Up Close and Personal with 2019 Award Winners

Natalia F. Callaway, MD, MS

I am honored and humbled to join the Michels Foundation Fellowship family. After completing my fellowship at Stanford University Byers Eye Institute, I joined Roche Genentech, where I lead clinical trials primarily focused on the Port Delivery System and durable anti-VEGFs. Concomitantly, I maintain my vitreoretinal practice at Stanford University. The balance of clinical work and big-picture research pursuits that move our field forward and improve patient care energizes me. I'm grateful to have a hybrid industry-academic career.

My initial interest in ophthalmology research and retinal disease stemmed from my undergraduate labwork at Wilmer Eye Institute where I studied age-related macular degeneration. I then attended Stanford School of Medicine, where I obtained a Master's in Epidemiology and started working in clinical research and big data analysis. I completed my residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and then returned to Stanford for my vitreoretinal surgical training. During my fellowship I had the opportunity to pursue the Roche Genentech ophthalmic fellowship where I was introduced to product development and clinical trial design ultimately leading to my current role at the company.

Outside of medicine, I spend my time with my husband and two daughters, running, or reading.

Tomasz R. Stryjewski, MD

Since graduating from fellowship, I am pursuing a hybrid career in clinical practice and innovation. I am a vitreoretinal surgeon with Tallman Eye Associates, a private practice in the Boston area. In addition, I serve as Chief Scientific Officer and a Director of Pykus Therapeutics Inc. (Cambridge, MA), a company I co-founded, which is developing biodegradable polymers for vitreoretinal applications.

In addition, I continue to be involved as a consultant to Aldeyra Therapeutics for the GUARD Study, which is evaluating the use of serial injections of methotrexate for the prevention of PVR. Aldeyra Therapeutics acquired Helio Vision Inc, a company Dean Eliott and I co-founded, in early 2019.

When not taking care of patients or doing research, my wife, toddler son, and I enjoy traveling, sailing, and cooking.

Nicolas A. Yannuzzi, MD

I recently joined the vitreoretinal surgery service at Bascom Palmer where I completed my residency, fellowship, and chief residency. My research interests include cost-utility analysis of various vitreoretinal procedures, endophthalmitis, and advanced retinal imaging. I am excited to be a contributing co-editor of a vitreoretinal surgery book written for fellows. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and three children, tennis, and cooking. I am honored to have received this fellowship and thank the Michels Foundation for its support.

Attention former
award winners!

Have you recently moved? Did you start or join a new practice or change academic institutions? If you would like your information to appear on this News page, please email karen.baranick
@michelsfoundation.org.