Celebrating the Duke Ophthalmology Class of 2025

Resident graduates

Duke Eye Center celebrated the 2025 class graduating residents and fellows on June 14, 2025 during a heartfelt ceremony honoring their accomplishments, dedication, and bright futures.

We were honored to have Bennie Jeng, MD Chair of the Scheie Eye Institute at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, as our keynote speaker for the Duke Ophthalmology Scientific Sessions—also known as Residents and Fellows Day—held the day prior.

Awards

Robert Machemer Research Award: Gregory McElroy, MD
Project: Expression of Yeast NDL1 as a Neuroprotective Approach in a Mouse Model of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

Duke MELT Award: Naveen Karthik, MD

Best Research Presentation by a Full-Time Research Fellow

  • Poster Presentation Winner: Bani Aguirre, MD
  • Podium Presentation Winner: Anjali Saini

Best Research Presentation by a Clinical Fellow

  • Poster Presentation Winner: Irene Lee, MD, Rami Gabriel, MD
  • Podium Presentation Winner: Mustafa Iftikhar, MD, Elise Timtim, MD

Medical Student Educator Award: Nathan Cheung, OD

Golden Apple Teaching Awards:

  • PGY1: Jay Rathinavelu, MD
  • PGY2: Hazem Mousa, MD
  • PGY3: Keke Liu, MD
  • PGY4: Cason Robbins, MD
  • Fellows: Irene Lee, MD and Rami Gabriel, MD

Edward K. Isbey, Jr. Award – Angela Li, MD

K. Alexander Dastgheib Unedited Surgery Video Award – Richard Morgan, MD, PhD

Edward G. Buckley Resident Educator Award – Kelly Donovan, MD, PhD

Ocular Innovation Award – Cason Robbins, MD; Kelly Donovan, MD, PhD; Gregory McElroy, MD, PhD

Hornaday Fellow Award – Rami Gabriel, MD and Nathaniel Blecher, MD

Ophthalmic Technician of the Year – Rachel Redd, COA

Golden Globe Faculty Teaching Award – Melissa Daluvoy, MD

Graduates Next Steps

As we celebrate the achievements of our graduates, we also look forward to their next steps. Many will continue their training in prestigious fellowships across the country, while others will begin their careers in academic medicine or private practice. Their time at Duke has prepared them to lead, innovate, and serve with excellence.

Medical Retina Fellowship Graduates: 

  • Michalis Georgiou, MD - Retina and Inherited Retinal Degenerations at Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Ophthalmology, Boston, MA.

  • Jessica Sun, MD - Retina Group of Florida, Sarasota, FL.

  • Elise Timtim, MD - Kaiser Permanente, Portland, OR.

Retinal Genetics Fellowship Graduate:

  • Yavuz Cakir, MD – Medical Retina Fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship Graduates:

  • Tammy Hsu, MD – Adult Retina with Pacific Northwest Retina and Pediatric Retina at University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA.
  • Mustafa Iftikhar, MD – Assistant Professor and Assistant Chief of Service at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.

Glaucoma Fellowship Graduates:

  • Lucy Hui, MD – Cincinnati Eye Institute, OH.
  • Leroy Ekeh, MD – Texan Eye, Austin, TX.
  • Nathaniel Blecher, MD – Stanford University, Stanford, CA
  • Jessie Wang, MD – Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, OH.
  • Iris Zhuang, MD – Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

Cornea Fellowship Graduates:

  • Steven Carrubba, MD – Geisinger Medical Center, Pittston, PA.
  • Rami Gabriel, MD – South Coast Eye Care Centers, Laguna Beach, CA.
  • Spencer Harris, MD – Idaho Eye and Laser Center, Idaho Falls, ID.

Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship Graduates:

  • Aya Farag, MD – Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.
  • Trisha Emborgo, DO – Pediatric Eye Care of North Texas, Dallas, TX.
  • Hannah Hashimi Tea, MD – Children’s Eye Physicians, Denver, CO.

Pediatric Optometry Residency Graduate:

  • Rodnell Batac, OD – North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat, Durham, NC.

Oculoplastics Fellowship Graduate:

  • Irene Lee, MD – Florida Eye Specialists, Jacksonville, FL.

Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship Graduate:

  • Melley Fesseha, MD – Pursuing opportunities in academic neuro-ophthalmology.

Ophthalmology Resident Graduates: 

  • Aaron Linkdeke Myers, MD - Comprehensive Ophthalmology at UNC Kittner Eye Center, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Angela Li, MD - Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship at Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC.
  • Cason Robbins, MD - Cornea Fellowship at Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC.
  • Modupe Adetunji, MD - Comprehensive Ophthalmology at SightMD in New Jersey.
  • Richard Morgan, MD, PhD - Comprehensive Ophthalmology at Schefkind Eye Care, Alexandria, VA. 
  • Kelly Donovan, MD, PhD - Medical Retina Fellowship at Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC.

Congratulations to all our 2025 graduates!

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