Renu Maria Culas, MD

Royce Chen, MD, is the Jean Sheng Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Chair of Education, and Residency Program Director for the Department of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He is also an Attending Ophthalmologist at Harlem Hospital Center. Dr. Chen is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in the surgical and medical management of vitreoretinal disease and uveitis. Dr. Chen graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Music where he sang at Mory's every week with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. He received his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine before performing his ophthalmology residency at Columbia University, where he served as Chief Resident. This was followed by a 2-year vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami, where he served as a Clinical Instructor in Ophthalmology.He has received numerous honors, including the John Martin Wheeler Resident Teaching Award at Columbia, the Heed Foundation Fellowship, American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, selection into the New-York Presbyterian Leadership-Academy (LEAD), and recognition as a NYC Super Doctor. Dr. Chen has a wide range of research interests, ranging from retinal imaging, to artificial intelligence, to innovation in clinical and surgical education. In addition to his roles at Columbia, Dr. Chen also serves on the Board of Trustees and as Vice President of Trainee Mentorship for the Vit Buckle Society and as Planning Group Member for the National Eye Institute Health Education Program.

Stephen H. Tsang, M.D, Ph.D. is an acclaimed clinical geneticist in the care of individuals with retinal degenerations. He has been culturing stem cells since 1992 and created the first mouse model for a recessive form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) by applying genome engineering to stem cell technology in 1995. He successfully treated preclinical models of Pde6a, Pde6b, Mfrp, Rho, Cngb1 and autosomal recessive bestrophin retinopathies. He has expertise in designing and testing genome engineering strategies in pre-clinical models, developing patient-specific knock-in models, generating of patient cell lines and providing care to patients with a precision medicine approach. He is also leading efforts in FDA trials for gene therapies, including PDE6A, RAB geranylgeranyl transferase, RPGR, CNGB3, CNGA3 and ABCA4 retinopathies. He wrote 3 books: “Precision Medicine, CRISPR, and Genome Engineering: Moving from Association to Biology and Therapeutics" and “Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology”, Springer Press, NY; and “CRISPR Genome Surgery in Stem Cells and Disease Tissues”, Elsevier Inc. He is an elected member of several honorary societies including the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Alcon Research Institute and American Ophthalmological Society. He is consistently named to various NIH study sections (DPVS standing member 2014-8 and PED2 2022-6) and other review committees; Alcon Research Institute Grant Review Committee (2022-27), Scientific Advisory Panel - Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB, 2019-29), Chair of American Ophthalmological Society Thesis Review Committee (2022-2023). Many of his publications are in widely-read general interest journals such as Science, NEJM, Lancet, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Genetics, and Journal of Clinical Investigation, which attests to the broad impact that his work has had. Dr. Tsang received a resident teaching award in 2008 and was the Columbia Ophthalmology Basic Science Course Director (2006-2018). Dr. Tsang graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where he began his medical genetics training under the tutelage of Professor Victor A. McKusick. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the NIH-National Institute of General Medical Sciences Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Columbia University. Dr. Tsang then completed his residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute/UCLA, followed by studies with Professors Alan C. Bird and Graham E. Holder on improving the care of individuals with macular degenerations.

Daniel Diamond, OD, is Assistant Professor of Optometric Sciences (in Ophthalmology) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Diamond specializes in pediatrics, anterior segment disease, contact lens fitting, and primary and post-operative care. Dr. Diamond received his bachelor's degree in biology with a concentration in Molecular Biology at SUNY Binghamton. He then went on to complete his Doctorate in Optometry at the New England College of Optometry. He obtained his residency training in ocular disease at ENRM VA Hospital in Bedford, MA. Since joining the department, Dr. Diamond has received a fellowship from the American Academy of Optometry, published work on the vision and eye health of at-risk individuals in New York City, and lectured on the use of contact lenses in infants.