Sports Ophthalmology

Dr. Melanie Schmitt is an associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus. She is the Director of the Pediatric Inherited Retinal Degeneration Clinic and Co-Director of the Ocular Genetics Program. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison and completed her ophthalmology residency at William Beaumont Hospital (Royal Oak, MI), followed by her fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute in Cleveland. During her undergraduate years at UW–Madison, she was a women's hockey student-athlete, playing on the University of Wisconsin’s inaugural NCAA Division I women's hockey team, and earning a place on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic Team. She enjoys spending time with her family, staying active, and coaching youth hockey.

Today we introduce a new lead host! Dr Sean Teebagy will lead the way moving forward.Dr. Kelly Mitchell is a retina specialist and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, where he leads as residency program director. Dr. Mitchell received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and completed ophthalmology residency at Brooke Army Medical Center, followed by a surgical retina fellowship at UT Southwestern. Dr. Mitchell is an avid Texas Tech Red Raider fan, acting as the team ophthalmologist, and he also has a unique connection as his wife is Jennifer Mitchell, a team physician.

In this episode, Dr. Jay Sridhar shares about his experience with podcasting as well as his expertise in sports-related eye injuries of the posterior segment. Also, is the practice of ophthalmology a sport itself? Listen in to find out!

Dr. Sean Teebagy is a PGY-2 resident at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Dr. Teebagy earned his medical degree from U Mass Chan Medical School after studying psychology at the College of The Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Teebagy’s team recently won the Inaugural Eye Trauma 2025 Hackathon hosted by the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma, as well as an award for best poster for his research in ocular trauma in Major League Baseball.

 Dr. Taj Nasser is a refractive, cataract and anterior segment surgeon at Tylock George Eye Care in Dallas with a passion for precision and performance. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and MD from East Carolina University, then went on to complete his ophthalmology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he served as Chief Resident. He further specialized with advanced training in refractive and cataract surgery at Parkhurst NuVision in San Antonio. Driven by a deep interest in optimizing vision for high performers, Taj has had the privilege of working with elite athletes, including players from the Texas Rangers and FC Dallas.Learn more about Dr. Taj Nasser here.

Alex Suh, MD is a recent graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine and a freshly matched ophthalmology resident at the University of Southern California’s Roski Eye Institute ophthalmology program. Throughout undergrad and medical school at Tulane, Alex completed multiple internships and a clerkship with NASA, where he contributed to groundbreaking research on spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), a critical condition affecting most astronauts during long-duration missions. His work focuses on understanding the structural changes in the eyes and brain due to fluid shifts in microgravity, ensuring astronaut safety on future missions, whether it be to the Moon or Mars.Follow him on Instagram: @alex.suhHow are we doing?? Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to complete a brief, 2-minute survey.

Dr. Michael T. Yen is an oculoplastic surgeon and current Sarah Campbell Blaffer Chair in Ophthalmology at the Cullen Eye Institute at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Dr. Yen attended medical school at the University of Michigan and completed his residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, followed by a fellowship in ophthalmic and facial plastic surgery with Dr. Richard Anderson in Salt Lake City. Dr. Yen is a team ophthalmologist for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. Dr. Frank Cotter is a glaucoma specialist in Roanoke, VA. Dr. Cotter completed his Doctorate of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. After an internship with Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, he returned to Washington DC to complete his residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also completed two fellowships with a focus on glaucoma at the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Armstrong shares a bit about his experience in the field of advocacy and his work with the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma. We discuss how both of these can positively impact the field of sports ophthalmology as well as ways to get involved at any point in your career! Dr. Grayson Armstrong is the Director of Ophthalmology Emergency Services at Mass Eye & Ear in Boston, MA. He received his MD degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, RI while concurrently receiving his Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his ophthalmology residency, his chief residency where he was director of the Ophthalmic Trauma Service, as well clinical fellowships in both telemedicine and medical retina at Mass Eye & Ear of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Armstrong is passionate about health policy and public health as well as ophthalmic telemedicine and healthcare technology.

Dr. Everett and Dr. Goldman discuss concussion evaluations, refractive surgery for athletes, and future directions for the field of sports ophthalmology. They provide unique insight into the "concierge medicine" aspects of sports medicine. We cover the role of the sports ophthalmologist in caring for athletes in boxing, basketball, and football at the professional, collegiate, and amateur level. Dr. Kevin Everett and Dr. David Goldman are comprehensive ophthalmologists at Henry Ford Hospital and share responsibilities as team ophthalmologists for the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions. Dr. Everett received his undergraduate and medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed his Ophthalmology residency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Everett has worked with the Detroit Lions since 1999. Dr. Goldman received his medical degree at Saba Medical School and completed his Ophthalmology residency at Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Goldman currently serves as residency program director at Henry Ford Hospital, and he also helps provide care for the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions.

Dr. Harrell shares about his experience taking on the role of head team ophthalmologist for the San Antonio Spurs. Jared and Dr. Harrell discuss game coverage, field equipment, and eye screenings. They discuss the role of eye screenings in addressing community health disparities, and Dr. Harrell shares pearls in navigating race-discordant doctor-patient relationships. Dr. Michael Harrell is a comprehensive ophthalmologist at UT Health San Antonio. He received his MD from Boston University School of Medicine, served for four years in the US Navy, and then returned to Boston Medical Center for ophthalmology residency, followed by a fellowship in medical retina at Northwestern. Dr. Harrell is an active member of the National Medical Association and has a strong commitment to mentoring medical students and increasing representation of underrepresented minorities in medicine and ophthalmology. Dr. Harrell is the head team ophthalmologist for the San Antonio Spurs. Wisely CE, Legault G, Kim T. Retrospective review of Duke men's basketball eye care: annual screenings and traumatic injuries. Phys Sportsmed. 2021 Sep;49(3):337-341. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2020.1835137.  Zhang J, Zhu X, Sun Z, et al. (2021) Epidemiology of Sports-Related Eye Injuries Among Athletes in Tianjin, China. Front. Med. 8:690528. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.690528