Up Close and Personal with 2022 Award Winners

Hasenin Al-khersan, MD

I am incredibly humbled and honored to be a part of the Michels Fellowship Foundation family. After attending medical school at the University of Chicago, I completed training in vitreoretinal surgery and my Chief Residency at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

Currently, I practice at the Retina Consultants of Texas in Houston. My research focuses mainly on the use of artificial intelligence in retina. Specifically, I am working to develop deep learning algorithms for the characterization of geographic atrophy and other retinal diseases.

Outside of the clinic, I continue to pursue my love of traveling. Most recently I visited Albania, and South Korea is next on the list.

Charles M.T. DeBoer, MD, PhD

I am deeply honored and humbled to join the Michels Foundation Fellowship family. I completed medical school as part of the MD/PhD program at the University of Southern California and Caltech, where I received a PhD in electrical engineering and focused my research on using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to develop a fluid filled, biomimetic intraocular lens as a therapy for presbyopia. I stayed at the Roski Eye Institute at USC for residency and completed fellowship at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford.

Currently, I am a clinician scientist at Byers Eye Institute. I am very grateful to be able to pursue my research interests while also caring for patients. My research focus involves designing implantable ophthalmic devices using microfabrication techniques and microstereolithography. At the moment, I am working on a novel drug delivery device.

In my spare time, I enjoy traveling with my wife to hike, kayak, and snorkel to our hearts' content.