MEET THE SPEAKERS

Ahmad Aref, MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine - Department of Ophthalmology
Dr. Aref is a Professor of Ophthalmology and attending physician in the Glaucoma and Cataract Consultation Service at The University of Illinois College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology. He serves as the Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary’s Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Glaucoma Fellowship Director. Dr. Aref completed his medical training at Northwestern University, his ophthalmology residency at The Penn State Hershey Eye Center, and his glaucoma fellowship at The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

Alex Foster, MD
Baycare Clinic Eye Specialists
Dr. Foster specializes in cataract treatments, refractive cataract surgery and premium intraocular lens. He also provides general eye care with an emphasis on patient-centered communication. Dr. Foster completed a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he is from. He followed this degree with a pre-medical post-baccalaureate certificate in biology from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Thereafter, he earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He completed his surgical residency in ophthalmology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Foster has contributed to several research, publication and presentation projects related to eye health and eye care. He keeps his knowledge base current through his membership in professional societies such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Laura K. Green, MD, FACS
AAO
Laura K. Green, MD, FACS is a member at large of the Board of Trustees and Associate Secretary for State Affairs of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is also the Vice Chair for Faculty Development at the Krieger Eye Institute and Chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness subcommittee of the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore where she previously served as the Residency Program Director for over a decade. She was educated at William and Mary, Vanderbilt, Harvard and Johns Hopkins before joining the faculty of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she is a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Green is a preeminent leader in ophthalmology education, currently serving at the chair of the ACGME Ophthalmology Review Committee, and having previously served as the Chair of the AAO Committee for Resident Education and President of the AUPO Program Directors Council, among other roles. She was awarded the 2022 Straatsma Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and is the first ophthalmologist to be inducted into the Academy of Master Surgical Educators of the American College of Surgeons.

Pavlina Kemp, MD
University of Iowa 
Dr. Pavlina Kemp is a clinical associate professor of pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at the University of Iowa. She joined the Iowa faculty after completing a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and her residency at the University of Iowa. She is currently the Program Director for the University of Iowa Ophthalmology Residency. Prior to this, she was the Director for Medical Student. She has an interest in graduate and undergraduate medical education, and various projects focusing on pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

Michelle Pineda, MBA
OMIC
Michelle Pineda is a Risk Manager who joined OMIC in January 2014. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature from California State University, East Bay. Michelle has over 20 years in professional liability Claims, Sales and Risk Management.

Aparna Ramasubramanian, MD
Wisconsin Children's Retinoblastoma Program
Dr. Aparna Ramasubramanian is the medical director of the Wisconsin Children's retinoblastoma program. Dr. Ramasubramanian is a dual fellowship-trained physician in both pediatric ophthalmology and ocular oncology. Dr. Ramasubramanian is the author of the leading textbook on retinoblastoma and has published extensively in peer reviewed journal. She received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award in 2018 and the Knights Templar Research Award for her research in retinoblastoma.

Charles Slonim, MD
University of South Florida - College of Medicine
Charles Slonim MD is Professor of Ophthalmology and Affiliate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida and Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He has published one book, Eye Was There: A Patient Guide to Coping with the Loss of an Eye, 50 scientific journal articles and 26 ophthalmic book chapters. He has served as the Medical Monitor for 35 FDA Clinical Trials for ophthalmic products.

Douglas Snyder, MD
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Raised in Ohio, they earned their Doctor of Medicine from Northeast Ohio Medical University, with a certificate in Biomedical Ethics. Their postgraduate training included a year of Neurological Surgery where they were first introduced to ophthalmology. Following a switch to ophthalmology, they completed Ophthalmology Residency at St. Louis University where they served as Administrative Chief Resident. They completed Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. They are an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where they have a dual practice of Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Neuro-Ophthalmology/Adult Strabismus.