Tiny Eyes Leadership
Michael P. Blair, MD
Sarah H. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Anna L. Ells, MD, FRCS(C)
Michael Blair is the Director of ROP Service and Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the The University of Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology, and also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Dr. Blair earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard University an
Michael Blair is the Director of ROP Service and Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the The University of Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology, and also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Dr. Blair earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard University and medical doctorate at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye then his Vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.
His clinical interests include pediatric retina including retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal vascular disease, complex retinal detachment repair, and ocular tumors. He has authored over 100 articles in the medical literature.
He is actively involved in teaching and training ROP care to retina fellows from several institutions across Chicagoland and in working to expand ROP care around the globe. He trains international visiting fellows in pediatric retina care, is involved in ROP service organizations, including Stop Infant Blindness in Africa (SIBA), and has lectured and organized ROP workshops in Africa, Latin American, and Asia.
Anna L. Ells, MD, FRCS(C)
Sarah H. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Anna L. Ells, MD, FRCS(C)
Anna Ells is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Calgary and a retinal specialist at Calgary Retina Consultants in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With over three decades of experience in ophthalmology, she has dedicated much of her career to the prevention of childhood blindness, with a particular focus on
Anna Ells is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Calgary and a retinal specialist at Calgary Retina Consultants in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With over three decades of experience in ophthalmology, she has dedicated much of her career to the prevention of childhood blindness, with a particular focus on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Dr. Ells completed her medical school and ophthalmology residency training at the University of Ottawa, followed by fellowships in pediatric ophthalmology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and in medical retina at the University of Calgary. She served as a physician and flight surgeon in the Canadian Armed Forces before embarking on her academic and clinical career. Deepening her commitment to global health, she completed Harvard University's Global Health Delivery course in 2021, equipping her with a broader framework for addressing eye care disparities in low- and middle-income countries.
A recognized leader in the field, Dr. Ells was co-chair of the landmark International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ICROP) II revision in 2003 and a committee member for ICROP III in 2020–21, the global standards that define how ROP is diagnosed and treated worldwide. She has been a pioneer in telemedicine-based ROP screening, leading and contributing to major studies — including the NIH-funded eROP trial — that have shaped how premature infants can be monitored for vision-threatening disease.
Dr. Ells has trained ophthalmologists and led ROP workshops across China, India, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Latin America, South Africa, and Uganda, and has been instrumental in bringing ROP care to underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa through initiatives including Stop Infant Blindness in Africa (SIBA) and TinyEyes.
She is a Fellow of the American Society of Retina Specialists, a member of the Retina Society, the Macula Society, and the Canadian Ophthalmology Society and serves on several boards including Orbis Canada and the American Society of Retina Specialists Foundation board.
In 2024, Dr. Ells co-founded TinyEyes alongside Dr. Michael Blair and Dr. Sarah Rodriguez, driven by a conviction that no child should lose their sight to a preventable and treatable disease.
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Sarah H. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Sarah H. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Sarah H. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Sarah H. Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She completed her medical degree and residency at The Ohio State University, followed by a fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital / Lurie Children’s Hospital, and a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopki
Sarah H. Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She completed her medical degree and residency at The Ohio State University, followed by a fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital / Lurie Children’s Hospital, and a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She is a specialist in pediatric ophthalmology, with a particular focus on Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). As a mother of two, her commitment to ROP is fueled by the profound impact early intervention can have in preventing blindness and offering a lifetime of vision for children. She finds deep fulfillment in witnessing the long-term effects of her work—seeing former preterm infants she treated not only walking and talking but also reading the eye chart and thriving in school.
With support from multiple research grants, including generous awards from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation and the Blind Children’s Center, she focuses on outcomes-based research in ROP. She is an associate editor for the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), a board member of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness (ISPB), and part of the steering committee for SIBA (Stop Infant Blindness in Africa), a collaborative initiative with local colleagues addressing the looming ROP epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Glaucoma Advisory Board
Ellen Zhou, MD, PhD
Dr. Ellen Zhou is a Glaucoma and Cataract Surgeon at Queen’s University and joined TinyEyes in 2026. She earned her undergraduate degree and completed her combined MD–PhD training at McGill University. Dr. Zhou dedicated her PhD thesis to studying Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of blindness in infants. During her ophtha
Dr. Ellen Zhou is a Glaucoma and Cataract Surgeon at Queen’s University and joined TinyEyes in 2026. She earned her undergraduate degree and completed her combined MD–PhD training at McGill University. Dr. Zhou dedicated her PhD thesis to studying Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of blindness in infants. During her ophthalmology residency at the University of Toronto, she led multicenter studies that advanced understanding of ROP, patient adherence to glaucoma medications, and the molecular signature of glaucoma. The latter project earned her first prize in the 2025 Canadian Ophthalmological Society Award of Excellence.
Her research has been supported by multiple provincial and national grants, including those from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fighting Blindness Canada, and the PSI Foundation of Ontario. Upon graduating from McGill Medical School, Dr. Zhou received the Scriver-Steinberg Convocation Prize for her exceptional potential to translate knowledge into practice and improve patient well-being. In recognition of her research achievements and commitment to student advocacy, she was inducted into McGill University’s Scarlet Key Society and received the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award. In 2024, she was honored with the prestigious Mel Mitzel Research Excellence Award from the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada.
advisory board for the Uganda Project
SHERWIN ISENBERG, MD
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
Inspired by a visit to Gaza in 1967 where a colleague snuck him in after the war, and he witnessed rampant blindness from Trachoma, Dr. Isenberg has dedicated his career to reducing preventable causes of childhood blindness worldwide and never looked back. On his 33-year journey studying povidone iodine, in addition to the perioperative
Inspired by a visit to Gaza in 1967 where a colleague snuck him in after the war, and he witnessed rampant blindness from Trachoma, Dr. Isenberg has dedicated his career to reducing preventable causes of childhood blindness worldwide and never looked back. On his 33-year journey studying povidone iodine, in addition to the perioperative benefits for which we have him to thank, clinical trials took him from Kenya to the Philippines to India, where he validated the use of dilute povidone iodine to prevent and treat infectious causes of blindness.
Not only does his work prevent blindness for thousands of adults annually who might otherwise develop endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in the US alone (not to mention worldwide), in many developing countries, trachoma remains the leading cause of infectious blindness. With use of povidone iodine placed on the eye at birth, thousands of newborns have now been saved from a lifetime of blindness. This is especially true where prophylaxis was not used previously due to expense.
Since “retiring” and becoming “Distinguished Professor Emeritus,” Dr. Isenberg has turned his attention to preventing another threat to global health: retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). In developing countries, ROP is becoming a common cause of childhood blindness as the survival rate of premature infants has improved. With the second highest preterm birth rate in the world, the threat of ROP has become a particular problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). He served as co-chair for SIBA (Stop Infant Blindness in Africa), during the initial phase, and he has joined TinyEyes.org to continue supporting ROP care in Uganda.
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
Yvonne E. Vaucher is a Neonatologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. She received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and her master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Vaucher’s research interests include neurodevelopmental outcomes
Yvonne E. Vaucher is a Neonatologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. She received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and her master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Vaucher’s research interests include neurodevelopmental outcomes of high risk newborns. Dr. Vaucher has been highly involved in global health initiatives, including as a neonatology consultant and instructor for the Makerere University SOM Department of Pediatrics and Child Health in Kampala, Uganda. She has had this role since 1998 and every year teaches neonatal critical care to Ugandan Pediatric residents on-site in Uganda. Since 2022 Dr. Vaucher has been a consultant and advisor to Bulamu Healthcare International , focused on improving maternal and newborn outcomes in Health Districts throughout Uganda. She has also served as a Member of Section on Global Health and International Community Access to HealthCare (ICATCH) grant review committee and Liaison and advisor for community-based ICATCH grants in LMICs for the American Academy of Pediatrics since 2015. Dr. Vaucher joined SIBA in 2022 as a neonatology consultant for the Uganda ophthalmology team where she has been working to develop the Center for ROP at Nsambya Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
Scott R. Lambert, MD
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
C. Armitage Harper, III, MD
Scott R. Lambert, M.D. is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics who specializes in treating eye diseases in children and adults with strabismus. Prior to joining the faculty at Stanford in 2016, he was the R. Howard Dobbs Professor of Ophthalmology at Emory University and the Chief of Ophthalmology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlant
Scott R. Lambert, M.D. is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics who specializes in treating eye diseases in children and adults with strabismus. Prior to joining the faculty at Stanford in 2016, he was the R. Howard Dobbs Professor of Ophthalmology at Emory University and the Chief of Ophthalmology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Dr. Lambert is the co-editor of the 5th and 6th edition of the leading textbook in his field--Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. He is the author or co-author of more than 260 articles in peer-reviewed journals on a broad range of topics including the treatment of congenital cataracts, strabismus in adults and children, optic disc abnormalities and corneal disorders in children. He has been an invited speaker at pediatric ophthalmology conferences throughout the world including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
He has been actively involved in research throughout his entire career and served as the chairman of the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study—a NIH funded randomized clinical trial comparing the optical treatment of infants after cataract surgery with contact lenses vs. intraocular lenses. From 2013-2015 he served on the executive committee of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigators Group--a large group of pediatric ophthalmologists who investigate new treatments for ocular disorders in children. He has received the Senior Honor award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and served as the chairman of their Pediatric Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee. He has received a lifetime achievement award from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.
He has five children. He enjoys hiking, swimming, and running.
C. Armitage Harper, III, MD
Yvonne E. Vaucher, MD, MPH, FAAP
C. Armitage Harper, III, MD
Dr. Harper's expertise includes macular hole and retinal detachment surgery, retinopathy of prematurity and macular degeneration, and he is a nationally recognized speaker on the management of retinopathy of prematurity and on the role of nutrition in macular degeneration. He is actively involved in research in both pharmacological and n
Dr. Harper's expertise includes macular hole and retinal detachment surgery, retinopathy of prematurity and macular degeneration, and he is a nationally recognized speaker on the management of retinopathy of prematurity and on the role of nutrition in macular degeneration. He is actively involved in research in both pharmacological and nutritional therapies for the treatment and prevention of macular degeneration. He has also served as an investigator for numerous clinical trials.
Dr. Harper is a consultant at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and at the city’s University Hospital, where he teaches residents and provides vitreoretinal care for infants with retinopathy of prematurity. Passionate about bringing quality ophthalmic care to developing countries, Dr. Harper travels worldwide teaching and performing surgery with local physicians. Recent travels have included trips to Haiti with Vanderbilt University Eye Project, and to Lanzhou, China, with Project Orbis, the world’s only flying eye hospital. His travels and contributions have received local and national recognition. In 2016, he founded smallworldvision.org, an organization created to eliminate preventable blindness in premature babies born in countries outside of the United States. His passion is retinopathy of prematurity and loves to take care of babies knowing that he can preserve their vision for 80 years.
Dr. Harper is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Texas Medical Association and the Travis County Medical Society. He also served as Chief of Ophthalmology at Brackenridge Hospital from 2005-2008 and is the current chief of Ophthalmology at Ascension Medical Centers in Austin. Each year Texas Monthly magazine has included him in “Best Doctors in Texas.” Outside of the office, Dr. Harper enjoys gardening, biking, and spending time with his wife, Ruthie, and their four dogs, Nana, Ramzes, Rico, and Blakey.