The Harvard Pediatric Retina Lab
A division of Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School
Our Work
We are dedicated to advancing care for retinal diseases through a blend of clinical insight, imaging technology, and data-driven research. The team focuses on three main areas: retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), sickle cell disease (SCD), and adult retinal disorders. We seek to better understand disease progression and tailor care to individual patients, emphasizing early detection and holistic care. With a vision to address disparities in eye health while improving patient outcomes and healthcare sustainability, we leverage innovative tools including AI, large datasets, and novel imaging modalities to serve patients at all stages of life.
You can learn more about the lab’s work and Dr. Patel’s publications through his PubMed and Harvard Catalyst profiles.
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects premature infants receiving oxygen therapy, causing pathological vessel growth in the retina that can progress to retinal detachment and vision loss. While advances in neonatal care and screening have improved ROP outcomes, disparities persist worldwide and international guidelines are much-needed. Our group has begun working with some African countries to produce unified, risk-stratified screening protocols.
The Retinopathy of Prematurity Injection Consortium (ROPIC), led by Dr. Patel, seeks to facilitate this goal by comparing re-treatment rates between the US and non-US countries after certain injections for ROP treatment, looking to compare and standardize best practices internationally. In addition, technological advances such as TeleROP, which screens newborns for ROP remotely, also promise to improve accessibility and potentially alleviate disparities in care worldwide.
Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hemoglobinopathy that distorts red blood cells into maladaptive shapes that impair the body’s oxygen delivery capacity and causing microvascular damage. In the pediatric retina, SCD can lead to vision threatening complications such as proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (PSR), retinal hemorrhage, and choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
Our lab investigates the progression of retinal manifestations in children with SCD through advanced imaging and longitudinal analysis. We are also investigating retinal vascular imaging biomarkers in pediatric SCD that demonstrate significant correlation with systemic disease severity and cerebrovascular complications.
Adult Retina
We are investigating a number of different adult retina diseases and operations: the factors influencing operative times and outcomes in scleral buckle surgeries, cost analyses of digital therapeutics for amblyopia, and retinal detachment surgery outcomes.
For each of these studies, we continue to build databases and also for other sectors including secondary intraocular lens implantation (IOL), central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), open globe injuries, and ophthalmic examinations under anesthesia.
Publications
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Intravitreal Aflibercept for the Prevention of Progressive Diabetic Retinopathy
Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Lin, James; Smiddy, William E.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2022
10.1016/j.oret.2021.09.005
Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium in a Patient With Fragile X Syndrome
Philip, Timothy J.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Gonzalez, Efren
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus; 2022
10.3928/01913913-20220511-01
Modernizing the American Journal of Ophthalmology: Social Media, Podcasts, and Digital Illustrations
Patel, Nimesh A.; Powers, Sarah L. Duncan; Parrish, Richard K.
AJO; 2022
10.1016/j.ajo.2022.02.005
Cost Analysis: Port Delivery System versus Monthly Ranibizumab for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Lin, James; Smiddy, William E.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2022
10.1016/j.oret.2022.05.021
Posterior Scleral Cyst in a Pediatric Patient
Hoyek, Sandra; Aronow, Mary Elizabeth; Patel, Nimesh A.
Ophthalmology; 2022
10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.11.008
Haptic and optic-haptic junction structural integrity of two 3-piece intraocular lenses
Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Watane, Arjun; Patel, Nimesh A.; Townsend, Justin H.
J Cataract Refract Surg; 2022
10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000000868
Widefield Fluorescein Angiography in the Fellow Eyes of Patients with Presumed Unilateral Persistent Fetal Vasculature
Laura, Diana M.; Staropoli, Patrick C.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Nolan, Ryan P.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Fan, Kenneth C.; Flynn, Harry W.; Acon, Dhariana; Negron, Catherine I.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2021
10.1016/j.oret.2020.07.020
Scleral-Sutured Intraocular Lens Dislocations Secondary to Eyelet Fractures
Watane, Arjun; Botsford, Benjamin W.; Sood, Arjun B.; Williams, Andrew M.; Xu, David; Gupta, R. Rishi; Conner, Ian P.; Sivalingam, Arunan; Gupta, Omesh P.; Ward, Matthew S.; Mehta, Sonia; Cid, Mario Del; Crossan, Alessa; Sierpina, David I.; Hwang, Frank S.; Rachitskaya, Aleksandra; Ehmann, David S.; Kovacs, Kyle D.; Orlin, Anton; Zhang, Alice Y.; Patel, Umangi; Dubovy, Sander; Klufas, Michael A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.
AJO; 2021
10.1016/j.ajo.2020.07.049
Ocular manifestations of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
Rohowetz, Landon J.; Kalavar, Meghana; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Kiryakoza, Lauren; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Capo, Hilda; Berrocal, Audina M.
J AAPOS; 2021
10.1016/j.jaapos.2021.04.012
Persistent Tunica Vasculosa Lentis as an Independent Risk Factor for Treatment in Retinopathy of Prematurity
Patel, Nimesh A.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Acon, Dhariana; Rodriguez, Ana J.; Negron, Catherin I.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2021
10.1016/j.oret.2020.08.002
Outcomes of Flanged Intrascleral Haptic Fixation with CT Lucia Three-Piece Intraocular Lens
Fan, Kenneth C.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Townsend, Justin H.
OSLI Retina; 2021
10.3928/23258160-20211127-01
Fundus Pigmentation in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Fan, Kenneth C.; Read, Sarah P.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Vanner, Elizabeth A.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Laura, Diana M.; Pakravan, Parastou; Negron, Catherin I.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmology; 2021
10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.12.024
Structural integrity of enVista MX60 eyelets
Watane, Arjun; Kalavar, Meghana; Pollmann, André S.; Lewis, Darrell R.; Gupta, R. Rishi; Townsend, Justin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.
J Cataract Refract Surg; 2021
10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000000607
Metastatic Uterine Carcinosarcoma to the Orbit
Qureshi, Sana; Patel, Nimesh A.; Patel, Nish; Ghassibi, Mark P.; Tse, David T.; Dubovy, Sander R.
Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg; 2021
10.1097/IOP.0000000000002006
Surgical Removal of Intraocular Parasite in a Patient With Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis
Kunkler, Anne L.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Scott, Nathan L.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Vasconcelos-Santos, Daniel Vitor; Albini, Thomas A.
OSLI Retina; 2020
10.3928/23258160-20201202-10
Advanced Coats' disease treated with intravitreal brolucizumab combined with laser photocoagulation
Patel, Nimesh A.; Berrocal, Audina M.; Murray, Timothy G.; Villegas, Victor M.
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep; 2020
10.1016/j.ajoc.2020.100815
A unique case of coats plus syndrome and dyskeratosis congenita in a patient with CTC1 mutations
Han, Elaine; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Laura, Diana M.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Negron, Catherin I.; Prakhunhungsit, Supalert; Thorson, Willa L.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmic Genet; 2020
10.1080/13816810.2020.1772315
In vitro Susceptibilities of Methicillin-Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococci to Traditional Antibiotics Compared to a Novel Fluoroquinolone
Fan, Kenneth C.; Lin, James; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Maestre-Mesa, Jorge; Zaidi, Mustafa; Miller, Darlene; Flynn, Harry W.
J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect; 2020
10.1186/s12348-020-0200-0
Encircling Scleral Buckle with Chandelier Endoillumination and Endolaser for Repair of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Berrocal, Audina M.; Sridhar, Jayanth
Clin Ophthalmol; 2020
10.2147/OPTH.S238241
Social media in ophthalmology: An analysis of use in the professional sphere
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Tran, Ann Q.; Tooley, Andrea A.; Lee, Wendy W.; Alfonso, Eduardo; Sridhar, Jayanth
Health Informatics J; 2020
10.1177/1460458220954610
Rapidly Progressive Bilateral Visual Acuity Loss in a Middle-Aged Woman
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Albini, Thomas A.
JAMA Ophthalmol; 2020
10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.0580
Peripheral combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium with remote peripapillary choroidal neovascular membrane
Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Russell, Jonathan F.; Fan, Kenneth C.; De Oliveira, Giselle; Negron, Catherin I.; Mavrofrides, Elias; Berrocal, Audina M.
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep; 2020
10.1016/j.ajoc.2020.100954
Bilateral uveitis associated with nivolumab therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer
Dermarkarian, Christopher R.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Villegas, Victor M.; Harbour, J. William
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep; 2020
10.1016/j.ajoc.2020.100691
Surgical Techniques for the Subretinal Delivery of Pediatric Gene Therapy
Fan, Kenneth C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Negron, Catherin I.; Sisk, Robert A.; Nagiel, Aaron; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2020
10.1016/j.oret.2020.01.023
Asymmetric retinopathy of prematurity in presumed fungal endophthalmitis
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Fallas, Brenda; Negron, Catherin; Berrocal, Audina M.
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep; 2020
10.1016/j.ajoc.2020.100722
Bilateral consecutive choroidal neovascularization in Best vitelliform macular dystrophy
Hoyek, Sandra; Lin, Lisa Y.; Kozek, Lindsay Klofas; Gonzalez, Efren; Rajabi, Farrah; Patel, Nimesh A.
Proceedings; 2022
10.1080/08998280.2022.2071075
INDUCTION OF POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS BY RADIAL PERIFOVEAL STRIPPING
Patel, Nimesh A.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Retin Cases Brief Rep; 2022
10.1097/ICB.0000000000001010
The Effect of Sample Medication Use on Subsequent Anti-VEGF Agent Selection for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Wai, Karen M.; Begaj, Tedi; Patil, Sachi; Chen, Evan M.; Miller, John B.; Kylstra, Jan; Aronow, Mary E.; Young, Lucy H.; Huckfeldt, Rachel; Husain, Deeba; Kim, Leo A.; Vavvas, Demetrios G.; Eliott, Dean; Mukai, Shizuo; Gragoudas, Evangelos S.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Sobrin, Lucia; Miller, Joan W.; Parikh, Ravi; Wu, David M.
Semin Ophthalmol; 2022
10.1080/08820538.2022.2107398
Hemi- and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Associated with COVID-19 Infection in Young Patients without Known Risk Factors
Ashkenazy, Noy; Patel, Nimesh A.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Belin, Peter J.; Kaplan, Richard; Kothari, Nikisha; Benitez Bajandas, Gabriel A.; Kohly, Radha P.; Roizenblatt, Roberto; Pinhas, Alexander; Mundae, Rusdeep; Rosen, Richard B.; Ryan, Edwin H.; Chiang, Allen; Chang, Louis K.; Khurana, Rahul N.; Finn, Avni P.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2022
10.1016/j.oret.2022.02.004
Content, Readability, and Accountability of Freely Available Online Information for Patients Regarding Epiretinal Membranes
Redick, David W.; Hwang, Jodi C.; Kloosterboer, Amy; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Kuriyan, Ajay E.; Sridhar, Jayanth
Semin Ophthalmol; 2022
10.1080/08820538.2021.1913192
Emergent Ophthalmic Surgical Care at a Tertiary Referral Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Kalavar, Meghana A.; Tanenbaum, Rebecca; Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Townsend, Justin H.; Berrocal, Audina M.; Ansari, Zubair A.
AJO; 2021
10.1016/j.ajo.2020.08.044
Ocular trauma secondary to exercise resistance bands during the COVID-19 pandemic
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Kunkler, Anne L.; Laura, Diana M.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Zhang, Lily; Redick, David W.; Salazar, Humberto; Medert, Charles M.; Patel, Nimesh A.
Am J Emerg Med; 2021
10.1016/j.ajem.2020.11.054
Primary evisceration for neonatal endogenous endophthalmitis: A report of two cases
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Pirakitikulr, Nathan; Kalavar, Meghana; Clauss, Kevin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Alabiad, Chrisfouad; Lee, Wendy W.; Berrocal, Audina M.
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep; 2021
10.1016/j.ajoc.2021.101081
Bilateral iPhone Gorilla Glass Intraocular Foreign Bodies in a Pediatric Patient
Kalavar, Meghana; Levitt, Alexandra; Patel, Nimesh A.; Clauss, Kevin; Fan, Kenneth C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Berrocal, Audina M.
JVRD; 2021
10.1177/2474126420951987
Agrobacterium radiobacter Endophthalmitis Associated with Baerveldt Tube Exposure
Rohowetz, Landon J.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Quan, Ann V.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Reyes-Capó, Daniela P.; Laura, Diana; Ansari, Zubair A.; Patel, Umangi; Dubovy, Sander R.; Flynn, Harry W.
Case Rep Ophthalmol; 2021
10.1159/000516664
Comparison Between Graders in Detection of Diabetic Neovascularization With Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and Fluorescein Angiography
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Russell, Jonathan F.; Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Scott, Nathan L.; Hinkle, John W.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Fowler, Benjamin J.; Hussain, Rehan M.; Barikian, Anita; Sridhar, Jayanth; Russell, Stephen R.; Haddock, Luis J.; Smiddy, William E.; Hariprasad, Seenu M.; Shi, Yingying; Wang, Liang; Feuer, William; Gregori, Giovanni; Rosenfeld, Philip J.
AJO; 2021
10.1016/j.ajo.2020.11.020
Cost-Utility Analysis of Mycophenolate Mofetil versus Methotrexate for Noninfectious Uveitis
Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Fowler, Benjamin J.; Clauss, Kevin D.; Kunkler, Anne L.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Albini, Thomas A.; Smiddy, William E.
Ophthalmol Retina; 2021
10.1016/j.oret.2021.08.004
Utilization of Online Resources by Patients in an Ophthalmic Emergency Department
Hwang, Jodi C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Cavuoto, Kara M.; Ansari, Zubair; Patel, Nimesh A.; Goodman, Courtney F.; Lang, Steven; Sridhar, Jayanth
J Acad Ophthalmol; 2021
10.1055/s-0040-1722310
Bilateral atypical lamellar holes in a patient with oculocutaneous albinism
Falcone, Michelle M.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Acon, Dhariana; Negron, Catherin I.; McKeown, Craig; Berrocal, Audina M.
Ophthalmic Genet; 2020
10.1080/13816810.2020.1765397
Novel Frizzled-4 Mutation Is Associated With Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy Mimicking Persistent Fetal Vasculature
Staropoli, Patrick C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Negron, Catherin I.; Prakhunhungsit, Supalert; Berrocal, Audina M.
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus; 2020
10.3928/01913913-20191230-01
Case Series of Brittle Cornea Syndrome
Eleiwa, Taher; Raheem, Mariam; Patel, Nimesh A.; Berrocal, Audina M.; Grajewski, Alana; Abou Shousha, Mohamed
Case Rep Ophthalmol Med; 2020
10.1155/2020/4381273
Akreos AO60 Intraocular Lens Opacification after Retinal Detachment Repair
Patel, Nimesh A.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Echegaray, Jose J.; Patel, Nish; Dubovy, Sander R.; Sia, David; Ehmann, David; Williams, Basil K.; Kuriyan, Ajay E.; Haddock, Luis; Witkin, Andre J.; Gregori, Ninel Z.; Baumal, Caroline R.; Sridhar, Jayanth
Ophthalmol Retina; 2020
10.1016/j.oret.2020.03.030
Bilateral, Solitary, Extramacular Vitelliform Retinal Lesions in a Patient With Best Disease
Duker, Jacob; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Prakhunhungsit, Supalert; Negron, Catherin I.; Berrocal, Audina M.
JVRD; 2020
10.1177/2474126420935777
"You saved my life."-A Trainee's Reflection on COVID-19 and Social Justice
Quan, Ann V.; Patel, Nimesh A.
AJO; 2020
10.1016/j.ajo.2020.06.042
The Influence of Surgical Timing on Clinical Outcomes in Primary Extramacular Retinal Detachment in a Tertiary Referral Center
Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Brown, Karen; Callaway, Natalia F.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Albini, Thomas A.; Berrocal, Audina M.; Davis, Janet L.; Gregori, Ninel N.; Fortun, Jorge; Haddock, Luis J.; Lee, Wen-Hsiang; Schwartz, Stephen G.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Smiddy, William E.; Flynn, Harry W.; Townsend, Justin
JVRD; 2020
10.1177/2474126419893816
Chronic, Recurrent Bacterial Endophthalmitis Caused by Achromobacter xylosoxidans: Clinical Features and Management
Lazzarini, Thomas A.; Al-Khersan, Hasenin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Martinez, Jaime D.; Altamirano, Diego; Torres, Lizt K.; Miller, Darlene; Batlle, Juan F.; Amescua, Guillermo; Flynn, Harry W.
Int Med Case Rep J; 2020
10.2147/IMCRJ.S259899
Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients with endophthalmitis using conventional microbiologic techniques and whole genome sequencing
Sengillo, Jesse D.; Duker, Jacob; Hernandez, Maribel; Maestre, Jorge; Reyes-Capo, Daniela; Patel, Annika; Watane, Arjun; Patel, Nimesh A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Miller, Darlene; Flynn, Harry W.
J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect; 2020
10.1186/s12348-020-00216-0
X-Linked Retinoschisis and a Coats-Like Response in the Setting of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Fan, Kenneth C.; McAllister, Mark A.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Prakhunhungsit, Supalert; Negron, Catherin I.; Capó, Hilda; Berrocal, Audina M.
JVRD; 2020
10.1177/2474126420939734
Refractive Outcomes of Four-Point Scleral Fixation of Akreos AO60 Intraocular Lens Using Gore-Tex Suture
Patel, Nimesh A.; Fan, Kenneth C.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Fortun, Jorge A.; Haddock, Luis J.; Yoo, Sonia H.; Persad, Patrice J.; Vanner, Elizabeth A.; Read, Sarah P.; Williams, Basil K.; Sridhar, Jayanth; Albini, Thomas A.; Flynn, Harry W.; Donaldson, Kendall; Townsend, Justin H.
Clin Ophthalmol; 2020
10.2147/OPTH.S282094
Endophthalmitis Caused by Agrobacterium radiobacter following Intravitreal Aflibercept for Diabetic Retinopathy
Rohowetz, Landon J.; Yannuzzi, Nicolas A.; Gupta, Sunil; Patel, Nimesh A.; Miller, Darlene; Flynn, Harry W.
Case Rep Ophthalmol; 2020
10.1159/000505227