Dr. Carolina Francisconi
Dr. Francisconi completed her medical education in 2012 at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, followed by Ophthalmology residency training at Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Brazil, graduating in 2016. She completed a 2-year Vitreoretinal Fellowship at the University of Toronto, graduating in 2018. Dr. Francisconi has extended her training further by an additional year of Paediatric Retina and Research Fellowship at the University of Toronto. Dr. Francisconi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Dalhousie University. She works as a medical retina specialist at the Victoria General Hospital and at the Archibald & Samad office in Halifax.
Danica Marrelli, OD, FAAO, AAO Diplomate (Glaucoma)
Dr. Marrelli received her doctor of optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), and completed a residency in hospital-based optometry at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. She is currently a clinical professor at UHCO, where she serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Education and staffs the glaucoma, retina, and general eye disease clinics. In the classroom, Dr. Marrelli teaches in the ocular pharmacology, glaucoma and case-based learning courses. Dr. Marrelli became a diplomate in the ocular disease section of the American Academy of Optometry in November 2009 and is the secretary of the Optometric Glaucoma Society.
Paul Freund, MD MSc FRCSC
Dr. Freund is an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Dalhousie University. He graduated from the Schulich School of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario in 2012. Dr. Freund then completed both his ophthalmology residency and a Master of Science degree focusing on choroideremia and gene therapy at the University of Alberta. He completed a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at the University of Toronto in 2019 before joining the Eye Clinic at the VG hospital. His practice spans neuro-ophthalmology, adult strabismus, and general surgical ophthalmology. Dr. Freund’s research interests include applications of OCT imaging in neuro-ophthalmology.
Jane Ann Grogg, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Dr. Jane Ann Grogg is a Clinical Professor at Indiana University School of Optometry. She is member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society, a fellow of the Optometric Retinal Society and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. She is the Director of the IU Health Center Eye Clinic and serves on the peer review panel of the journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry. Areas of interest include clinical education with an emphasis in glaucoma and acute eye care.
Patrick Vollmer, OD, FAAO
Dr. Vollmer is an award-winning author, international speaker, and clinical researcher for the new developments of ophthalmic drugs in a micro-urban city in North Carolina. He is the sole owner of Vita Eye Clinic where he specializes in primary eye care and ocular disease & emergency care. He specializes in comprehensive eye exams, contact lenses, eye emergencies/eye trauma and ocular disease. Dr. Vollmer holds a particular interest in diagnosing and customizing individual treatment plans for dry eye. He is passionate about diabetic and hypertensive eye disease, glaucoma, co-management of systemic diseases, pharmacology, macular degeneration, and neuro-ophthalmic pathology.
Derek MacDonald, OD
Dr. Derek MacDonald graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 1992, and began full-scope private practice in Waterloo with special interest in ocular and systemic disease. He was elected to the Ontario Association of Optometrists Board in 1999, served a two-year term as President in the mid-2000s, and subsequently sat on College of Optometrists of Ontario Council from 2010 to 2016. Dr. MacDonald is a founding member of the Eye Health Council of Ontario, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (where he sits on the AAO International Admittance Committee), and a member of the Optometric Glaucoma and Optometric Retina Societies. He sat on the Clinical Advisory Expert Panel helping to craft Glaucoma Quality Statements for Health Quality Ontario, and co-chairs the Canadian Association of Optometrists Glaucoma Section. His research, lecturing, and writing interests are primarily focused on glaucoma, retinal vascular disease, and ophthalmic imaging
Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO
Dr. Woo is the Director of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science. Previously, he served as Dean of the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University supporting a transformation into an interprofessional health sciences university. He received his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of California at Berkeley. At the University of Houston College of Optometry, he completed a Master’s in Vision Science and a residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation. At Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business he completed an MBA with a concentration in medical and health care management. Dr. Woo is a diplomate in low vision with the American Academy of Optometry and diplomate with the American Board of Optometry. His research interests include vision rehabilitation, ophthalmic imaging, public health policy, and systems for optimizing patient care outcomes.