On July 1, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine welcomed its newest group of residents, the class of 2023. These five young people will spend the next three years at Wilmer, learning and developing their skills and talents. We asked them about their interests and what are they most looking forward to at Wilmer.

Shazia Dharssi, M.D.

Before Wilmer: I attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed a transitional year at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Biggest area of interest: My research interests have largely focused on artificial intelligence and its use in ophthalmology. I am greatly looking forward to exploring all ophthalmology subspecialties and further developing both my clinical and research interests.

What I’m most excited about: I am looking forward to working with the dedicated faculty, staff, and co-residents at the Wilmer Eye Institute, who are deeply invested in and devoted to caring for the East Baltimore community.

Leangelo Hall, M.D.

Before Wilmer: I was born and raised in sunny Miami, Florida. I studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University and then attended Harvard Medical School. I completed my internship in Internal Medicine at Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown.

Biggest area of interest: My biggest areas of interest are health disparities and how to address these disparities with technology and education.

What I’m most excited about: I am looking forward to limitless collaboration in patient care, research and education at Wilmer. I am eager to learn and ready to serve.

Mustafa Iftikhar, M.D.

Before Wilmer: I completed medical school in my home country of Pakistan. I moved to Baltimore to work at Wilmer as a postdoctoral research fellow before joining as a resident.

Biggest area of interest: I am interested in learning and exploring all ophthalmic sub-specialties, but my research interests have primarily been focused on eye trauma and retinal diseases.

What I’m most excited about: I am most looking forward to learning from Wilmer's world-renowned faculty and my incredibly talented peers. Being at Wilmer provides the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best and brightest in the field, and to be at the forefront of innovation in ophthalmology.

Aaron Prulick, M.D.

Before Wilmer: I attended medical school in my home state at the University of Nebraska, and I completed my internship at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey.

Biggest area of interest: My biggest area of interest is working on projects that have the potential to directly impact patients clinically, whether that is through helping them afford their medications or enabling us to diagnose and treat them better.

What I’m most excited about: I am extremely excited to learn from the world-class faculty at Wilmer and from my co-residents! I know that this residency will shape the rest of my career and make me the best ophthalmologist I can possibly be for my future patients.

Loka Thangamathesvaran, M.D.

Before Wilmer: I completed both my undergraduate and medical school degree at Rutgers University and my internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

Biggest area of interest: My areas of interest are evolving, and there is a lot for me to learn, but some early interests that I hope to expand on are large database analyses, medical and surgical education and retinopathy of prematurity.

What I’m most excited about: I am looking forward to learning from great mentors who are actively revolutionizing the field, cultivating my clinical knowledge in ophthalmology, helping my patients get the best care they can and forming lifelong friendships with my co-residents.