Karen Brian Fernandez, MD

Karolinne Maia Rocha M.D. Ph.D. is a sub-subspecialist in cataract, cornea, and refractive surgery. Dr. Rocha has received awards and distinctions for excellence in ophthalmology including the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Achievement Award in 2012, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Foundation Resident Excellence Award in 2012 and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Teaching Excellence Recognition Award in 2013. Dr. Rocha is active in clinical research, having published over 100 scientific works including peer review publications, book chapters, and abstracts in society meetings. As a member of the executive subcommittee of the International Society of Refractive Surgery International Council, Dr. Rocha is active in teaching at national and international ophthalmology conferences. She has served as a course instructor at the American Academy of Ophthalmology laser refractive skills transfer course since 2009 and teaches courses on corneal collagen cross-linking and corneal topography. Dr. Rocha is a regular reviewer for the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Journal of Refractive Surgery, Cornea, and the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Dr. Rocha is also an associate editor for the Brazilian Archives of Ophthalmology (ABO).Dr. Rocha completed her postdoctoral fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2009 where she worked intimately with adaptive optics. She published one of the first clinical applications of adaptive optics characterizing the exact amount of higher order aberrations that balances depth of focus with quality of vision -- work that is widely cited in ophthalmic research. Dr. Rocha completed a second postdoctoral fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at Emory University in 2010 where she played instrumental roles in the lead investigational study on corneal collagen cross-linking, corneal biomechanics and topography-guided laser ablation. Dr. Rocha received her medical degree from State University of Londrina in Parana, Brazil in 2002. After obtaining her M.D. she completed training in ophthalmology at Federal University of S&~o Paulo and was certified by the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology in 2005. As a second year resident she received the XXXIII Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology Surgical Skills Prize. After completion of a fellowship in anterior segment surgery in 2007, she served as assistant of ophthalmology at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Subsequently, she completed her Ph.D. & "Optical aberrations in pseudophakic and cataractous eyes, &" also at the Federal University of Sao Paulo. Dr. Rocha was the first ophthalmologist to be awarded the highest honor by the Brazilian government for her Ph.D. thesis.Dr. Rocha completed her second ophthalmology residency at the Cole Eye Institute-Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. She joined the faculty of MUSC/Storm Eye Institute in Charleston, South Carolina in 2014 and she is currently the director of the cornea and refractive surgery division.

Matthew J. Nutaitis, M.D. is a glaucoma specialist with expertise in cataract and anterior segment disorders. He joined the faculty of Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina in February 2007 as ophthalmology residency program director. Dr. Nutaitis spent 15 years as an attending at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, Maryland, with extensive primary and secondary glaucoma and anterior segment experience as well as expertise in the use of medical, laser and surgical interventions to preserve vision. Dr. Nutaitis also has in-depth experience in the management and application of medication formularies for clinics and large institutions. Dr. Nutaitis earned his medical degree from USUHS in 1985, completing his internship at the National Naval Medical Center and his residency training at NNMC. He served a glaucoma fellowship at Storm Eye Institute (1991 to 1992). From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Nutaitis served as affiliate program director of the ophthalmology program at Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University combined ophthalmology residency program and the residency program at Howard University Hospital and at NNMC. For two years (1999 to 2001), he served as assistant chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at NNMC Bethesda. Dr. Nutaitis was assistant professor at the University of Houston, Texas, in 2002 and assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at George Washington University School of Medicine from 2001 to 2007.From 1994 to 2007, he was assistant professor, Department of Surgery, Uniform Services University of Health Services and a teaching fellow there from 1989 to 1994. In the area of pharmacology, Dr. Nutaitis was a member of the Department of Defense pharmacy and therapeutics committee executive council from 2000 to 2004 and a committee member from 1998 to 2004. He was also a member of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee at NNMC Bethesda. He served as department head, eye clinic, for the USNS Comfort-Joint Task Force Katrina in 2005. Dr. Nutaitis has published peer review journal articles and monographs focusing primarily on cataract and glaucoma surgery, including "Ophthalmic Care of the Combat Casualty" and "Pattern Discrimination Perimetry Testing in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertensive Patients". In 2006, Dr. Nutaitis received both the army Commendation Medal and Graduation Award, as well as the Navy Commendation Medal (1999).

M. Millicent W. Peterseim, M.D. is a Professor at the Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She is the Bruce Pratt Endowed Chair for International Ophthalmology. Dr. Peterseim's major clinical interests and responsibilities include pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus and international ophthalmology. Prior to receiving her medical degree from Washington University Medical School, Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Peterseim graduated from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Her internship in family and community medicine took place at Duke University Medical Center. Following her internship, Dr. Peterseim completed her residency in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She then returned to Duke to complete her fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at the Duke University Eye Center.Prior to joining MUSC in 1999, Dr. Peterseim was assistant professor of ophthalmology at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania and was in private practice at Park Ophthalmology in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. She has given numerous lectures and presentations nationally, published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and made contributions to several textbooks.Dr. Peterseim is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and is actively involved in community outreach efforts to further increase awareness about and support for proper vision screening for all children, especially those in the preschool and early school-aged years. She has collaborated with the National Children's Hospital in Costa Rica to determine genetic determinates of hereditary retinal disease and worked to improve eye care in India, Ethiopia and Belize in collaboration with Orbis International and the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired.