New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Launches Ophthalmic Innovation and Technology Program
Program Focuses on Breakthrough Surgical Procedures and Development of New Technology
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) has announced the creation of the Ophthalmic Innovation and Technology Program. This academic program is the first of its kind in the New York City metropolitan region.
The program will bring in full-time, world-renowned experts to train faculty and residents in the latest and most advanced surgical technologies in ophthalmology, putting NYEE at the forefront of innovation, establishing a center of excellence, and bringing patients closer to breakthrough technology and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Mount Sinai doctors will learn how to use new, state-of-the-art devices that make surgeries faster, safer, and more effective for patients. Initially, the training will focus on the latest micro-interventions for glaucoma and cataract procedures, which are transforming clinical care in ophthalmology. The long-term goal is for the program to expand to other areas of minimally invasive ophthalmic surgery.
The Ophthalmic Innovation and Technology Program will use the world-class laboratories, training facilities, and internal talent at NYEE to advance and expand clinical research. Mount Sinai doctors will benefit by getting institutional commitment and resources to create new ideas in surgical technology and develop novel medical products. Additionally, the program will bring more clinical trials to NYEE, giving doctors new access to companies who are investigating novel therapies and surgeries.
“This program will position NYEE to be an international leader in ophthalmic innovation and technology, setting us apart as we strive to develop breakthrough treatments to give patients the best possible outcomes,” said James C. Tsai, MD, MBA, Delafield-Rodgers Professor and System Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai Health System, and President, NYEE. “This is a novel academic focused platform to foster technological innovation and will hopefully lead to potential commercialization of these technologies.”
Sean Ianchulev, MD, MPH, Professor of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine, has been hired by NYEE to serve as the Director of the Ophthalmic Innovation and Technology Program. An internationally recognized innovator, he has pioneered some of the top innovations in ophthalmology over the past decade. As the head of ophthalmology clinical research at Genentech, he led the development of Lucentis, one of the most successful drug therapies in the field, which transformed the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, vein occlusions, and diabetic macular edema. Dr. Ianchulev is also the inventor of intraoperative aberrometry, an advanced technology for intraoperative guidance and precision biometry for cataract surgery that has been used to treat more than 500,000 patients to date. In addition, he led the development of the latest, FDA-approved Microstent Cypass, which is the only supraciliary microstent indicated for intraocular pressure lowering in glaucoma. More recently, he founded the first micro-interventional technology for phaco-less cataract surgery, commercialized by Iantech, Inc.
“I am excited for the opportunity to join the faculty of NYEE and Mount Sinai, where there is so much talent and expertise which can be harnessed to bring clinical excellence and medical innovation synergistically closer to a positive outcome,” said Dr. Ianchulev. “We are in a dynamic age of many developments converging in the field of ophthalmology, particularly micro-interventional technology, which is set to transform everything from glaucoma to cataract treatment. We will start there, raise the sails and capture the momentum of innovation to its fullest.”
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high "Honor Roll" status, and are highly ranked: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country’s best in several pediatric specialties.
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