People
OPTIC Team
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Lama Al-Aswad, MD, MPH
Professor of Ophthalmology
lama.al-aswad@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Physician Profile
Lama Al-Aswad is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interest is in blindness prevention, tele-ophthalmology, artificial intelligence, and innovations. Notably, she has implemented large-scale glaucoma screening in New York City involving more than 8500 high-risk individuals in mobile and fixed sites. In 2017, she launched a tele-ophthalmology project with a mobile unit for the detection of 4 leading causes of blindness. In 2020 due to the changes during the pandemic, she built a vision app integrating with Epic Electronic Medical Records. She has also embarked on research on the role of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology. Currently her focus is on building an ophthalmology data core for machine learning as tool for blindness prevention.
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Almiqdad Saeed, MD
Ophthalmology Innovation Fellow (Class of 2026)
Email Almiqdad Saeed, MD
Researcher Profile
Almiqdad Saeed, MD
Ophthalmology Innovation Fellow (Class of 2026)
almiqdad.saeed@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Researcher Profile
Almiqdad Saeed is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Ophthalmology. He is also an ophthalmology resident at the St John Eye Hospital-Jerusalem. Concurrently with his innovation research fellowship, he is pursuing a Master's degree in Bioinformatics at the Perelman School of Medicine to advance his specialization in ophthalmology. In addition to his academic and clinical work, Almiqdad is the co-founder of a leading optical solutions company, where he applies his entrepreneurial skills to drive innovation in eye care. His work focuses on advancing research in ophthalmology, contributing to the understanding and treatment of eye diseases.
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Ceyhun Elgin, PhD
Professor of Economics
Personal Website
Ceyhun Elgin is a Professor of Economics at Bogazici University in Turkey. He got his BA in economics from Bogazici University and then subsequently obtained his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Minnesota in 2010. His research interests are in applied macroeconomics, economic growth, development economics, and political economics with a particular emphasis on the economics of the informal sector. Previously, Dr. Elgin also had positions at the Columbia University, IMF, WB, and Boston University.
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Rina Nagatani, BA
Lab Manager / Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Rina Nagatani, BA
215-770-3337
LinkedIn
Rina Nagatani, BA
Lab Manager / Clinical Research Coordinator
rina.nagatani@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-770-3337
LinkedIn
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Andrew Wronka
Data Engineer
Andrew Wronka
Data Engineer
Andrew Wronka is a Data Engineer in the Department of Ophthalmology. He also has a long history in clinical imaging including application management as well as a background in product management, including in the area of PACS, Picture Archiving and Communications Systems. A graduate from Rutgers University College of Engineering, Andrew's career spans a diverse set of roles, usually in positions that challenged the conventions whether it be in the clinical IT innovations from digital imaging to the latest in datahubs and opportunities for AI, often working across diverse teams and outside entities.