David Fleischman, MD

I am an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and focus primarily on Ocular Oncology. I am a fellowship-trained in both ocular oncology and oculoplastic surgery. I provide comprehensive care for a wide variety of benign and malignant tumors affecting the eye and its surrounding structures, across all age groups. This includes more common ocular tumors like melanoma, lymphoma, ocular metastasis and retinoblastoma to eyelid tumors like squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, to less common and rare orbital and ocular surface tumors. I also manage ocular side-effects from systemic chemotherapeutic drugs. To deliver comprehensive ophthalmic cancer care, I work routinely on collaborative, multi-disciplinary cases that involve radiation oncology, interventional radiology, medical oncology, ENT and neurosurgery.

I am a board-certified ophthalmologist. Post-residency, I co-founded the Vistar Eye Center in Roanoke, Virginia, where I served as Managing Partner for 20 years and practiced for over three decades. During this time, I also served as Medical Director of Roanoke Valley Center for Sight for five years. My clinical interest include comprehensive eyecare, the medical and laser management of glaucoma, as well as laser surgery for secondary cataracts. I am a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Phi Beta Kappa, and Alpha Omega Alpha. When I am not at work, I enjoy snow skiing, golf, tennis, cycling, hiking, and attending UNC sporting events.

I am a professor of ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I specialize in the care of complex and rare diseases and I have expertise in treating Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs) and Autoimmune Retinopathy (AIR). I am a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), as well as a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). I serve as a scientific reviewer for numerous journals and as an Editorial Board Member of the ARVO journal Translational Vision Research and Technology. I serve on multiple scholarly and foundation boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Choroideremia Research Foundation, the Blue Cone Monochromacy Families Foundation, and the BlueGen Therapeutics Foundation. Additionally, I also serve as Global Medical Lead for Cell and Gene Therapies in Ophthalmology at Astellas Pharmaceuticals US. I have written more than 150 publications, over 30 book chapters, one edited book, over 200 presentations, and more than 90 invited talks at national and international venues. I am a native of Rome, Italy, and a dual Italian and U.S. citizen. When I am not at work, I enjoy cooking, photography, playing pickleball, road cycling, and following sporting events.