Recent Alumni
Resident Alumni
The medical education you receive as an ophthalmology resident at the Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary will assist you throughout your career. We make sure our residents are among the best-prepared candidates for fellowship or job interviews.
Below, you will find the fellowship placement or first practice of our recent graduates.
Class of 2026
- Patricia Bai, MD
Duke University, Glaucoma Fellowship - Nayanika Challa, MD
Illinois Eye and Ear at UIC, Medical and Surgical Retina Fellowship - Eitan Katz, MD
Duke University, Glaucoma Fellowship - Jeffrey Peterson, MD, PhD
Comprehensive Ophthalmology - Zaynab Sajjadi, MD
University of California San Francisco, Uveitis Fellowship - Ghasem Yazdanpanah, MD, MPH, PhD
Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Oculoplastics Fellowship
Class of 2025
- Dara Baker, MD
University of Wisconsin, Vitreoretinal Fellowship - Michael Chen, MD
Mass Eye and Ear, Glaucoma Fellowship - Nikhila Khandwala, MD, MS
Duke University, Glaucoma Fellowship - Tochukwu Ndukwe, MD
Emory University, Glaucoma Fellowship - Royce Park, MD
Manhattan Eye and Ear, Cornea Fellowship - Neil Sheth, MD, MBA
New York University, Vitreoretinal Fellowship
Class of 2024
- Luis Acaba-Berrocal, MD
Wills Eye Hospital, Retina Fellowship
2024-2025 Heed Fellow - Tala Al-Khaled, MD
Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at UIC, Glaucoma Fellowship - Johnathan Jeffers, MD
Central Texas Eye Center, Comprehensive Ophthalmology Faculty - Michael Massengill, MD, PhD
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Retina Fellowship - Paul Parker, MD, MS
Mass Eye and Ear, Glaucoma Fellowship - Stephanie Thermozier, MD
Kresge Eye Institute, ASOPRS Oculoplastics Fellowship
Fellow Alumni
Discover the current positions and endeavors of our esteemed fellow alumni.
2025-26
Cornea:
- Ankit Kadakia, MD
- Raul Eduardo Ruiz Lozano, MD
Post-Fellowship—Global Ophthalmology Fellowship, Illinois Eye and Ear at UIC
- Ross Stuber, MD
Post-Fellowship—Mittleman Eye Center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Glaucoma:
- Jerry Hai, DO, MS
Post-Fellowship—Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI)
- Abid Haseeb, MD
Post-Fellowship—Fox Valley Ophthalmology, IL
Neuro-Ophthalmology:
- Acil Alasheh, MBBS
Post-Fellowship—University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria Faculty / OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois
Ocular Regenerative Medicine:
- Farshad Abedi, MD
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery:
- Sasha Hubschman, MD
Post-Fellowship—Private Practice in Los Angeles
Optometry – Medically Necessary Contact Lens:
- Christopher Nguyen, OD
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus:
- Buse Guneri Beser, MD, FEBO, FICO
Post-Fellowship—University Hospitals Babies & Children’s Hospital / Case Western Reserve University Faculty, Cleveland, OH
- Doaa Mowafy, MD, MSc
Post-Fellowship—Medical Retina Fellowship, University of Kentucky
Uveitis and Medical Retina:
- Sayena Jabbehdari, MD, MPH, MBA
Post-Fellowship—Private practice in Cleveland, OH
Vitreoretinal Surgery:
- Christopher Chung, MD, MS
Post-Fellowship—California Retina Consultants
- Salih Uzun, MD
- James Winebrake, MD
Post-Fellowship—Cape Fear Retina Associates, Wilmington, NC
2024-25
Advanced, Medically Necessary Contact Lens:
- Katie Kwan, OD
Post-Fellowship—University of Illinois Chicago
Cornea
- Teja Alapati, MD
Post-Fellowship—Ticho Eye Associates, Chicago area - Alexander Altman, MD
Post-Fellowship—Mid Atlantic Eye Consultants, Maryland
Cornea and Refractive Surgery:
- Raiza Perez Lucena, MD
Post-Fellowship—Cornea Fellowship, University of Florida
Glaucoma:
- Tala Al-Khaled, MD
Post-Fellowship—Midwest Eye Center, Chicago, IL - Abenet Michael, MD, MS
Post-Fellowship—University of Illinois Chicago
Neuro-Ophthalmology:
- Amani Alsaidat, MD, FICO
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus:
- Acil Alasheh, MBBS
Post-Fellowship—Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at UIC
Uveitis and Medical Retina:
- Upasana Pokhrel, MD
Vitreoretinal Surgery:
- Nancy Faux, MD
Post-Fellowship—Georgia Retina - Frank Ma, MD, PhD
Post-Fellowship—Private practice in Seattle, WA
2023-24
Advanced, Medically Necessary Contact Lens:
- Alexander Hynes, OD
Post-Fellowship—Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cornea
- Rachel Dandar, MD
Post-Fellowship—Fraser Eye Care Center, MI - Alex Hansen, MD
Post-Fellowship—Spokane Eye Clinic, Spokane, WA
Cornea and Refractive Surgery:
- Imane Tarib, MD
Post-Fellowship—Cornea & External Diseases Fellowship, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Glaucoma:
- Anita Goyal, MD
Post-Fellowship—The University of Chicago Medicine - Rana Torabi, MD
Post-Fellowship—Munster Eye Care Associates, Munster, IN
Ocular Regenerative Medicine:
- Mohammad Soleimani, MD, FICO
Post-Fellowship—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery:
- Kevin Heinze, MD
Post-Fellowship—Weill Cornell Medicine, Israel Englander Department of Ophthalmology
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus:
- Amanpreet Singh, MS, MBBS
Post-Fellowship—Medical Retina Fellowship, University of Kentucky
Retina:
- Hesham Gabr, MBBS
Post-Fellowship—Tennessee Retina, TN
Uveitis:
- Meghan Smith, MD
Post-Fellowship—Private practice, Vancouver Island, Canada