MUSC Health Ophthalmology at Nexton Medical Park

Born in China, Dr. Tang immigrated with his family to Los Angeles, CA, at a young age and grew up in suburban Philadelphia, PA. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Neuroscience. Dr. Tang's passion for Ophthalmology was sparked during college when he worked in a vision research laboratory. Afterward, he attended MUSC in Charleston and obtained M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Tang received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation for his dissertation research, which evaluated the role of vitamin A metabolism in genetic diseases of the retina. While in medical school, he was honored as a Presidential Scholar, he received the Dean's Scholarship, and graduated with a Ph.D. with Distinction. Dr. Tang completed his internship at the Hennepin County Medical Center and Ophthalmology residency at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. He received the Resident Research Award, a research fellowship from the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation, and consecutive Resident Teaching Awards for each year of his residency. He then returned to California for a Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery fellowship at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto. Dr. Tang began his career in private practice at Retina Consultants of Minnesota in 2019 in Minneapolis/St. Paul, where he practiced surgical retina and Ocular Oncology. In late 2023, he transitioned back to academia by joining Storm Eye Institute at MUSC as a faculty practicing surgical retina and ocular oncology. Dr. Tang is fully board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists. He is also an editor and reviewer for numerous medical journals and a writer and teacher for the Osler Institute and OphthoQuestions, both of which help Ophthalmologists prepare for board examinations.

Mauricio B. Pereira, M.D., Ph.D., is a sub-subspecialist in vitreoretinal surgery. Dr. Pereira has received several awards and distinctions for excellence in ophthalmology in his over 20 years of Ophthalmology practice. Dr. Pereira is active in clinical research, having published many scientific works at society meetings, including peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and abstracts. As a full member of the Brazilian Vitreous and Retina Society and Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology, Dr. Pereira is active in teaching at national and international ophthalmology conferences. Dr. Pereira is a regular reviewer for peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports and Brazilian Archives of Ophthalmology (ABO), and Revista Brasileira de Oftalmologia (RBO). Dr. Pereira received his medical degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in 1994, one of Brazil's most traditional and oldest medical schools. He completed his training in ophthalmology at Federal Servidores do Estado Hospital and was certified by the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology in 2000. He completed a two-year vitreoretinal fellowship training at the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP). He was granted a prize by the BRAVS for a study of "Mechanisms of Retinal Adhesion." Dr. Pereira also completed his Ph.D. with distinction on "Indocyanine green video angiography in blunt traumatic chorioretinopathy" at UNIFESP. In 2009, he joined the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) in Rio de Janeiro as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology for nine years and then as Associate Professor for four years. During his academic career, he was pivotal in helping the Department achieve the top 6 Ophthalmology Residency Programs in Brazil and 8th in Latin America. He also participated as a Federal Fluminense University Medical Board of Ethics Committee member. Dr. Pereira joined the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, in 2023 for a second vitreoretinal fellowship. His contributions to the medical field include directly training more than 200 ophthalmologists as residents or retina fellows. Among his contributions, two publications were the first reports of Susac's Syndrome in Brazil in 2000 and autofluorescence findings in Benign Concentric Annular Macular Dystrophy in 2019. Dr. Pereira has performed thousands of eye surgeries and has significantly contributed to the treatment of eye diseases and blindness prevention in Brazil. His main interests are retina, vitreous, complications of cataract surgery, and surgical treatment of macular disorders.

Andrew S. Eiseman, M.D. has been appointed as a professor of ophthalmology and the director of the ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery service at the Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Eiseman comes to Storm Eye from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he served as the chief of the ophthalmology service, the director of the ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery service, and as an associate professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Eiseman received his BS in chemistry from the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was a distinguished cadet. He received his M.D. from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where he was the class valedictorian. He completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1994 where he also served as the chief resident. He then completed his fellowship training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at Wills Eye Hospital in 1998. Dr. Eiseman was the director of the oculoplastics service at Walter Reed for over 14 years as a surgeon performing challenging cases of complex orbital trauma and cosmetic rejuvenation. Dr. Eiseman served as the program director of the ophthalmology residency at Walter Reed from 2005 to 2011 and he is an oral board examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is a journal reviewer for several peer reviewed journals and he has served on several national committees to include the digital media committee of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Department of Defense joint readiness advisory board, and the Department of Defense vision improvement subcommittee. Dr. Eiseman has published a number of peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and abstracts. Dr. Eiseman performs clinical research and his areas of interest include lacrimal drainage disorders and ocular trauma and he has presented his research findings at national and international meetings. He has received several awards to include the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award and the Department of Defense "A" Designator for Academic Excellence. He was elected into the Washington Academy of Ophthalmology and the Order of Military Medical Merit. He is a flight surgeon and his military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

Tala Kassm, D.O. is a board certified ophthalmologist sub-specializing in the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. She joined the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2018 as a glaucoma fellow, honing her skills as a cataract surgeon while learning the fine details of glaucoma surgical and medical care. During her fellowship, she became femtosecond laser certified on the Catalys laser so that she can offer her patients laser assisted cataract surgery. She then decided to continue her career at MUSC as an attending physician and assistant professor. In her short time as the glaucoma fellow at MUSC, Dr. Kassm created and led the Glaucoma Support Group at the Storm Eye Institute as she has a passion for well-rounded patient care, offering her patients the opportunity to interact with each other as well as their physician in a relaxed environment while learning more about glaucoma. Prior to joining her colleagues at MUSC, Dr. Kassm earned her medical degree from A.T. Still University in Arizona. As a medical student, Dr. Kassm received the Outstanding Student Award and the Robert F. Crawford Scholastic Achievement Award which is only granted to one exceptional student in the graduating class for overall academic and clinical excellence. After obtaining her D.O. degree, she went on to complete her ophthalmology residency training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. During her residency, she developed a strong interest in educating fellow physicians about ophthalmology and delivered a wide variety of lectures to fellow physicians and medical students about ophthalmology. However, her greatest passion during her training was for learning and sharpening her skills as a cataract surgeon. During her residency alone, she performed hundreds of cataract surgeries, including surgeries using toric lenses to correct astigmatism and multifocal lenses to help patients gain independence from glasses. She has experience with monovision lenses, limbal relaxing incisions and LASIK. Since completing her training, she has performed over a thousand intraocular procedures.Dr. Kassm has thoroughly enjoyed dedicating her time and services to many community organizations such as the Storm Eye Sight Organization, West End Boys School Eye Screening Campaign, the Leukocoria Campaign in association with the Children's Eye Foundation and Kentucky School for the Blind, Home of the Innocence, and Kendall Optometry Ministry, Inc. organizing and sorting glasses for those who cannot afford them.Not only does she have a robust dedication to both patient and physician education, but she also enjoys spending time with each of her patients in order to thoroughly explain their disease and treatment plan. Dr. Kassm is a precisely skilled surgeon who understands the importance of detail in such a field as ophthalmology.

Dr. Jella An joins the Storm Eye Institute from the prestigious Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Hospitals, where she served as the Medical Director and Vice Chair for the Wilmer Eye Care Network. She also held a faculty position as an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. As a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist, Dr. An brings a wealth of expertise to the field. Her clinical specialties include minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) and complex cataract surgery, areas where she has earned national and international recognition for her contributions. Dr. An is also highly experienced in the management of ophthalmology clinical practice. Dr. An received her M.D. and B.Sc. degrees from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and completed her clinical fellowship in glaucoma and advanced anterior segment surgery at the University of Toronto. Her research efforts are dedicated to advancing glaucoma treatments, focusing on novel surgical and laser interventions, as well as extended-release drug delivery. Her goal is to personalize treatments, enhance patient quality of life, and prevent blindness through earlier and safer treatment options. She serves as a principal investigator for several clinical trials and has delivered numerous invited lectures worldwide. Dr. An is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for her patients, advancing innovative glaucoma treatment options, and providing top-tier training and mentorship to aspiring clinicians and researchers.

Dr. Susannah L. Brown is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a fellowship-trained specialist in oculoplastic surgery. Dr. Brown practices as a member of the Storm Eye Institute's oculoplastic surgery division and previously served as the director of the Ocular Trauma service. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bates College, Dr. Brown attended medical school training at the Medical University of South Carolina. She completed her internship at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and her ophthalmology residency training at MUSC's Storm Eye Institute, where she served as chief resident. Dr. Brown continued additional sub-specialty fellowship training in Orbital, Oculoplastic, and Aesthetic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She received the Outstanding Clinical Fellow of the Year Award. Dr. Brown has been recognized for her commitment to patient care with multiple patient-care awards, including the prestigious national Veteran's Association ICARE Aware for Distinguished Resident Physicians. While in residency training at MUSC, she also received the Program Director's Award, given to the resident who exemplifies 'the behaviors and attitudes each of us looks for in our physician.' During her residency, Dr. Brown was selected by her peers and faculty to serve as chief resident and received the Richard A. Saunders Award for 'academic potential, surgical excellence, and outstanding teaching ability.'

Julianne Gant, OD, earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College in Chesnut Hill, MA. She then attended optometry school at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, MA. She completed a residency in ocular disease management, specialty contact lenses, and low vision at the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC in Charleston, SC.

Kristen Gayeski Tinkler, OD, earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and attended optometry school at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She then completed a residency in ocular disease, specialty contact lenses (including scleral, RGP, and hybrid lenses), and low vision at Wm. Jennings Bryn Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, SC. Dr. Gayeski Tinkler is a past president of the Coastal Carolina Optometric Society and serves as Vice Chair on the Executive Board for the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina. She reviews Continuing Education for the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry and is a Scenario Author for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. Dr. Gayeski Tinkler has been practicing medical optometry in Charleston since 2011. She enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She resides in West Ashley with her husband and two sons.