
Ishrat Ahmed, MD, PhD
Retina and Vitreous Diseases
Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Young Adult 18-25
- Adult 26-64
- Older Adult 65+
Languages
- Bengali
- French
- English
In-Network Plans
View All Accepted Plans (12)Gender
FemaleJohns Hopkins Affiliations:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Ishrat Ahmed
Primary Academic Title
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Johns Hopkins Physician
Background
Ishrat Ahmed, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor of ophthalmology in the Retina Division of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Ahmed received her combined medical degree and doctoral degree in neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2017. She is also an alumna of the Wilmer 2021 ophthalmology residency program. Most recently, Dr. Ahmed completed a vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston.
Dr. Ahmed specializes in the management of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears, retinal vein occlusion and other vascular diseases of the retina. She also specializes in the surgical management of retinal detachments, retinal trauma, macular holes, and epiretinal membranes, among others. With a research background in neurodegeneration, Dr. Ahmed has a clinical and research interest in inherited retinal diseases.
Research Interests
Inherited Retinal Diseases, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Surgical Outcomes
PubMed - Publications
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1fevut-ta7gsrl/bibliography/public/
Selected Publications
Ahmed I, Johnston RJ Jr, Singh M. Pluripotent stem cell therapy for retinal diseases. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Aug;9(15):1279.
Ahmed I, Liu TYA. The impact of COVID-19 on Diabetic Retinopathy Monitoring and Treatment. Curr Diab Rep. 2021 Sep 8;21(10):40.
Ahmed I, Pradeep T, Goldberg MF, Liu TYA, Aradhya A, Montana MP, Photiadis N, Williams E, Smith B, Tian J, Lanzkron SM, Scott AW. Non-mydriatic ultra-widefield fundus photography in a hematology clinic shows utility for screening of sickle cell retinopathy. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021 Nov 12:S0002-9394(21)00578-8.
Ahmed I, Sbodio JI, Harraz MM, Tyagi R, Albacarys LK, Hubbi ME, Grima JC, Kim S, Paul BD, Snyder SH. Huntington’s disease: Neural dysfunction linked to inositol polyphosphate multikinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2015 Aug 4;112(31):9751-6.
Ahmed I, Scott AW, Goldberg MF, Lutty GA. Hemoglobinopathies. In: Sadda S, eds. Ryan’s Retina. 7th Elsevier; 2022. (Book chapter)
Ahmed I, Scott AW. Sickle Cell Retinopathy: Clinical presentation, management, and advances. Retinal Physician (peer-reviewed article). September 2020.
Ahmed I*, Liang Y*, Schools S, Dawson VL, Dawson TM, Savitt JM. Development and characterization of a new Parkinson’s disease model resulting from impaired autophagy. J Neurosci. 2012 Nov 14; 32(46):16503-9.
Awidi A, Ahmed I, Daoud YJ. Management of corneal haze and edema post-PRK. JCRS Online Case Reports. 2022 July; 10(3)e00079.
Beatson B, Pham A, Ong S, Ahmed I, Arevalo JF, Handa JT. Repair of Progressive Retinal Detachment Complicating Degenerative Retinoschisis: Surgical Management and Outcomes in Phakic Eyes. Int J Retina Vitreous. 2021 Nov 18;7(1):69.
Grima JC, Daigle JG, Arbez N, Cunningham KC, Zhang K, Ochaba J, Geater C, Morozko E, Glatzer JC, Pham JT, Ahmed I, Peng Q, Wadhwa H, Pletnikova O, Troncoso JC, Duan W, Matunis MJ, Snyder SH, Ranum LPW, Thompson LM, Lloyd TE, Ross CA, Rothstein JD. Mutant Huntingtin disrupts the nuclear pore complex. Neuron. 2017 Apr 5;94(1):93-107.
Hendley AM, Wang YJ, Polireddy K, Alsina J, Ahmed I, Lafaro KJ, Zhang H, Roy N, Savidge SG, Cao Y, Hebrok M, Maitra A, Reynolds AB, Goggins M, Younes M, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Leach SD, Bailey JM. p120 Catenin suppresses basal epithelial cell extrusion in invasive pancreatic neoplasia. Cancer Res. 2016 Jun 1;76(11):3351-63.
Hubbi ME, Gilkes DM, Hu H, Kshitiz, Ahmed I, Semenza GL. Cyclin-dependent kinases regulate lysosomal degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α to promote cell-cycle progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014 Aug 12;111(32):3325-34.
Hubbi ME, Hu H, Kshitiz, Ahmed I, Levchenko A, Semenza GL. Chaperone-mediated autophagy targets hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) for lysosomal degradation. J Biol Chem. 2013 Apr 12;288(15):10703-14.
Ong SS*, Ahmed I*, Gonzales A, Aguwa UT, Beatson B, Dai X, Pham AT, Shah YS, Zhou A, Arsiwala LT, Wang J, Handa JT. Management of uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachments: a comparison of practice patterns and clinical outcomes in a real-world setting. Eye (Lond). 2022 Mar 25.
Ong SS, Ahmed I, Gonzales A, Al-Fakhri AS, Al-Subaie HF, Al-Qhatani FS, Alsulaiman SM, Mura M, Maia M, Kondo Kuroiwa DA, Maia NT, Berrocal MH, Wu L, Zas M, Francos JP, Cubero-Parra JM, Arsiwala LT, Handa JT, Arevalo JF. Vitrectomy versus Vitrectomy with Scleral Buckling in the Treatment of Giant Retinal Tear Related Retinal Detachments: An International Multicenter Study. Ophthalmol Retina. 2022 Mar 15:S2468-6530(22)00102-6.
Ong SS, Ahmed I, Scott AW. Association of acute macular neuroretinopathy or paracentral acute middle maculopathy with sickle cell disease. Ophthalmol Retina. 2021 Jan 18:S2468-6530(21)00013-0.
Quinones-Hinojosa A, Raza SM, Ahmed I, Rincon-Torroella J, Chaichana K, Olivi A. Middle temporal gyrus versus inferior temporal gyrus transcortical approaches to high-grade astrocytomas in the mediobasal temporal lobe: A comparison of outcomes, functional restoration, and surgical considerations. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2017;124:159-164.
Xu R, Paul BD, Smith DR, Tyagi R, Rao F, Khan AB, Blech DJ, Vandiver MS, Harraz MM, Guha P, Ahmed I, Sen N, Gallagher M, Snyder SH. Inositol polyphosphate multikinase is a transcriptional coactivator required for immediate early gene induction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013 Oct 1;110(40):16181-6.
Pendleton C*, Ahmed I*, Quinones-Hinojosa Neurotransplantation: lux et veritas, fiction or reality? J Neurosurg Sci. 2011 Dec; 55(4):297-304.
Velez-Montoya R, Rivera-Cortes MA, Ledesma-Gil G, Carranza-Casas M, Martinez JD, Levine H, Yanuzzi NA, Amescua G, Ahmed I, Beatson B, Akpek E, Arevalo JF, Fromow-Guerra J; Mexican Endophthalmitis Study Group (Mex-ESG). Combined Therapeutic Penetrating Keratoplasty and Pars Plana Vitrectomy for the Treatment of Infectious Keratitis Endophthalmitis: Mexican Endophthalmitis Study Group Protocol 4. Cornea. 2022 Sep 17.
Zhou A, Ong SS, Ahmed I, Arevalo JF, Cai CX, Handa JT. Socioeconomic disadvantage and impact on visual outcomes in patients with viral retinitis and retinal detachment. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect. 2022 Aug 2;12(1):26.
Ahmed I, Scott AW. Sickle Cell Retinopathy. In: Ozdek S, eds. Pediatric Vitreoretinal Surgery Book; Springer Nature; 2023. (Book chapter)
Honors
- 2023 Robert Brockhurst Academic Development Award
- 2021 Heed Fellowship
- 2020 Vitreoretinal Surgery Foundation Research Award
Locations
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- 1800 Orleans Street, Maumenee Lobby, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Get Directions
- phone: 410-955-5080
- fax: 410-955-0869
- Johns Hopkins Community Physicians - Water's Edge
- 4692 Millennium Drive, Belcamp, MD 21017
- Get Directions
- phone: 410-836-7010
- fax: 410-893-9796
Expertise
Education
- Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital, Retina, 2023
- Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ophthalmology, 2021
- Medical Education: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD PhD, 2017
Board Certifications
- Ophthalmology: American Board of Ophthalmology, 2023
Insurance
- Aetna
- CareFirst
- Cigna
- First Health
- Geisinger Health Plan
- HealthSmart/Accel
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans
- MultiPlan
- Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
- Point Comfort Underwriters
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)
Ratings & Reviews
4.8 out of 5
223 ratings, 79 reviewsThe Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/20/2026
Dr Ahmed is an excellent doctor and communicator!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/20/2026
Dr. Ahmed is excellent. I travel over an hour to be seen by her. Professional and friendly, very knowledgeable.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/16/2026
Very thorough and knowledgeable
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/16/2026
Answered all my and my wife's questions
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/16/2026
An outstanding, comprehensive, knowledgeable and warm professional in every way!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/2/2026
Couldn't have been better
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/30/2026
Dr, Ahmed is great
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/30/2026
Excellent visit, clear communications & all questions answered.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/30/2026
Sh e is very good
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/23/2026
Dr Ahmed is very professional, kind, and knowledgeable about my medical issues.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/23/2026
Ishrat is very thorough and caring. She made sure my eye was numb before applying the shot.
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/23/2026
She was great.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/16/2026
I enjoyed my time at JH. I have no negativity concerning this provider.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/16/2026
Dr Ishrat is very professional and very kind. She listens well and is respectful.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/16/2026
Dr Ahmed was excellent. She explained the planned procedure thoroughly and even called me later to give me additional information and to ask if I had any questions.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/9/2026
Very good visit
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/9/2026
Have been scheduled with 2 different doctors. It would be more useful to see the same doctor for consistency of care.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/9/2026
She is a good doctor who is highly knowledgeable and informative. She takes the time to explain medical conditions and treatments clearly, ensuring patients understand their options and feel confident in their care.""
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/9/2026
Very nice doctor
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/5/2026
I'm extremely blessed to have found Dr. Ahmed. She is the absolute best. Very knowledgeable, intelligent, caring, kind. She everything to you in ways that you can understand. Always lets you know what she needs to do before hand. If I could rate her more than 10 it would be a trillion percent! I'm forever grateful for her. Thank you dear Dr. Ahmed
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/5/2026
Drs Ahmed and [staff] were amazing
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/15/2025
Great listener and very professional and with much care.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/15/2025
Great personality
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/12/2025
Very professional, thorough, & knowledgeable Easy to understand & to talk to Respectful & friendly
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/11/2025
Dr. Ahmed was substituting my regular Dr.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/11/2025
If I didn't feel good about providers I didn't recommend to my coworkers them all ready 2 of coworkers use their services
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/11/2025
Sheis very accommodating and smiling.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/11/2025
Excellent I am very blessed to be in her care
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/1/2025
Kind, gentle, soft spoken, quiet competence
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/1/2025
Wait to long
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/1/2025
Need be appointment on time to see patience
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/21/2025
Very competent. Good communicator. Listens and responds thoughtfully
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/21/2025
Dr. Ahmed is excellent. She answers all my questions and is very thorough. I appreciate the care she provides.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/21/2025
Dr. Ahmed is wonderful. I have seen her many times and have always been very pleased with the care she has provided.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/17/2025
When I saw her, the doctor was very attentive.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/17/2025
Dr. Ahmed has always provided outstanding care and is always willing to answer any questions I have.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/17/2025
Very good service and above all very professional
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/17/2025
Dr. Ahmed was very professional and apologetic for the long delay. She reviewed my scan and gave me very good care.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/3/2025
Dr. Ahmed seemed to be very thorough in her examination and tests. When I messaged her a few days after my appointment she responded quickly. I do not, however, think she answered all my questions. In all fairness I will continue to message her and hope she continues to respond. I do not want her to receive a negative review as I have respect for her and will continue to work with her.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/31/2025
Dr. Ishrat is great! She is very professional, friendly, knowledgeable. Always takes time to answer my questions fully. I'm very appreciative of that.
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/31/2025
All is well
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/31/2025
Professional & knowledgeable yet very personal. I feel like she really care about my health. She also knows who I am and warmly greets me by name.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/31/2025
Great!
- 3 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/24/2025
Dr is over booked running around doing injections while patients are waiting over an hour to see Dr and she spends 5 min in the room
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/24/2025
Office very busy this past Friday but I was called at my appointment time.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/17/2025
I love Wilmer Eye! [staff] was the best was sorry she left the office closest to me! But the new Dr was very pleasant and very thorough! I liked her a lot!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/17/2025
Excellent service
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/9/2025
Excellent visit
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/6/2025
She provided the needed information I needed to feel comfortable about my upcoming surgery.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/6/2025
Provider was excellent but problem is speedy scheduling after testing..
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/19/2025
I feel I receive excellent care..However, the wait time is very long on every visit. I do not feel this is the fault of my provider.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/19/2025
Dr Ahmed does an excellent job.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/19/2025
The best
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/12/2025
Excellent
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/29/2025
She is very professional and explains things and shows me pictures of my eyes
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/18/2025
Surgeon, fellows, and surgical team couldn't be better! Would say obviously best in their field
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/18/2025
Dr. Ahmed was very kind, knowledgable, and a good listener. She answered all my questions.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/8/2025
Thank you
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/8/2025
Very pleasant provider, explained my currentSituation with macular degeneration..I was pleasantly surpised..1st visit to this doctor since change in location.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/4/2025
My provider is very good at what she does. Very knowledgeable
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/1/2025
Very nice doctor. Informed me on everything
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/18/2025
Very good.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/18/2025
The physician seemed competent and thorough.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/7/2025
Dr. Ahmed is the absolute best! I don't want to see anyone else (except the fellows she recommends) before and after she's checking me. Dr. Ahmed is extremely knowledgeable, kind, caring, trustworthy! I'd give her a million stars if I could. Thank you so much Dr. Ahmed
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/20/2025
This was my first visit with Dr. Ahmed. I found her to be exceptionally knowledgeable, thorough and kind.
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/20/2025
Dr Ahmed was wonderful. I had never met her before & will probably not see her again. This is because she is a specialist & I no longer need her services.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/16/2025
Very good
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/30/2025
I will be using this doctor going forward, not my usual
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/30/2025
Dr. Ahmed is always very patient. She explains everything fully and answers any question that I may have.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/23/2025
Very nice
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/16/2025
Dr Ahmed is my kind of doctor. Listens to the patient and their concerns.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/16/2025
I was very pleased with my doctor and I have had no bad experiences.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/12/2025
Had no issues.
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/12/2025
Dr Ahmed is professional and worked hard to get through her patients
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/12/2025
Very compassionate, very caring, very professional
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/9/2025
Very good provider
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/5/2025
Dr Ahmed accepted me as an emergency surgery patient in September 2024 and I have had two follow up visits with her since. I have always found her to be very professional and informative
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/28/2025
This was my first visit with Dr Ahmed, to establish care with a retinal specialist after my move to Baltimore last autumn, and I could not be more pleased with my inaugural visit with her. She was incredibly attentive, listened to my history, and her explanations about my eye health were very easy to understand. I'm so grateful to have found a retinal specialist here who is as great as Dr Ahmed is.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/14/2025
Great doctor and to the point