Kathy Whitfield, MD
(Pediatrics)

Alice Zhang, MD
(Vitreoretinal Surgery)

 
UNC Ophthalmology is thrilled to recognize Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Alice Zhang, MD, and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Kathy Whitfield, MD, for being named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list! This year’s Top Doctors list represents the top 7% out of 1.1M physicians in practice nationwide and includes 72,000 board-certified U.S. physicians from all 50 states and 85 medical specialties. To develop its annual curated list of Top Doctors, the Castle Connolly Medical Advisory Board vets peer-nominated, best-in-class physicians who’ve demonstrated exceptional professional achievements, expertise, integrity and excellence in patient care.

Dr. Kathy Whitfield is a Pediatric Ophthalmology expert and has been a UNC Ophthalmology clinical faculty member for a decade (2016 – Present). She has served in multiple department leadership roles, including UNC Kittner Eye Center Medical Director, Outpatient Leadership Task Force Chair and Pediatric Ophthalmology Resident Education Director.  Dr. Alice Zhang is a Vitreoretinal Surgery/Retinal Disease expert and UNC Ophthalmology clinical faculty member of almost a decade (2017 – Present). She serves as the department’s Residency Program Director. At UNC, Dr. Zhang has received the Faculty Resident Teaching Award (2020), as well as UNC Hospitals’ Carolina Care Excellence (2019) Award, an honor reserved for physicians/APPs who rank highly on patient surveys for excellence in patient care.

Click HERE to learn more about the Castle Connolly Top Doctors list and significance of this designation in the field of physician practice.

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UNC School of Medicine 4th-year student (MS4) Mary Kaufmann, a May 2026 graduate, was inspired by her family to pursue ophthalmology. Over Mary’s four years as a UNC medical student, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Zongchao Han, MD, PhD, a gene therapy retinal disease expert, has mentored her on hands-on, basic science experimentation as a means of developing cutting-edge, therapeutic solutions that advance medical practice in treating and managing ocular disease.

Click HERE to view the UNC School of Medicine website to view this video-article feature on UNC MS4 Mary Kaufmann and her UNC School of Medicine faculty mentor Dr. Zongchao Han.

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An adult who faithfully visits his PCP for well-check exams shows no signs of mid-life worsening vision and falls short of scheduling a first-time comprehensive eye exam in his 40s. At age 50, he is diagnosed with glaucoma at an overdue screening, 10 years past the recommended age for first-time exams. The asymptomatic patient is shocked to learn that glaucoma has caused irreparable damage to his optic nerve. If no treatment is sought to slow progression of this devastating disease, his gradually worsening vision will lead to complete loss of eyesight. 

Had this health-conscious patient heeded guidelines to visit an eye specialist in his 40s, his glaucoma could have been detected early on via a series of eye pressure, drainage angle, optic nerve and corneal tests. To draw attention to the alarming incidence of glaucoma in aging populations that goes widely undiagnosed in early stages, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has designated January as “Glaucoma Awareness Month.”  This month, the AAO is arming prevention-minded mid-lifers with a wealth of information on symptoms, causes and medical and procedural management of a multi-faceted ocular disease that is thankfully treatable once diagnosed.  

• Recognize the severity of glaucoma. Cataracts and open-angle glaucoma are the leading causes of blindness worldwide, yet a stark difference sets these diseases apart.  Procedural treatment for cataracts can restore vision. Medication and procedural treatment can only slow or prevent progression of the irreversible loss of eyesight caused by glaucoma.  

• Stay attuned to any changes in vision. Some individuals eventually diagnosed with glaucoma suffer from diminished peripheral vision, yet they fail to get screened when these warning signs appear. From peripheral vision blind spots (open-angle glaucoma) to an “attack” of blurred vision, halos, mild headaches or eye pain (angle-closure glaucoma), the indicators of glaucoma are wide-ranging. Higher-than-normal eye pressure (ocular hypertension) places “glaucoma suspect” patients at greater risk. Glaucoma suspects can range from asymptomatic individuals to those whose optic nerve shows gradual change. 

• Recognize higher risk. Asymptomatic adults who delay visiting an eye specialist in mid-life for a first-time comprehensive eye exam are perhaps at greatest risk of having glaucoma go undetected. Other groups of adults whose medical histories and backgrounds place them at heightened risk for glaucoma include: 1) Glaucoma family history; 2) African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage; 3) Ocular hypertension; 4) Farsightedness (hyperopia) and nearsightedness (myopia); 5) Previous eye injury; 6) Long-term medical steroid use; 7) Thin corneas; 8) Thinning optic nerve; and 9) Diabetes, migraines and high blood pressure.  

• Discuss medication options that can slow or halt progression of glaucoma. Caught early, glaucoma can be treated with medicated, daily eye drops that lower eye pressure and prevent glaucoma from advancing. Patients taking a prescribed regimen can expect to visit their glaucoma specialist every 3 – 6 months to monitor glaucoma for any signs of progression. 

• Discuss procedural treatment options with your glaucoma specialist. The laser surgery options available for treating two types of glaucoma — open-angle and angle-closure — improve drainage of aqueous humor and decrease alarming intraocular pressure (IOP) levels that cause progressive optic nerve damage. Two types of laser surgery relieve IOP damage to the optic nerve through correcting the intraocular drainage channel so that aqueous humor can exit the eye more efficiently. 

• Trabeculoplasty: For open-angle glaucoma patients, laser trabeculoplasty surgery lowers the IOP by increasing the drainage through the trabecular meshwork. 
• Iridotomy: For angle-closure glaucoma patients, iridotomy laser surgery cuts a small hole in the iris that improves the drainage angle and flow of aqueous humor. 

Glaucoma presents a hurdle to clear and a homestretch to run in achieving a diagnosis that is followed by effective management of this damaging ocular disease. When elevated IOP and optic nerve abnormalities are detected in early-stage glaucoma, a diagnosis paves the way for patient and eye specialist to team up and jointly bear the responsibility of monitoring this condition to prevent its advancement.  

UNC Department of Ophthalmology staffs world-renowned, board-certified glaucoma experts who specialize in state-of-the-art treatment for all types of glaucoma.  Call UNC Kittner Eye Center at 984-974-2020 today to schedule a comprehensive eye exam that includes a replete panel of tests to screen for and diagnose glaucoma. To learn more about symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, visit the AAO’s “What is Glaucoma?” page.  

Click HERE to see Immediate Past Chair Dr. Don Budenz give the Robert N. Shaffer Lecture
at AAO 2025 on “Glaucoma at the Center of the Earth.”

#glaucoma #eyehealth #ophthalmology #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth 

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Fittingly, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has designated December as Safe Toys and Celebrations Month. During December, the AAO highlights several common sense, preventive practices to help individuals keep risk of eye injury at bay in settings or situations where eye injuries commonly occur over the holidays.

AAO Eye Health Holiday Guide to Children’s Gift-Giving 

1. 1. Avoid purchasing toys with sharp, protruding, or projectile parts that can cause eye injuries, such as BB guns, hard and foam pellets shooters, wall dart sets, slingshots and bow/arrows and other projectile-launching toys. Blunt force ocular trauma due to shooting toys commonly causes corneal abrasions and ocular hyphema (intraocular bleeding). Used recklessly, shooting toys can cause retinal detachment and ruptured eyeballs. If you are supervising children who are ready to use their new toy shooters, review safety precautions that will prevent eye injuries with them first. Reference the AAO’s Ophthalmologist-Approved Gift Guide for ideas of gifts for children with low to no risk of eye injury.
   2. Toy laser products – In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration issued a new rule — 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1040.10 and 1040.11) — to define and require children’s toy “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation” (LASER) products to be within International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Class 1 emission limits.  Given no federal regulations developed for what constitutes children’s toy laser products, this 2013 FDA rule equips parents with a decision-making safety guide in choosing minimal-risk toy laser products. If purchasing laser toys for your child(ren), just remember to choose those where levels of radiation and light do not exceed the limits for Class 1 emission, the IEC’s lowest level in regulated products. (FDA Reference: Laser Toys: How to Keep Kids Safe)
   3. Recommended, protective eyewear should be purchased as part of the gift. Safety goggles, polycarbonate lenses and impact-resistant shooting glasses have preserved the eyesight of countless children and adults who play sports that carry higher risk for eye injuries.
   4. Outdoor-focused gifts are best. Snow gear, roller skates/blades, a safety-netted trampoline, binoculars, or the classic bicycle all encourage healthy outdoor play and pose significantly lower risk for eye-related injuries. Parents are encouraged to reference AAO’s list of common toys that can pose higher risk of causing traumatic eye injuries.
   5. Screen-free gifts reduce risk of prolonged eye strain in children. Learn more from the AAO’s Computers, Digital Devices and Eye Strain page on “digital eye strain” caused by excessive screen time. Also known as computer vision syndrome, symptoms of this condition include blurry vision, headaches, nausea, sore eyes and other pronounced effects of excessive screen time.

AAO Eye Health Holiday Guide to Safe Celebrations

Pressure within a champagne bottle ranges from 70–90 pounds per square inch (psi). A cork can fly up to 50 mph as it leaves the bottle, fast enough to shatter glass. If the cork hits an eye, it can cause bleeding, abrasions and even glaucoma. Reference the AAO’s “How To Pop a Champagne Cork Without Harming Your Eye” page for preventive tips in protecting the eyesight of all present at holiday celebratory gatherings.

For a more detailed read on celebrating safely and minimizing risk for blunt force ocular trauma over the holidays and year-round, learn more at the AAO’s here.

@AcademyEyeSmart #dangeroustoys #SafeToysAndCelebrationsMonth
#SafeToysMonth #eyesafety #eyehealth #holidayshopping

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In an early November 2025 Physicians Weekly Q&A, Interim Chair and Sterling A. Barrett Distinguished Associate Professor of Ophthalmology David Fleischman, MD, MS, FACS, recapped a retrospective cohort study in which his faculty-mentored team analyzed the correlation between geriatric ocular trauma and risk of mortality. In this study, Dr. Fleischman and co-authors evaluated five-year mortality rates in geriatrics (65+YO) patients who had sustained eye injuries. Over the five-year study period, Dr. Fleischman’s team compared overall mortality and annual mortality rates for study subjects (non-controls) who had experienced ocular trauma with age-matched controls whose medical histories included age-related nuclear cataracts, but no ocular trauma.

David Fleischman, MD, MS, FACS

The findings of this May 2025 PLOS One study — Geriatric ocular trauma and mortality: A retrospective cohort study — indicate that geriatric patients who have experienced ocular trauma are at a higher risk of mortality than age-matched controls without such injuries. In a Q&A discussion with Physicians Weekly‘s Lisa Tomaszewski, PhD, Dr. Fleischman underscored the importance of close follow-up with higher-risk older patients who have experienced ocular trauma, both to improve patient outcomes and to inform future study aimed at identifying the causes of geriatric periorbital trauma.

** To read a complete transcript of Dr. Fleischman’s November 2025 Q&A with Physicians Weekly, click HERE. **

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Don Budenz, MD, MPH: Chair (2011 – 2025)

David L. Fleischman MD, FACS: Interim Chair (2025 – )

Dr. Budenz joined UNC Ophthalmology in Fall 2011 after serving for 17 years on faculty in the University of Miami Departments of Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Public Health.  At UNC, he has been an extraordinary leader, mentor, and advocate for the department’s patients, faculty, learners, staff and the community as a whole. Dr. Budenz’s commitment to excellence has elevated the department’s clinical, research, and educational missions. UNC Ophthalmology wishes him well returning to a familiar, top eye institute for his next chapter of practice as a renowned physician scientist and ophthalmologist.

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UNC Ophthalmology is pleased to recognize Associate Professor and Residency Program Director Alice Zhang, MD, as the Choroideremia Research Foundation’s 6th Annual Randy Wheelock Research Award recipient. The yearly Wheelock Research Award honors exceptional emerging clinical and basic ophthalmic researchers who are initiating or furthering their investigative focus on choroideremia (CHM) and related vision loss issues.

Dr. Zhang is an established physician scientist, educator and leader in academic ophthalmology. Her scholarly portfolio is centered around surgical and medical management of retinal diseases such as retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration, as well as medical education. With $50K in 2025 Wheelock Research Award funding over one year, Dr. Zhang aims to identify and validate patient-reported outcome measures that better capture meaningful changes in visual function for individuals with CHM. Because traditional measures like visual acuity often fail to reflect subtle functional improvements in this condition, developing reliable patient-reported outcomes will be essential for future clinical trials and treatment development.

CHM is a rare, inherited form of blindness that afflicts approximately 6000 people in the US. Visual field restriction and night blindness are two prevailing symptoms that begin in early childhood. Over a lifetime, the condition progresses to total loss of vision. Men with CHM are most severely affected, while women may have no symptoms or can experience a wide range of visual impairment. There are currently no approved treatments for CHM.

Dr. Zhang noted: “Our team is very grateful to the Choroideremia Research Foundation for this grant. This award provides crucial support for advancing our understanding of how patients experience vision loss in choroideremia. By validating patient-reported outcomes, we hope to lay the groundwork for more sensitive and meaningful measures of success in future therapeutic trials.”

Learn more about choroideremia at the Choroideremia Research Foundation website.

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American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2025

UNC Ophthalmology Chair Don Budenz, MD, MPH, gave the Robert N. Shaffer Lecture: “Glaucoma at the Center of the Earth.”  Interview: Dr. Budenz recaps his 30-year history of providing education and glaucoma and cataract services in Ghana.

Dr. Mohammad Soleimani presented & led multiple sessions at AAO 2025, including: 
Instruction Courses
Tips and Tricks in Corneal Perforations and Descemetoceles
Mastering Corneal Infiltrations and Infectious Keratitis After Refractive Surgeries and CXL: From A to Z
Skills Transfer Labs
Limbal Relaxing Incisions in the Management of Astigmatism
Surgery for Severe Corneal and Ocular Surface Disease
Presentation (Eye Banking Forum (Cornea Subspecialty Day)
Deep Learning–Based Classification of Fungal and Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Scientific Papers
Utilizing Deep Learning and Smartphone Images for the Diagnosis of Microbial Keratitis
Infectious Keratitis in Children Under 2: Insights From a Tertiary Eye Institute
In Vivo Confocal Microscopy: A Tool for Monitoring Treatment and Differentiating Fungal Pathogens in Keratitis
Guided Venting Incision in Acute Corneal Hydrops: A Novel Use of Intracameral Vital Dye
A Sharp Impact: Exploring the Hazards of Self-Inflicted Ocular Trauma From Writing Instruments in Children
Inequities in Keratoconus Management: Socioeconomic and Demographic Influences

Eye Banking Forum (Cornea Subspecialty Day) Presentation:
UNC Corneal Disease 2025-26 Fellow Mubarik Mohamed, MD 
“Deep Learning–Based Classification of Fungal and Acanthamoeba Keratitis” (added)

Click HERE to watch AAO 2025 interview with Dr. Don Budenz.

PGY2 Dr. Dhruv Shah & Professor of
Ophthalmology Dr. Mohammad Soleimani

Senior residents (PGY4) at AAO!

Dr. Soleimani & Corneal Disease Colleagues

American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS)
56th Annual Fall Scientific Symposium

PGY2 Dhruv Shah, MD

1. Poster: Pediatric Oculofacial Injuries from Dog Bites: A Retrospective Analysis of Injury Patterns, Management, and Outcomes at a Level 1 Trauma Center
   * Dhruv Shah, Mary Kaufmann, Iden Amiri, Jacob Craft, Daniel Rubinstein
2. Lecture: Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Chris Hwang, MD: Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy in Pregnancy

North Carolina Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons (NCSEPS)

Research Fellow
Iden Amiri, MD

PGY2 Dhruv Shah, MD

Research Fellow
Ikesinachi-Osuorah, MD

Research Fellow
Jaron Sanchez, MD

Corneal Disease
2025-26 Fellow
Mubarik Mohamed, MD

Research Fellow
Omar-Nusair, MD

UNC Ophthalmology Research Fellow Iden Amiri, MD, received 1st prize at the 2025 NCSEPS Annual Meeting (September 2025) for a retrospective study on ocular injuries associated with electric burns, in collaboration with the UNC Department of Surgery (trauma, acute care, burn service units). Title: Ocular Sequelae of Electrical Injuries: A 10-Year Review at a Level 1 Burn Center in the U.S.

Other UNC Eye research fellows and one resident also presented at the Fall 2025 NCSEPC meeting, including:

1. Jaron Sanchez: “Nocardia Keratitis in a Tertiary Care Setting: An Analysis of Clinical Features, Microbial Characteristics, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility” 
   Jaron’s retrospective study highlights the clinical presentation, microbiologic features, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Nocardia-associated keratitis in a high-volume tertiary-care setting.
2. Ikesinachi Osuorah: “Internal Validation of the Gregory Ocular Severity Score in Stevens–Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis”
   Ikesinachi evaluated the performance and reproducibility of the Gregory Ocular Severity Score in patients with SJS/TEN involving the ocular surface.
3. Omar Nusair: “Deep Learning-Based Classification of Fungal and Acanthamoeba Keratitis Using Confocal Microscopy”
   Omar’s poster introduced an AI-driven approach for distinguishing fungal vs. Acanthamoeba keratitis using in vivo confocal microscopy images — advancing rapid, automated diagnosis of sight-threatening infections.
4. Omar Nusair: “An Overview of Keratitis Patterns in HIV Patients”
   This study summarizes the etiologies and clinical patterns of keratitis in HIV-positive patients, emphasizing the need for tailored diagnostic and management strategies.
5. Omar Nusair: “Evaluating the Reliability of Large Language Models in Answering FAQs for Cataract Surgery” 
   This digital health project assessed how well large language models (LLMs) can respond to common patient questions about cataract surgery, with implications for patient education and clinical support tools.
6. Dhruv Shah, MD: “Ocular Burns During Thanksgiving Days”

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Two globally recognized blindness outreach organizations — The National Federation of the Blind and The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness — offer multiple helpful resources to individuals and their families who are affected directly or indirectly by the daily challenges of severe visual impairment and total blindness.

The proof is in the numbers. An estimated 2.2 billion people around the globe suffer from some form of visual impairment or blindness – including those who simply wear corrective lenses.  Read the American Association of Ophthalmology (AAO)’s 21 Ways Aging Changes Your Eyes to learn more on changes in the eyes that come with age that lead to worsening eyesight as individuals grow older.

By age 40, all asymptomatic adults should have a first-time comprehensive eye exam. Call UNC Kittner Eye Center at 984-974-2020 today to schedule your comprehensive eye exam with a UNC Ophthalmology ophthalmologist or optometrist.

#BlindnessAwarenessMonth

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