Dr. James Murphy is a board-certified ophthalmologist, fellowship trained in glaucoma, focusing on laser-assisted and refractive cataract surgery with advanced technology intraocular lens implants and minimally invasive (MIGS), laser, and traditional/incisional treatments for glaucoma. Dr. Murphy is actively involved in research and consulting in the IOL technology and MIGS spaces. Dr. Murphy has a special interest in expanding access to
Archives: Our Staffs
Our Staff Description
Ian F. Pitha, MD, PhD
Dr. Pitha is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Utah's John A. Moran Eye Center and Associate Director of the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation. He earned his MD and a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology at Dartmouth Medical School, then completed his ophthalmology residency at Washington University in St. Louis, where
Deana Cynar
Deana Cynar joined The Glaucoma Foundation in August 2026 as a Major Gifts Officer. In her role, she will focus on building meaningful relationships with donors and securing philanthropic support to advance the Foundation's mission and its commitment to glaucoma research. Fun Fact: "I'm adventurous by nature and have skied black diamond trails."
Rajen Savjani
Rajen Savjani is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a deep interest in consumer technology. He has founded or invested in a variety of startups in areas like video games, film, career networking, virtual reality, dating, fitness, and biotechnology. Though he has dealt with various eye issues over the years, it wasn’t until his glaucoma progressed to a more severe
Ayellet V. Segrè, PhD
Dr. Ayellet Segrè is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE), Harvard Medical School, Director of the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core in the Ocular Genomics Institute at MEE, Associate Member of the Center for Genomics Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute. Dr. Segrè’s laboratory combines statistical genetics, functional
Giovanna Guidoboni, MS, PhD
Giovanna Guidoboni is the Inaugural Dean of Maine College of Engineering and Computing at the University of Maine (Orono, ME). Her research focuses on mathematical modeling and data science in engineering and life sciences, with collaborations in ocular blood flow, urinary tract function, and noninvasive health monitoring. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of
Poonam Misra, MD
Dr. Poonam Misra is a glaucoma specialist at Manhattan Eye, Ear, Throat Hospital of Northwell Health, where she is also the Co-Director of the Glaucoma Fellowship. She completed her glaucoma fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center in 2019 after residency at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Misra received her BS with a major in biology and minor
Mitch Hill
Mitch serves as an independent director for several public and private medical device companies. He retired as the CFO of Inari Medical in late 2024. He joined the company in early 2019 and helped lead Inari through its IPO in May 2020 and significant growth thereafter. Mitch completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University and his MBA from Harvard
Annette Grollman
Annette is President of Oestreicher Medical Communications, Inc. which she founded in 1992. She also currently serves on the board of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian Hospitals (appointed to three IRBs – Cancer 1, General 2, and Executive). Oestreicher Medical Communications provides editing and re-writes for grant submissions, journal manuscripts, and IRB applications. They develop, design, and
Barbara Hearst
Barbara W. Hearst is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent most of her life living in New York City and the Hamptons. She currently resides in Charleston, SC. Barbara is a world traveler, painter and a former Board member of TGF, and served on both the Board and Executive Committee for the Institute for Cancer Prevention, as well