USC Roski Eye Institute

04/08/2026

University of Southern California was the first institution in Los Angeles to implant Encelto, a new cell-based gene therapy for macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). Pictured are Dr. Andrew Moshfeghi (left), a noted vitreoretinal surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC, and retina fellow, Dr. Sam Asanad (right), implanting the microscopic device.

This technology marks a major milestone for the MacTel community, providing a novel therapy for a previously untreatable, vision-threatening disease.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

04/03/2026

The USC/CHLA Ocular Oncology Team representing The Amy Elizabeth Corwin Aqueous Humor Liquid Biopsy Laboratory at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) made an impressive showing at the International Society of Ocular Oncology Conference (ISOO) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Lab members delivered podium talks showcasing their latest research, and every member of the lab earned a travel award. A special congratulations to Dr. Liya Xu, who received the Dr. Linn Murphree Travel Award for her outstanding dedication to fostering collaboration within the ocular oncology community. We are proud of their contributions to the field and their continued commitment to advancing ocular oncology research.

03/31/2026

How cool is this! Dr. Kent Nguyen, an Optometrist at Keck Medicine of USC and Assistant Professor Of Clinical Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, was recently invited to guest lecture for a Gerontology 561 class on The Aging Eye.

The presentation covered everything from common age-related eye conditions and treatment options, to how future healthcare providers can best serve their geriatric patients.

So wonderful to see professionals like Dr. Nguyen taking the time to invest in the next generation of healthcare providers!

03/26/2026

Retinoblastoma is a rare pediatric eye cancer driven by mutations in the RB1 tumor suppressor gene. Because direct tumor biopsy is unsafe and can risk spreading the cancer beyond the eye, molecular characterization of retinoblastoma has historically been limited in living patients, making it more difficult to fully understand the genetic events driving disease at diagnosis.

Congratulations to Scarlet Affa, an undergraduate student at UCLA and student researcher in the Liya Xu, PhD and Jesse Berry, MD, Laboratory at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who thanks to support from the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) Program will study how aqueous humor liquid biopsy can be used to detect RB1 first and second hits in retinoblastoma. By analyzing tumor-derived cell-free DNA, this approach offers a minimally invasive way to better define the molecular features of the disease at diagnosis.

This research represents an important step toward overcoming a longstanding limitation in the field. By using a clinically implemented liquid biopsy approach to enable more complete molecular characterization without the need for tumor biopsy, this work has the potential to deepen understanding of the genetic mechanisms driving retinoblastoma and support more informed clinical evaluation and decision-making in pediatric ocular oncology.

03/25/2026

Congratulations Dr. Kimberley Yu (PGY4) who has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Bernard Schwarz Memorial Award by the American Glaucoma Society for the top resident abstract at the recent AGS Meeting.

Established in honor of Bernard Schwartz's enduring commitment to academic excellence and the advancement of medical education, this award is bestowed upon the resident whose submitted abstract achieves the highest distinction, this award recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement, intellectual rigor, and promise for future contributions to the field.

03/16/2026

AI meets eye care in USC medical student Ryan Shean’s research.

With support from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), Ryan seeks to enhance glaucoma diagnosis through investigations at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Glaucoma diagnosis involves evaluating demographic factors, pressure within the eye, acuity of the vision, and structural and functional tests that reflect the health of the optic nerve. If the disease evades discovery, patients risk missing the chance for early therapies that help prevent vision from deteriorating. Together with Dr. Benjamin Xu, Ryan is testing whether large language models and generative AI chatbots can be part of the solution.

Link to full article in the comments.

03/05/2026

Some people find their calling. Rahul Dhodapkar found two, and built something remarkable with both.

After earning a degree in computer science from Yale University and working as an engineer at MongoDB, he returned to school, earned his MD, and is now an ophthalmology resident at USC. Today, he's channeling both worlds to build an AI-powered web app that automates the measurement of pediatric eye misalignment.

This February, he took that work to the national stage, presenting at the 2026 Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Read our full Q&A to hear about his research, his journey, and what's next.

For USC ophthalmology resident Rahul Dhodapkar, medicine is a second career. He graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2015, and worked as an engineer at MongoDB, a large-scale database company. He later returned to Yale for medical school before arriving at...

02/26/2026

The latest Blue Ridge rankings for NIH funding in federal fiscal year 2025 are out, and we are excited to announce that we are #5 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in our field, a reflection of our department's dedication to conducting exemplary research with direct impact on improving diagnostic evaluation and treatment of major eye diseases, including age-related and hereditary macular degeneration, dry eye, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.

02/13/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Moshfeghi, who was selected as Top Doctors for 2026 by Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians. These doctors are best-in-class healthcare providers, embodying excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills.

02/04/2026

01/28/2026

“Where I am now is ‘give-back’ time,” the Half Century Trojan says.

01/21/2026

At USC Roski Eye Institute, oculofacial plastic surgery is a true team effort, blending expertise across several disciplines, which include dermatologists, otolaryngologists, general plastic surgeons, and even ocular oncologists.

Every year and a half, our residents and fellows have the opportunity to participate in our critically acclaimed USC Oculofacial Plastic Surgery Surgical Skills Course, which brings top minds together to train, learn, and innovate.