STEPHEN S. CHANG, M.D.
Specialties:
CK – Elimination of Reading Glasses
LASIK Vision Correction
Cataract and Laser Surgery
Hospital Affiliations:
Glendale Eye Surgery Center
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Cataract &
Refractive Surgery
Dr. Chang serves as medical director of our group and specializes in cataract and laser refractive surgery.
Born in California and raised here and in Hawaii, Dr. Chang says his goal throughout childhood was to go to medical school and become a doctor.
He earned his B.A. in biology from Pacific Union College and then enrolled in Loma Linda University School of Medicine. After his internship at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, he served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Army for two years.
Following his residency in ophthalmology at White Memorial Medical Center, he began working with Dr. McCaffery here at Glendale Eye.
While still a resident at White Memorial, he joined LIGA International, the Flying Doctors, and made frequent trips to El Fuerte, Mexico with Dr. McCaffery and other medical personnel from Glendale Eye. Their medical missions are documented in the film, “Esperanza”.
In 1980,he bought a ranch in Canyon Country to fulfill his dream of being a rancher where he now lives. He is the father of two grown children and has one grandson.
Richard A. Weise, M.D.
Specialties:
Cosmetic Laser Surgery for Eyelids and Wrinkle Removal
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Cosmetic and Medical Eyelid Surgery
Hospital Affiliations:
Glendale Eye Surgery Center
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Glendale Memorial Hospital
Verdugo Hills Hospital
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Medical Association
California Association of Ophthalmology
California Medical Association
After extensive training, Dr. Weise has brought another specialty to our group: cosmetic laser surgery. He has performed many laser surgeries to remove wrinkles from the face and eye area and also does facial resurfacing.
Dr. Weise hails from the Pasadena area. He attended Pasadena High before going on to the University of Southern California where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He chose to attend USC’s Medical School and, while there, was selected student representative to the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. In addition, he received the Dean’s Merit Award during his medical school career.
He interned at the L.A. County/University of Southern California Medical Center, then began a residency in ophthalmology at the University of California at Davis. His interest in the field led to a fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the prestigious University of Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Weise and his wife, Cathy, live in Arcadia with their children, Robby and Rachel.
He also enjoys fly fishing, biking and mountain hiking.
Helen M. Wu, M.D.
Specialties:
Board Certified Ophthalmologist
specializing in the diagnosis and
treatment of glaucoma, cataract and
comprehensive eye care.
Hospital Affiliations:
Glendale Eye Surgery Center
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Professional Associations:
Fellow, American Academy of
Ophthalmology
Chicago Glaucoma Society
Cleveland Ophthalmology Society
Born and raised in the Midwest, Dr. Wu relocated to the Los Angeles area and joined Glendale Eye Medical Group where she hopes to utilize her specialized training in the medical, laser, and surgical treatment of glaucoma to benefit our patients.
Following medical school at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Dr. Wu completed a residency in Ophthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine Cullen Eye Institute in Houston, Texas where she developed an interest in glaucoma. She persued a fellowship in glaucoma at the Cole Eye Institute Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Most recently, Dr. Wu was the Director of Glaucoma Services in Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.
With her husband and three young children, Dr. Wu resides in Altadena. When not busy attending soccer games and swimming lessons, she enjoys ice-skating, sewing, and reading.
DAVID J. FUERST, M.D.
Specialties:
Refractive Surgery: LASIK
Corneal Transplants
Cataract Surgery
Glaucoma Treatment
Hospital Affiliations:
Glendale Eye Surgery Center
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
White Memorial Medical Center
Professional Associations:
Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology
L.A. County Medical Association
California Medical Association
California Association of Ophthalmology
Max Fine Cornea Society
International Society of Refractive Surgery
Dr. Fuerst has rejoined Glendale Eye to bring his expertise in refractive surgery, corneal transplants, cataract surgery and glaucoma treatment to our patients.
Raised on the east coast, Dr. Fuerst was an undergraduate and medical school student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He received his M.D. degree in 1978.
He served his internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York and his residency in ophthalmology at the prestigious Eye and Ear Infirmary of the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Dr. Fuerst received a fellowship in corneal surgery and external eye disease at the Proctor Foundation of the University of California, San Francisco, in 1982. The following year, he was named Director of the Cornea Service of the Department of Ophthalmology of White Memorial Medical Center. He served as Residency Program Director at White Memorial from 1989 until 1995.
Dr. Fuerst and his wife, Marie, live in Beverly Hills with their children, Nicole, Jessica and Jason.
He trained as a classical oboist and enjoys cooking and biking.
Jason K. Darlington, M.D.
Specialties:
Cornea and Anterior Segment Surgery
LASIK/PRK Vision Correction
Cataract and Laser Surgery
Glaucoma
Hospital Affiliations:
Glendale Eye Surgery Center
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Medical Association
California Medical Association
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Dr. Darlington has joined Glendale Eye to bring his expertise in refractive surgery, corneal transplants, cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery to our patients.
Raised in Southern California, Dr. Darlington graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Davis. He then attended UC Davis medical school where he conducted research in corneal disease. Following an internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of California-Davis where he conducted research on laser vision correction and Wavefront technology.
Dr. Darlington then performed a fellowship in corneal and refractive surgery at the prestigious Minnesota Eye Consultants in Minneapolis.
He has written several book chapters as well as published multiple articles in peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals in the fields of cornea and refractive surgery. Dr. Darlington has served as speaker and faculty at refractive surgery coruses teaching other surgeons how to perform laser vision correction. He also regularly presents at national conventions for cornea and refractive surgery.
Dr. Darlington had LASIK surgery himself in 2005 and now has better than 20/20 uncorrected vision. He enjoys cooking and mountain biking.
Michael Javaheri, M.D.
Specialties:
Diabetic Retinopathy
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Macular Disease
Retinal Detachment
Ocular Trauma
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Retinal Specialists
California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
Association for Research & Vision in Ophthalmology
Doheny-USC Professional Association Alumni Board
Dr. Javaheri has joined the Glendale Eye Medical Group to bring his expertise in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous to our patients.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Javaheri completed his undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at UCLA, where he graduated summa cum laude with honors thesis in 1999. He then attended the Keck School of Medicine of USC where he received his M.D. in 2003
Following a one-year medical internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, he completed his residency at the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute and LAS+USC Medical Center at USC. Dr. Javaheri then completed a two-year fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at the esteemed Doheny Retina Institute, USC, where he was awarded a prestigious Heed Ophthalmic Fellowship, which is given each year to the most promising graduating ophthalmologists from around the country. During his residency and fellowship, he also earned a masters degree in the Department of Cell and Neurobiology at USC studying the effect of electrical stimulation of the retina.
Dr. Javaheri is an avid fan of basketball and football. He enjoys running and listens to music from around the world.
Elsa Aghaian, M.D.
Specialties:
Cataract and Laser Surgery
Diabetes management
Glaucoma
Comprehensive Eye Care
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Cataract and
Refractive Surgery
Dr. Aghaian has joined Glendale Eye to bring her expertise in cataract surgery, diabetes eye
care, and glaucoma management to our patients.
Dr. Aghaian was born in Iran and raised in Glendale. She graduated from Glendale High School and, subsequently, attended UCLA. She graduated from UCLA summa cum laude with a major in Business-Economics. For medical school, she attended UCSF School of Medicine, graduating with honors in 2005. During that time, she was involved in research relating to glaucoma. Her research was published in the prestigious journal, Ophthalmology. Dr. Aghaian completed her internship in general medicine at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. She moved back to Southern California for residency training in ophthalmology at the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute.
In her free time, Dr. Aghaian enjoys cooking and traveling.
Elda Aghaian, M.D.
Board Certified: American Board of Opthamology
Specialties:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Hereditary Retinal Degenerations
Diabetic Retinopathy
Venous Occlusive Disease
Comprehensive Ophthalmology: Glaucoma and Cataracts
Professional Associations:
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Dr. Aghaian has joined the Glendale Eye Medical Group to bring her expertise in diseases of the retina and vitreous to our patients.
Born in Iran and raised in the Glendale area, Dr. Aghaian completed her undergraduate studies in Business-Economics at UCLA where she graduated summa cum laude with honors. For medical school she attended University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine.
Following a one-year medical internship at St. Maryís Medical Center in San Francisco, Dr. Aghaian completed her ophthalmology residency at the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute and LAS+USC Medical Center at USC. It was here where she concluded her training with a fellowship in Medical Retina and Uveitis diseases.
Dr. Aghaian volunteers as a Mentor for the Generation Next Mentorship Program. She is a committed volunteer having founded and directed the UCSF Student Sight Savers Program. This program conducts free screenings for glaucoma and other preventable eye diseases as well as preliminary vision screenings for high-risk, underserved groups.
Greg Panosian, O.D.
Doctor of Optometry
Education:
Doctor of Optometry: Pacific University
College of Optometry, Forest Grove, OR
B.S. – Visual Sciences: Pacific University
College of Optometry, Forest Grove, OR
B.S. Biological Sciences: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Panosian started his career in Optometry in 1985 at the Hull Eye Center Medical Group in Lancaster, CA after graduation from the Pacific University College of Optometry. He then joined Larry Leiske, M.D.in Glendale in 1987 as staff Optometrist. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Glendale Eye team where he sees patients for routine eye exams and contact lens fittings.
Dr. Panosian lives in Glendale and in his spare time enjoys photography and traveling.
Allan C. Drexl, O.D.
Doctor of Optometry
Education:
B.M. – music: San Diego State University
Doctor of Optometry: Southern California College of Optometry
A native Californian, Dr. Drexl was born and raised in San Diego. After completing his undergraduate education he moved to Orange County where he attended Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton and graduated in 1978. That same year he began his career by joining California Eye Medical Group in Beverly Hills, where he practiced for many years.
Coming to Glendale in the early 1990’s he began working with Glendale Eye in addition to his private practice in La Crescenta. He currently sees his patients here at the Glendale office as well as our Sylmar office.
In addition to being a trained classical pianist, Dr. Drexl is an avid Freediver/ Spearfisherman and held the World Record Wahoo (Ono) from 1990-1995. Loving the ocean, he spends much of his spare time on his boat or under it!
Carolyn C. Wang O.D.
Doctor of Optometry
T.P.A. Certified
Education:
Degree: Southern California College of Optometry, Fullerton, CA
UCLA, Los Angeles: B.S., Biochemistry
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Wang was raised in the Seattle and San Francisco Bay area before returning to Southern California for her education.
Dr. Wang’s paraprofessional experience was instrumental in shaping her approach to meeting the diverse ocular health needs of her patients. Her internship at the Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle included co-managing post-operative patients who had undergone cataract, corneal, glaucoma, refractive and retinal procedures. At the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospitalís Southwest Blind Rehabilitation Center in Tuscon, she received practical training in treating patients with a variet of low-vision conditions. Later, her tenure at the Indian Health Service in Lawton, Oklahoma, involved caring for those with severe ocular manifestations of diabetes.
Dr. Wang enjoys practicing at Glendale Eye because of the opportunities to work with a team of excellent and caring doctors. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the doctors at Glendale Eye strive to provide cutting-edge treatment with a very high standard for quality and care.
Dr. Wang lives with her husband, children, and dog in Pasadena. When not playing piano, she enjoys traveling and has melded her personal and professional interests through undertaking a number of medical missions to Mexico and Egypt.