UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute Welcomes New Ophthalmology Residents
| The Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) welcomed four new ophthalmology residents who are now seeing patients in central Arkansas.
The new ophthalmology residents are:
- Jamal Azhari, M.D.
- J. Anthony “Tony” Chacko, M.D.
- Alex Kwok, M.D., MPH
- Sam Karimaghaei, M.D.
Azhari received his medical degree in May from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford. He was published for work on corneal endothelial wound healing and remained active there on longitudinal studies on the cornea. He also conducted research with Loyola University in Chicago on burnout in ophthalmologists.
Chacko received his medical degree from UAMS in May and was published multiple times for his work in ophthalmology. He volunteered at River City Ministry Sight Savers Eye Clinic in North Little Rock and participated in three medical mission trips to Guatemala to provide cataract surgeries.
Kwok received his medical degree from UAMS in May, as well as a Master’s in Public Health from the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. He worked with several community clinics, including the UAMS 12th Street Health & Wellness Center. There, he established a student-run tele-ophthalmology diabetic retinopathy screening program for uninsured patients.
Karimaghaei received his medical degree from McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He participated in the Sight for All ophthalmology program at the Venu Eye Institute and Research Center in New Delhi, India, and established the global health blog Global Health Thinkers. While at McGovern and the Blanton Eye Institute at Houston Methodist Hospital, he published multiple papers in ophthalmology and infectious diseases. Also at McGovern, he launched an initiative to distribute safety glasses to those at risk for eye trauma and led an effort to collect eyeglasses for ReSpectacle, a nonprofit organization.
Jones Eye Institute’s four-year ophthalmology residency program prepares graduates for the challenge and complexity of future ophthalmology practices through training in the latest scientific and technological advances while they develop expertise in different subspecialty areas. It is Arkansas’ only ophthalmology training program.