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Lillian To, MD

  • Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:

UPMC Glaucoma Service, Pittsburgh, PA
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology Program Evaluation Committee Member
Transitional Year Clinical Competency Committee and Program Evaluation Committee Member


U.S. Department of Veterans Affair Ophthalmology Department, Pittsburgh, PA
Residency Site Director

WORK and TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Resident Wet Lab Coordinator, UPMC Ophthalmology
2019 - 2020
Developed and executed wet lab education for ophthalmology residents of all years. This involved coordination with industry and product representatives. In one academic year, two anterior vitrectomy and three phacoemulsification labs were completed, alongside the core wet lab curriculum.

Course Assistant: Core Molecular Biology Lab, Stanford University Winter 2011
Developed assignments and lecture material for the Genetics component of the course, utilizing D. melanogaster as our model organism. Lectured to students and facilitated labs, graded final lab reports, trained course interns, maintained fly stocks, and held weekly office hours.

Course Assistant: Biochemistry, Genetics, & Molecular Biology, Stanford U. Summer 2010
Facilitated weekly journal club, selected relevant peer-reviewed articles at the appropriate level for students, graded assignments, and held weekly office hours and course review.

HEALTH RELATED SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP
University of Pittsburgh Guerrilla Eye Service, Volunteer 2015-2021
Scope and Scalpel Annual Musical, Assistant Producer 2016-2017
Shoulder to Shoulder Honduras Brigade, San Jose del Negrito, Honduras Feb 2016
University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Faculty and Students Together 2014-2015
University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Student Admissions Interviewer 2014-2015
American Medical Student Association, Chair of Gender, Children and Sexuality 2014-2015
University of Pittsburgh Women’s Shelter Clinic, Volunteer 2013-2014
Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Volunteer scribe for Dr. Peter Poullos, radiology 2009-2011

Division

    Education & Training

  • Stanford University, Bachelor of Science in BioEngineering 2005 - 2009
  • Stanford University, Master of Science in Biology 2009 - 2011
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine 2013-2017
  • Baylor College of Medicine, Internal Medicine PGY-1 2017-2018
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ophthalmology Residency 2018-2021
  • UT at Houston Cizik Eye Clinic, AUPO FCC certified Glaucoma Fellowship 2011-2022
Representative Publications

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:

1. To LK, Carrabba NV, et al. Risk Factors for Diagnostic Change from Glaucoma Suspect to Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Vice Versa over Two Years. In submission to Ophthalmology Glaucoma
2. To LK, Dhoot RK, Chuang AZ, et al. Defining the role of ab externo Xen gel stent in glaucomatous eyes with prior failed surgical intervention. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023;261(3):779-789.
3. To LK, Shah PR, Scanga HL, Franks AL, Cladis FP, Nischal KK. Personalized pediatric ophthalmology: a case report. J AAPOS. 2019 Aug;23(4):234-236.
4. Shazly TA, To LK, Conner IP, Espandar L. Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography-Assisted Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty for Anterior Chamber Fibrous Ingrowth. Cornea. 2017 Jun;36(6):757-758
5. Izzo NJ, Staniszewski A, To LK, Fa M, et al. Alzheimer's therapeutics targeting amyloid beta 1-42 oligomers I: Abeta 42 oligomer binding to specific neuronal receptors is displaced by drug candidates that improve cognitive deficits. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 12;9(11)
6. Beraki S, Litrus L, Soriano L, Monbureau M, To LK, Braithwaite SP, Nikolich K, Urfer R, Oksenberg D, Shamloo M. A pharmacological screening approach for discovery of neuroprotective compounds in ischemic stroke. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 18;8(7)
7. Prasad A, To LK, Gorrepati ML, Zarins CK, & Figueroa CA. Computational analysis of stresses acting on intermodular junctions in thoracic aortic endografts. J Endovasc Ther. 2011 Aug;18(4):559-68.

POSTERS, ABSTRACTS, and PRESENTATIONS:

1. Kalathuru CG, Carrabba NV, To LK, Chuang AZ, Smith LM, Feldman RM. Risk Factors for Short Term Diagnostic Change from Glaucoma Suspect (GS) to Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and POAG to GS. Poster at ARVO 2023
2. To LK, Dhoot RK, Karimaghaei S, Chuang AZ, Shah R, Feldman RM. Defining the Role of Ab Externo Xen Gel Stent in Glaucomatous Eyes with Prior Failed Surgical Intervention. Poster at ARVO 2022
3. To LK, Feldman RM. When Sparks Don’t Fly. A Case of Complex Hypotony Following Firework Injury. Podium at Houston Ophthalmology Society 2022.
4. To LK, Conner IP. Intracameral LidoPhen and rates of mechanical pupillary dilation during phacoemulsification. Podium at UPMC Eye Center Vision Research Day 2021.
5. To LK, Couso R, Odden J. Root caue analysis: Patient misidentification in corneal culture results. Podium at UPMC Eye Center Grand Rounds 2021.
6. To LK, Nischal KK. Personalized pediatric ophthalmology. Podium at UPMC Eye center Biglan Lecture 2019 and UPMC Eye Center Grand Rounds 2018
7. To LK, Mo SM, Conner IP. Root cause analysis: Complications of Retrobulbar Blocks. Podium at UPMC Eye Center Grand Rounds 2019
8. To LK, Escobar FJB, Jhanji V, Espandar L. Topical Platelet Rich Plasma Eye Drops (e-PRP) in the Treatment of Severe Ocular Surface Diseases. Poster at Millennial Eye 2019
9. To LK, Conner IP, et al. AAO EyeWiki: Optic Disc Hemorrhage, update, 2019
10. Minteer D, Mahoney C, To LK, Rubin JP, Marra K. A Decellularized Adipose Tissue Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. Podium at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Scientific Retreat 2015
11. To LK, Minteer D, Rubin JP, Gerlach JC, Marra K. 3D Bioreactor Culture of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells as a Drug Screening Tool. Poster at Dean Summer Research Symposium, 2014
12. Monbureau M, To LK, Sato A, Profitt D, Shamloo M, Novel automated assay for phenotyping autistic-like social deficits. Poster at Society for Neuroscience, 2012
13. Saw N, To LK, Beraki S, Longo F, Shamloo M. Comprehensive behavioral paradigms for assessment of learning and memory in mThy1-APPLond/Swe as a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Poster at Stanford Neuroscience Retreat, 2012
14. Prasad A, Gorrepati ML, To LK, Zarins CK, Figueroa CA. Relationship between Endograft Oversizing, Radial Force and Aortic Neck Dilation: Long term Effects. Podium at FDA & NHLBI Fourth Annual Workshop on Computer Methods for Medical Device Modeling, 2011
15. Figueroa CA, Gorrepati ML, To LK, Yeh V, Prasad A, Zarins CK. A Longitudinal Study of the Positional Stability of TEVAR Using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Abstract with Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2010, Dec; 52(6): 1741.

Research Interests

UT Houston Cizik Eye Clinic, Division of Glaucoma
Advisor: Dr. Robert M. Feldman and Dr. Ruchi Shah
2021 - present
Several retrospective studies are ongoing. This includes the evaluation of MIGS procedures in surgically refractive glaucoma, and the creation of a large longitudinal database of neovascular glaucoma patients to evaluate 5+ years of outcomes.

UPMC Eye Center, Division of Glaucoma
Advisor: Dr. Ian Conner
2020 - 2021
Retrospective study to analyze the rate of intraoperative mechanical pupillary dilation in phacoemulsification surgery, with the use of standard preoperative topical mydriatics versus stand-alone intracameral lidocaine and phenylephrine.

UPMC Eye Center, Ocular Surface Regenerative Therapy Laboratory Apr 2016 - Jun 2018
Advisor: Dr. Ladan Espandar and Dr. Vishal Jhanji
Assessment of the role of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to enhance corneal wound healing, including dry eye, dormant ulcers, and after ocular surface reconstruction or surgery. We are developing a database to elucidate the efficacy of PRP on severe ocular surface diseases.

Adipose Stem Cell Center, U. Pitt Department of Plastic Surgery May 2014 - Jun 2015
Advisor: Dr. J. Peter Rubin, Chair of Plastic Surgery, and Dr. Kacey Marra
Clinical Study: Currently developing largest database of body contouring surgeries on patients who are postmassive weight loss to analyze pre- and intra-operative factors affecting outcome and patient satisfaction Basic Science Study: Proof of concept that human derived diabetic and non-diabetic adipose stem cells grown in a novel, dynamic 3D bioreactor system can be used as a long-term, tissue-like cell culture for future assays

Behavioral and Functional Neuroscience Lab, Stanford School of Medicine Jun 2011 - Jun 2013
Advisor: Dr. Mehrdad Shamloo
Study lead on several projects using transgenic rodent models of central nervous system disorders and stroke. Collaborated closely with other Stanford laboratories and local biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to provide expertise in rodent behavioral studies.

The Zarins Lab for Vascular Bioengineering, Stanford Bio-X Department Sept 2008 - Jun 2011
Advisor: Dr. Christopher Zarins, Professor Emeritus, and Dr. Charles Taylor
Used CT and MRI imaging to build 3D vector-based models of patient specific vasculature post-EVAR, then applied computational fluid mechanics to study the effect of hemodynamic forces on stent failure.

 

 

 

Publications

Research Grants

Summer 2014

NIH T35 Grant: 3D Bioreactor Culture of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells as a
Drug Screening Tool. PI: Dr. Thomas R. Kleyman