Robert Lopez, MD
- American Board of Ophthalmology, Diplomate
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- Retina Society
- American Society of Retina Specialists
- Long Island Ophthalmological Society
Dr. Robert Lopez was born in Phoenix, AZ and grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, CA. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Biology and Chemistry from the University of California – Irvine. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School in 1982. Following medical school in Boston, he moved to New York City for ophthalmology residency training at the Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University Medical Center. After his residency years, Dr. Lopez pursued a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery under the tutelage of Drs. Stanley Chang and Harvey Lincoff, two world-renowned experts in the treatment of retinal detachment, at New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Lopez has received multiple professional honors and research grants over his distinguished career. He remains active in the ophthalmology residency training programs at both Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Nassau University Medical Center. He has received no fewer than nine awards for outstanding residency teaching between the two institutions.
Dr. Lopez maintains surgical privileges at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Nassau University Medical Center; and Island Eye Surgicenter.
Selected Publications
Over his decades-long career, Dr. Lopez has authored multiple scientific articles that span the basic sciences of the visual system to clinical treatments of complex retinal conditions. He has lectured both locally and throughout the country. Dr. Lopez’s specific research interests include the treatment of complicated retinal detachment, the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, and the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.
Allotransplantation of Cultured Rabbit Retinal Epithelium to Bruch’s Membrane in the Rabbit Eye.
Brittis, M., Lopez, R., Gouras, P., Kjeldbye,H.
Transplantation Proceedings XIX (1) 113-1136, 1987.
Transplantation of Cultured Rabbit Retinal Epithelium to Rabbit Retina using a Closed-Eye Method.
Lopez, R., Gouras, P., Brittis, M., Kjeldbye, H.
Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 28: 1131-1137, 1987.
Retinoschisis Associated with Optic Nerve Pits.
Lincoff, H., Lopez, R., Kreissig, I., Yannuzzi, L., Burton, T.
Arch Ophthalmology 106:67, 1988.
The Experimental Route to Curing a Rat Retina Dystrophy by Transplantation.
Gouras, P., Lopez, R., Brittis, M., Kjeldbye, H., Sullivan, B.
International Retinitis Pigmentosa Congress Proceedings, pp 267-276, 1988.
Transplanted Retinal Pigment Epithelium Modifies the Retinal Degeneration in the RSC Rat.
Lopez, R., Gouras, P., Kjeldbye, H., Sullivan, B., Repucci, V., Brittis, M., Wapner, F., Golubuff, E. Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 30: 586-588, 1989.
Transplantation of Retinal Epithelial Cells.
Gouras, P., Lopez, R.
An editorial. Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 30: 1681-1683, 1989.
Transplantation of Retinal Epithelium Prevents Photoreceptor Degeneration in the RCS Rat.
Gouras, P., Lopez, R., Kjeldbye, H., Sullivan, B., Brittis, M.
Prog Clin Bio Res 314:659-71, 1989.
Transplantation of Retinal Cells.
Gouras, P., Lopez, R., Du, J., Gelanze, M., Kwun, R., Kjeldbye, H.
Neuro-Ophthalmology 10: 165-176, 1990.
Transplantation of Photoreceptors Labeled with Tritiated Thymidine into RCS Rats.
Gouras, P., Du, J., Gelanze, M., Kwun, R., Kjeldbye, H., Lopez, R.
Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 32: 1704-1707, 1991.
Survival and Synapse Formation of Transplanted Rat Rods.
Gouras, P., Du, J., Gelanze, M., Lopez, R., Kwuun, R., Kjeldbye, H., Krebs, W.
Neurotrans. 2:91-100, 1991.
Transplanted Photoreceptors Identified in Dystrophic Mouse Retina by a Transgenic Reporter Gene.
Gouras, P., Du, J., Kjeldbye, H., Kwun, R., Zack, D., Lopez, R.
Invest Ophthal Vis, Sci 32(13): 3167-74, 1991.
Long Term Results of Vitrectomy and Perfluorocarbon Gas for Treatment of Severe Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.
Lopez, R., Chang, S.
American Journal of Ophthalmology 113: 424-428, 1992.
The Ultrastructure of Transplanted Rabbit Retinal Epithelium.
Gouras, P., Lopez, R., Kjeldbye, H.
Graefe’s Arch Clin Exp Ophthal 230:468-475, 1992.
Patch of Human Fetal Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Rabbit and Monkey Retina.
Cheng, Y., Gouras, P., Cao, H., Berglin, L., Kjeldbye, H., Lopez, R., Rosskothen, H.
Invest Ophthal Vis Sci 36: 381-390, 1995.
Retroviral Gene Transfer into Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Followed by Transplantation into Rat Retina.
Dunalef, I. L., Kwun, R. c., Bhardwaj, N., Lopez, R., Gouras, P., Goff, P.
Human Gene Therapy 6: 1225-1229.
The Focal Cone Electroretinogram.
Yamamoto, S., Gouras, P., Lopez, R.
Vion Res Vol 35, No. 11, pp 1614-1649.
Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity Study Group. Revised Indications for the Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity.
Arch Ophthalmol 121: 1684-1698, 2003.
Compensation of Ultrasonic and Ophthalmoscope Evaluation of Retinopathy of Prematurity.
Kaufman – Joki, D.H., Springer, A.d., Tower, H., Kane, S., Lopez, R., Chiang, M., Lloyd, H.O., Barbezzetto, I., Horowitz, R., Vidine, O.
Pediatric Ophthalmol Strabismus, November-December, 41(16): 401-11, 2004.
Is there a role for high-frequency ultrasonography in clinical staging of retinopathy of prematurity.
Kaufman-Joki, D.H., Springer, A.D., Tower, H., Kane, S., Chiang, M., Lopez, R., Lee, G.
Erratum in: Pediatric Ophthalmol Strabismus, March-April, 43(2): 84, 2006.
Progression of Traumatic Lamellar Macular Hole to Full-Thickness Macular Hole and Retinal Detachment in a Three-Year-Old Child.
Tsui, I., Campolattaro, B., Lopez, R.
Retinal Cases & Brief Reports 4:25-27, 2010.
Corneal Graft Survival and Intraocular Pressure Control in Coexisting Penetrating Keratoplasty and Pars Plana Ahmed Glaucoma Valves.
Leiberman, R.A., Maris P.J. Jr., Monroe, H., Al-Aswad, I., Bansal, R., Lopez, R., Florakis, G.J.
Cornea, 31:4350-358, 2012.