 1989 alumnus of Illinois College of Optometry continued her training at the Illinois Eye Institute where she completed a primary care residency. She began her career at the University of Chicago in 1993 and is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Optometric services. Her main interests include contact lenses, anterior segment disease, and refractive surgery .

Dr. Sclafani specializes in the fitting and management of contact lenses, including bifocals, pediatric, and therapeutic contact lenses for keratoconus and post- operative corneal surgery. She was awarded the status of Diplomate by the American Academy of Optometry in the Cornea and Contact Lens section and is a frequent lecturer on these topics. She is the 1998 recipient of the Illinois Optometry Association Young Optometrist, earned the Residents excellence in Teaching Award in 1995, the Outstanding Lecturer Award in 2001 from the University of Chicago, the 2002 Roger Kame Contact Lens Award and the 2004 Excellence in Education Award from the Illinois College of Optometry.

She is a frequent contributing author for Review of Contact Lenses, Contact Lens Spectrum, and Optometric Management. She is on the advisory panels and speakers bureau for several drug and contact lens manufacturers. She has served on the Illinois State Board, is the President for the Illinois Optometric Association, and is the Vice Chair of the Cornea and Contact Lens Section for the American Optometric Association.

(773) 702-6953

Professor Shevell is an expert in color vision. He studies the visual pathways of the eye and brain that mediate human color vision. Professor Shevell received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his doctorate from the University of Michigan. He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America, and former chair of its Color Technical Group. He is currently on the board of directors of the Vision Sciences Society and the International Colour Vision Society. He is a senior editor of the journal Vision Research and associate editor of the Journal of Vision.

(773) 702-8842