HORIZON EYE - Key Persons
Dr. Kramer graduated summa cum laude in biology from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He pursued his medical degree at Washington University in St. Louis, where he was elected into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Kramer completed ophthalmology training and served as Chief Resident at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He finished his formal education with a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at the Storm Eye Institute in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Kramer is board-certified in ophthalmology. He currently oversees the ophthalmology curriculum for Charlotte's pediatric resident physicians. Dr. Kramer has published his research in leading ophthalmology journals and presented at national meetings. He was recognized with the Robert Carter Award for Excellence in Research and Academics for his cataract investigations. He is an active member in the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.
Dave Stratton began his practice in ophthalmology in Charlotte.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Dr. Rosen went to college at Emory University, and received his M.D. degree from State University of New York - Downstate Medical Center. After becoming board certified in internal medicine, he completed ophthalmology training at McGill University in Montreal, and cornea fellowship training at the University of Rochester, where he gained extensive experience in corneal transplantation, management of complex corneal diseases, and advanced laser and microsurgical technique.
Dr. Rosen is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Paton Cornea Society. He served on the teaching staff of world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia for six years, where he assisted in training ophthalmology residents. He participated in national clinical trials of corneal transplant surgery, was the first surgeon in the Charlotte area to perform DMEK partial-thickness cornea transplant surgery, and is the Medical Director of LifeShare of the Carolinas Eye Bank, which serves Mecklenburg and 8 surrounding counties.
Dr. Cameron earned both his bachelor's degree in chemistry and his medical degree from the University of North Carolina. He then completed a rotating internship at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Western Ontario and a one-year fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.
Before specializing in ophthalmology, Dr. Cameron practiced family and emergency room medicine for four years, two of which were as a commissioned officer in the National Health Service Corps. After eight years of ophthalmologic practice in various other locations, he returned to his home state of North Carolina, where he joined Coastal Eye Clinic in New Bern. He worked there for 30 years before relocating to the Charlotte area to be near his family. Dr. Cameron is a "Lifetime" member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and is board certified in ophthalmology, which has been his specialty since 1979.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cameron has generously donated his time and talent to volunteer clinics and charitable causes, including a mission in Haiti, where he performed over 30 cataract surgeries in 4 days.
Dr. Stolldorf graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and pursued his medical degree at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Medical school was followed by an internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in VA, aviation medicine training in Pensacola, FL, and an ophthalmology surgical residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego. In Pensacola, Dr. Stolldorf attended the Naval Aviation Medical Institute and earned his wings as a U.S. Navy flight surgeon.
Dr. Stolldorf started his military service at age 19, and throughout his active duty deployments visited most of the world's continents. He served as a flight surgeon for Patrol Squadron Sixteen based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. He was stationed for six years at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, NC where he performed thousands of laser vision correction surgeries providing U.S. Marines with high definition, spectacle-free vision. One of Dr. Stolldorf's career highlights was when he lived aboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship for six months providing free medical and surgical care throughout Central America and the Caribbean as part of the U.S. Navy's humanitarian mission Continuing Promise 2015. Dr. Stolldorf left the U.S. Navy at the rank of commander. He has been listed as a Top Doctor by Charlotte Magazine.
Dr. Kaluzny graduated at the top of his class with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California San Diego. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He then returned to UC San Diego for an Internal Medicine residency before attending a residency program at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University. While honing his skills as an ophthalmologist, Dr. Kaluzny participated in research projects to advance OCTA imaging, pathology and electronic medical records.
Dr. Kaluzny's path to ophthalmology was unique. Immediately following his undergraduate education, he joined a highly skilled team of optomechanical engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory to design astronomy instruments for ground- and spacebased imaging systems. After five years with JPL, Dr. Kaluzny chose to pursue a career in medicine as a way to combine his technical skills with his passion for interacting with and helping people. His residency at the Casey Eye Institute provided him the opportunity to treat a diverse patient population with a wide range of complex ocular conditions. He further enhanced his experience by going on outreach trips and working in resident clinics to help people with eye problems in underserved communities.
Dr. Minkowski graduated cum laude from Skidmore College and earned his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and was the recipient of the William Hamlin Wilder, MD Endowed Scholarship. He completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at Rush University Medical Center where he served as co-chief resident in his final year. Dr. Minkowski completed specialty fellowship training in Cornea, Cataract, External Disease and Refractive Surgery at Eye Consultants of Atlanta, Piedmont Hospital.
Dr. Minkowski has presented his original research at several national conferences and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Cornea Society. He has served in the Community Ophthalmology Clinic for the homeless and underserved and in Honduras on an ophthalmology-based medical mission. Minkowski brings a unique set of experiences to his medical profession including: several years as a caddie at a top 100 national golf course, an O.S. deckhand merchant mariner on a tug and barge vessel on the eastern seaboard, and coordinator for several multi-center clinical trials in cancer research at Johns Hopkins University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Krug received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. After completing medical internships at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center, he served a three-year ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. He was also a clinical fellow in glaucoma at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Krug is the current chairman of the ophthalmology department at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Upon completion of his fellowship in glaucoma at Harvard, Dr. Krug remained on the faculty as Assistant Director of Glaucoma Consultation Service. He has since lectured on numerous topics at health centers throughout the country, as well as international glaucoma meetings.
After graduating summa cum laude from Presbyterian College, Dr. Biber obtained a medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Storm Eye Institute in Charleston, S.C., where he won the prestigious Program Director's Award - for the top resident who most embodies the personal traits one would want in a physician. Dr. Biber was also presented the Helma Research Award for his work on intraocular lens design and formation of after-cataract. He was granted a Cornea, Cataract, and LASIK Fellowship under the esteemed Dr. Edward Holland at the Cincinnati Eye Institute.
Dr. Biber has recently served as both President of the Board for Horizon Eye Care and as Medical Director of the Novant Health Outpatient Surgery Centers. He has been voted by his peers as a "Top Doctor in Charlotte" for Charlotte Magazine for several years running.
Dr. Biber has participated in multiple research projects including a review of LASIK safety and outcomes, presented in part to the FDA. He helped establish Fight for S.I.G.H.T., a clinic that offers free eye exams for the underserved population of Charleston. Throughout his career, Dr. Biber has conducted and published research in both ophthalmology journals and books and presented at national and international meetings on his areas of expertise.
Job Titles:
- Education
- Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Dr. Tomasko is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He has authored numerous scientific publications and textbook chapters in the field of ophthalmology and ophthalmic plastic surgery. Dr. Tomasko has specialized interest and training in all areas of reconstructive, functional and cosmetic oculofacial surgery and comprehensive ophthalmology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Optometric Association
Dr. James earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC and graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He completed externships at the Feinbloom Low Vision Center, the Thomas Lynch Pediatric and Binocular Vision Unit, the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Carolina Eye Associates.
Dr. James is a member of the American Optometric Association, N.C. State Optometric Society, Piedmont Optometric Society, S.C. Optometric Association and Sports Vision Section of American Optometric Association. Over the course of his career, he has been inducted into the Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society, served as a Southern Diplomat in Glaucoma and corneal diseases and participated in multiple FDA trials for LASIK, PRK and pharmaceutical studies.
Dr. Malton is certified by The American Board of Ophthalmology and received both his college and medical school degrees from the University of Michigan. He completed his medical internship at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Ohio. Dr. Malton completed a three-year ophthalmology residency at the University of Virginia. This was followed by a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology, orbital surgery and oculoplastic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital and Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Hospital.
One of only a few hundred specialists in oculoplastic surgery and neuro-ophthalmology in the United States, Dr. Malton served as Chief of Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center University from 2009-2011. A Fellow of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society as well as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, he has authored and co-authored numerous articles and reviews in ophthalmic, plastic surgery and neuro-surgery journals.
Dr. Malton served as past chairperson for the Department of Ophthalmology at Carolinas Medical Center, where he is a member of the ophthalmology and neuroscience departments. He was a principal investigator for a nationwide study on optic nerve disease funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Optometric Association
Dr. Beaupre received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, majoring in Biology. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Optometry degree from the State University of New York College of Optometry. Graduating in the top five percent of his class, Dr. Beaupre was granted numerous academic scholarships and inducted into the esteemed Beta Sigma Kappa and Gold Key Optometric Honor Societies. His clinical skills have been acknowledged with awards in ocular disease, practice development and administration. Following graduation, Dr. Beaupre completed his residency in a primary care/ocular disease setting at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in New York.
Dr. Beaupre is a member of the American Optometric Association and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. With a passion for teaching, Dr. Beaupre has lectured at numerous optometric continuing education events and has acted as a clinical instructor to students from the New England College of Optometry and Illinois College of Optometry. He volunteers his time as an Admittance Committee member for the American Academy of Optometry.
Dr. Stein graduated cum laude from Tulane University and went on to receive his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed a general surgery internship at Abington Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania before returning to New Orleans to finish his three-year Residency in Ophthalmology at Tulane University. He went on to receive further subspecialty training in Glaucoma at UNC Chapel Hill where he completed a Glaucoma fellowship.
Dr. Stein takes pride in offering his patients the newest and safest treatment options available. He was the first doctor in Charlotte to perform two new and innovative minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries. He was also the first doctor in North Carolina to administer a treatment option called DURYSTA TM, a biodegradable sustained release glaucoma implant that represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of Glaucoma. He continues to remain at the leading edge of new glaucoma treatment options as he strives to provide excellent care for his patients.
Dr. Syracuse earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology at New York's Hofstra University and a Master of Science degree at Roswell Park Cancer Institute at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. He received his Medical Degree at SUNY Buffalo. During his Senior year of medical school, Dr. Syracuse attended and completed the United States Army School of Aviation medicine at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Dr. Syracuse completed an Internal Medicine internship at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore before completing a residency in Ophthalmology at SUNY Buffalo. While working at Horizon Eye Care, Dr. Syracuse earned his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Wake Forest University School of Business.
Throughout his ophthalmology career, Dr. Syracuse has conducted numerous educational lectures in New York and North Carolina. He spent seven years in the New York State Army National Guard where he served as an Army flight surgeon and was discharged with the rank of Captain. He was one of the first ophthalmologists in Charlotte to perform laser cataract surgery with the femtosecond laser. He has been a member of both the Horizon Eye Care Board of Directors as well as Novant Hospital's credentialing and outpatient surgery center committees. He recently completed a three-year tenure as Novant Hospital's Chief of Ophthalmology. During his attendance at the Wake Forest School of Business, he was one of the founding members of the Wake Forest School of Business MD/MBA Society. His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, North Carolina Eye Society, and the North Carolina Medical Society.
Dr. Syracuse is a native of Long Island, N.Y. His parents immigrated to the United States from Sicily. Outside of medicine, he enjoys traveling, skiing, target shooting and water sports on Lake Norman. He speaks fluent Italian and some Spanish.
Dr. Daugherty received his undergraduate degree with honors from Duke University and a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison. While in medical school, he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He next completed his internship and residency in general ophthalmology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. This was followed with a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the Scottish-Rite Children's Hospital in Atlanta.
Dr. Daugherty is board-certified in general and pediatric ophthalmology, including state-of-the-art eye muscle surgery techniques for both children and adults. Recently, he was named a "Top Doctor" by Charlotte Magazine, and the Charlotte Business Journal listed him as one of Charlotte's top pediatric ophthalmologists. Dr. Daugherty has contributed to many LASIK, glaucoma, and contact lens studies, and underwent LASIK surgery himself at Horizon Eye Care in 2000. He volunteers in the community by providing free ophthalmology screening exams and is a member of numerous state and national medical associations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Dr. Ryder received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Boston College. After earning his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, he served his transitional intern year at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, PA. He performed his ophthalmology residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell, New York, NY, where he was given the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center Alumni Council Distinguished Housestaff Award. Dr. Ryder then completed his two-year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship in Miami, FL at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, consistently ranked the No. 1 eye hospital in the country.
Dr. Ryder is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists. He has authored numerous scientific publications and textbook chapters in the field of ophthalmology. While at Bascom Palmer, he was involved as a clinical investigator in several collaborative trials and studies on retinal imaging modalities and conditions including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and inherited retinal degenerations.
Dr. Minnal graduated cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University as a prestigious Centennial Scholar. She was the recipient of the Alana Wels Hirschorn Prize for the best thesis in Economics, and received departmental honors. She earned her medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After a transitional internship year at the New York Presbyterian-Queens Hospital, she completed her residency in Ophthalmology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Minnal furthered her training by completing a clinical/surgical glaucoma fellowship at the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic at the University of Texas at Houston, where she was given the award for Outstanding Fellow in Ophthalmology.
Dr. Minnal has published articles in multiple ophthalmology journals and has presented her research at numerous national conferences. Throughout her academic career, she has held many leadership positions and has been committed to community outreach.
Dr. Minnal strives to provide the best and most up-to-date care for her patients. She maintains active memberships with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society. She was named a top doctor by Business North Carolina in 2020 and 2021, and a top doctor by Charlotte Magazine/Castle Connolly in 2021 and 2022.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American College of Physicians
Dr. Stroman graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina in Columbia with a degree in biology. He received his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine before completing both an internship in internal medicine and a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Florida. He rounded out his medical studies with a subsequent vitreoretinal fellowship at Retina and Vitreous of Texas in Houston.
Dr. Stroman is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology as well as the American Society of Retinal Specialists. Furthermore, he is a longtime member of the Saunders Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, which is a community of medical students, physicians and other leaders who have been selected by their peers for their compassionate care. He was also awarded Preliminary Internal Medicine Intern of the Year at the University of Florida and was recognized by the American Society of Retinal Specialists for his presentation of Late Onset Atypical Exudative in Retinopathy of Prematurity in 2022.
Raised in Charlotte, Dr. Branner attended East Mecklenburg High School where he was awarded the Morehead Scholarship. He earned his undergraduate degrees in chemistry and psychology from the University of North Carolina. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and then completed his internship in internal medicine at North Carolina Memorial Hospital. In 1990, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill.
In addition to his work with patients in the Charlotte community, Dr. Branner previously served as chief resident of ophthalmology at North Carolina Memorial Hospital and chief of ophthalmology for Carolinas Medical Center and the Charlotte Surgery Center. He has also volunteered his services for the Charlotte Community Health Clinic. Dr. Branner has been selected as Top Doctor by Charlotte magazine consistently over many years.