Yanni Paulus, MD

Professional Titles

Chair, Continuing Medical Education Committee, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology

Background

CV

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/wilmer/documents/cvs/Paulus_CV%2021225.pdf

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannis-paulus-10368512/

Clinical Trial Keywords

Retinal imaging, retinal laser therapy, smartphone, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, retinal detachment

Clinical Trials Summary

• Device for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06178978 (principal investigator)
• Smartphone Screening for Eye Diseases, ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT03076697 (principal investigator)
• Ultra-wide field imaging of diabetic retinopathy

Videos

Meet Dr. Paulus

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

• Paulus YM. Medspoke Eyecare Conversations with Dr. Paulus. #Ophthalmology ARVO 2024(2024)
• Charles N. “Kind of magic: Inaugural retreat celebrates past, present, and future of eye research at OU, OUWB”. inMedicine( April 27, 2023).
• Jaxson Winter, Ian McCullough, Oliver Toyen, Yannis M. Paulus. “20/200” GarpySnarp (Mar 11, 2023).
• Macular Degeneration Foundation News featured interview December 27, 2022. “Home monitoring device for Dry AMD”.
• Charters L, Yim AC, Paulus YM. Remote monitoring device detects AMD progression. Ophthalmology Times (November 22, 2022).
• Featured interview in article by Demarco, Stephanie. Safer Eye Floater Treatments Come with a Burst of Nanobubbles. DRUGDISCOVERYNEWS.COM May 2022, Pages 5-7.
• Paulus YM. ReachMD Eye on Ocular Health interview and transcript on “Retinal Diseases: Safeguarding Vision Through Early Detection.” May 5, 2022.
• Guttman Krader, C, Paulus YM. At-Home Monitoring for Early Detection of Wet AMD. EuroTimes. July 1, 2021.
• Paulus YM. Nanopartz Customer Spotlight - Plasmonic Gold Nanostar Enhanced Multimodal Photoacoustic Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography Molecular Imaging, nanopartz
• Paulus YM, Durrani A. A Conversation with Dr. Paulus, MD, FACS, on Endpoint Management™ During COVID. Retina Today. October 2020; 15(7): 27.
• Paulus YM, Aaberg M. “RetinaScope and EyeArt Combine For Earlier Detection Of Diabetic Retinopathy”. Memphis Radio 89.3, Eye On Vision (story on May 17, 2019) 

Additional Academic Titles

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact for Research Inquiries

ypaulus1@jh.edu

Minda McNally, Administrative Assistant, mmcnall3@jhmi.edu

Research Interests

Retina disease, vitreous disease, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular disease, retinal detachments, ocular trauma, macular and sub-macular surgery, surgical management of complex retinal detachment

Lab Website

Paulus Lab

Research Summary

Dr. Paulus directs an active, multidisciplinary, diverse laboratory dedicated to improving the vision of patients with eye diseases by developing minimally traumatic retinal laser therapies, photoacoustic and molecular imaging of the retina for retinal and choroidal neovascularization, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine, and novel retinal imaging systems and technologies. Particularly interested in translating technologies that he develops into commercially viable products, Dr. Paulus has received several entrepreneurship awards and patents in addition to starting up multiple companies. He serves on the editorial board of multiple journals, and has more than 165 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, Science Advances, JAMA Ophthalmology, the Journal of Neuroscience, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, ACS Nano, and Light: Science & Applications.

He has received numerous fellowships and awards from leading international organizations, including the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award; senior member designation by SPIE (the international Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Optica and the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation; the Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award from the Macula Society, and the Starr E. Shulman MPA Fellow by the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He was recognized by Greek America’s Forty Under Forty, and previously served as president of the Hellenic American Professional Society of Northern California.

Google Scholar - Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BlKAWBoAAAAJ&hl=en

PubMed - Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1n1CvsyTumj5F/bibliography/public/

Selected Publications

• Paulus YM, Jain A, Gariano RF, Stanzel BV, Marmor M, Blumenkranz MS, Palanker D. Healing of Retinal Photocoagulation Lesions. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS). 2008; 49(12): 5540-5545. PMID: 18757510
• Nguyen VP, Qian W, Li Y, Liu B, Aaberg M, Henry J, Zhang W, Wang X, Paulus YM. Chain-like Gold Nanoparticle Clusters for Multimodal Photoacoustic Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography Enhanced Molecular Imaging. Nature Communications. 2021 Jan 4;12(1):34. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20276-z PMID: 33397947; PMCID: PMC7782787
• Kim TN, Aaberg MT, Li P, Davila JR, Bhaskaranand M, Bhat S, Ramachandra C, Solanki K, Myers F, Reber C, Jalalizadeh R, Margolis TP, Fletcher D, Paulus YM. Comparison of automated and expert human grading of diabetic retinopathy using smartphone-based retinal photography. Eye (Lond) 2021 Jan;35(1):334-342. doi: 10.1038/s41433-020-0849-5. PMID: 32341536; PMCID: PMC7852658
• Park W, Nguyen VP, Jeon Y, Kim B, Li Y, Yi J, Kim H, Leem JW, Kim YL, Kim DR, Paulus YM, Lee CH. Biodegradable silicon nanoneedles for ocular drug delivery. Science Advances 2022, 8(13):eabn1772.
• Nguyen VP, Karoukis A, Qian W, Chen L, Perera ND, Yang D, Zhang Q, Zhe J, Henry J, Liu B, Zhang W, Fahim A, Wang X, Paulus YM. Multimodal Imaging-Guided Stem Cell Ocular Treatment. ACS Nano 2024 Jun 11;18(23):14893-14906. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10632. PMID: 38801653

Patents

Patent Name: Method and Apparatus for removing microvessels
Patent Number: 11,511,138
Description: Yang X, Wang X, Paulus YM. Issued United States, The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/330,699 titled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MICROVESSELS” filed May 2, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Date Approved: 11/29/2022

Patent Name: Notice of Allowance of US 
Patent Number: 17320755
Description: Paulus YM, Xueding Wang, Wei Zhang. The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 63/025,486, filed May 15, 2020, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Date Approved: 3/12/2024

Honors

• Harvard University Senior Award for Excellence in Promoting Intercultural and Race Relations Recipient 2005
• Hellenic American Professional Society Academic Scholarship Recipient 2007
• Dr. Leonidas C. Contos Graduate Fellowship Recipient 2007
• Dr. Anthony P. Bagatelos Medical Scholarship Recipient 2007, 2008
• Vamvas Scholarship Recipient of the Hellenic American Medical & Dental Society of Southern California 2008
• AHEPA Education Foundation P.A. Margaronis Scholarship Recipient 2008
• Stanford Bio-X Travel Grant Recipient 2009
• Stanford University Scholarly Concentration Travel Grant Recipient 2009
• Stanford Medical Student Association Travel Grant Recipient 2009
• National Eye Institute Travel Grant Recipient for ARVO 2009
• Finalist in the Stanford E-Challenge Competition for Entrepreneurs 2009
• Placed third of 60 groups in the HYSTA 5th Annual Entrepreneur Competition 2009
• Selected to the Board of Councilors of the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons 2010–2013
• Selected as Greek America’s Forty Under Forty recognizing 40 leaders in the USA 2010
• Selected as Alternate Delegate to California Medical Association House of Delegates 2011
• Selected as clinical advisor to Stanford University Biodesign Graduate Course 2011
• Received a citation for clinical excellence from the Director of the Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System 2011
• International Society for Eye Research (ISER) Travel Fellowship Recipient 2012
• Attended the 7th Annual Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Residents Retreat 2012
• Selected as Delegate to the California Medical Association House of Delegates 2012
• Article Paulus et al “Healing of Retinal Photocoagulation Lesions” is #1 IOVS Most-Read Articles during April 2012
• Selected as Starr E. Shulman MPA Fellow by the California Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons 2013
• Winner of the ASCRS Foundation Resident Excellence Award 2013
• One of four residents selected for oral presentation at the AUPO/RPB Research Forum 2013
• Received Certificate of Honor from the Hellenic American Professional Society 2013
• Selected as a Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellow 2013–2014
• Awarded the Fellows Scholarship Program for the Cole Eye Institute Retina Summit 2014
• Recipient of the 2015 Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award by the Macula Society 2015
• Selected to FIRST (Fostering Innovative Retina Stars of Tomorrow) 2016
• ARVO abstract selected as “Hot Topic”, awarded to only 2% of abstracts 2016
• Kellogg Eye Center Grand Blanc April 2016 Employee of the Month 2016 
• Retinal Pharmacotherapeutics book, was first author in chapter that won the British Medical Association Medical 2016
• Book Award 2016 'highly commended' in the category internal medicine
• Selected as a Leading Physician of the World 2016
• Biomedical Engineering 599 Team iSurgery selected from University of Michigan for BMEidea national competition 2017
• Won Michigan Growth Capital Symposia Innovators Cup Champion for CellScope Retina 2017
• iSurgery team received Honorable Mention in the 2017 BMEidea Competition 2017
• Selected as a Top Doctor 2017
• Selected as America’s Top Ophthalmologists 2017 from the Consumers’ Research Council of America 2017
• Selected to Marquis’ Who’s Who 2017
• Selected as America’s Top Ophthalmologists 2018 from the Consumers’ Research Council of America 2018
• Featured in Optics and Photonics News “Year in Optics” highlighting the most exciting optics research to emerge in the preceding year 2018
• Resident research advisee Tapan Patel received 5th place in the Ophthalmology Times Research Scholar Honoree Program titled “Smartphone-based Fundus Photography for Screening of Plus-disease Retinopathy of Prematurity” 2018
• Biomedical Engineering 599 Team EnVision selected from University of Michigan for BMEidea national competition 2019
• BME 599 Team EnVision received 3rd place in the national BMEidea competition 2019
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen winner of the Emil Wolf Outstanding Student Paper Competition at the Optical Society of America Frontiers in Optics Conference 2019
• Received the 2020 ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award 2020
• Optical Society of America Senior Member Designation by OSA Board of Directors 2020
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen recipient of Postdoctoral Travel Award, OSA Biophotonics Congress: Biomedical Optics (BioMed2020)
• Fellow Benjamin Young received Knights Templar Eye Foundation Travel Grant to cover presentation at the ARVO 2021 Annual Meeting
• Student Jessica Henry Knights Templar Eye Foundation Travel Grant Recipient for ARVO2021
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen recipient of IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS 2022) Travel Grant 2022
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen 2nd place winner of the Journal of Biomedical Optics(JBO)/neurophotonics 3 minute poster competition at SPIE Photonics West Conference 2022
• Senior Member Designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2022
• Student Josh Zhe recipient of Travel Grant to attend ARVO conference 2022
• Medical Student Angela Yim received University of Michigan NIH Supported Short Term Biomedical Research Training Program (SBRP) 2022
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen finalist in the Emil Wolf Outstanding Student Paper Competition at the Optica Frontiers in Optics Conference 2022
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen recipient of David R. Pepperberg ARVO 2022 Travel Grant 2022
• Two trainee ARVO abstracts Azzouz and Nguyen selected as “Hot Topic” 2022
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen recipient of Travel Grant for IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS 2022) 2022
• Top 10 reviewer in 2022 for Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers & Imaging (OSLI) Retina
• Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen Finalist in the Photons Plus Ultrasound Outstanding Paper Competition at the SPIE Photonics West Conference 2023
• “20/200” Documentary on Stargardt Disease won High School Film Festival 2023
•  Postdoctoral fellow V. Phuc Nguyen recipient of the postdoctoral Travel Award to attend the Optica Frontiers in Optics and Laser Science (FiO+LS 2023)
•  Medical student Mickey Nguyen received the 2024 J. Griswold and Margery H. Ruth Alpha Omega Alpha Research Fellowship
• Undergraduate Umayr Ahmed accepted in the Michigan Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Academy 2024
• Undergraduate Tannishtha Sethi Blue Ribbon Award Winner at the 2024 UROP Spring Research Symposium for her exemplary research poster presentation
• Senior Member Designation by the SPIE (International Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers) Board of Directors 2024

Lectures & Presentations

Dec. 2, 2023 LIGHT The International Retinal Laser Society 2023 Meeting, Oral presentation, “Nanosecond laser synchronized with ultrasound for treatment of choroidal neovascularization”, Virtual

May 4, 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Imaging 2024, Oral presentation, “Organic Phosphorescent Nanosensors to Quantify Retinal Hypoxia in Retinal Vascular Occlusion”, Seattle, WA

June 7, 2024 4th Annual Lasers, Optics, Photonics, Sensors, BioPhotonics, & Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics (LOPS) 2024, Keynote oral presentation “Multimodal In vivo Imaging Guided Stem Cell Retinal Therapy”, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

July 5, 2024 21st International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies 2024, Oral presentation “Silicon nanoneedles for long-term, sustained treatment of eye neovascularization”, Thessaloniki, Greece

July 15, 2024 10th National Telehealth Summit, Oral presentation, “Barriers to Telemedicine and How to Overcome Them”, Nashville, TN

Memberships

• American Medical Association ,2005–present
• Vice President of Community Development, Stanford Chapter of American Medical Association, 2005–2007
• American Medical Student Association, 2005–2009 Member
• California Medical Association (CMA), 2005–2013
• House of Delegates, CMA 2011–2013
• Santa Clara County Medical Association, 2005–2013 Member
•  Santa Clara County Medical Association Alliance, 2005–2013 Member
• Pacific Free Clinic, 2005–2009
• Volunteer 2005–2009
• Manager of Administration, 2006–2007 
• Hellenic American Professional Society of California, 2006–present
• Hellenic American Professional Society of California, 2009–2013 President
• Harvard Club of San Francisco, 2006–2013 Member
• Harvard Club of Silicon Valley, 2006–2013 Member
• American College of Physicians, 2006–2013 Member
• Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response, 2006–2013 Member
• Optica (formerly Optical Society of America or OSA), 2007–present
• Executive Committee for the Optical Society of America Technical group on Therapeutic Laser Applications, 2018–present
• Senior Member Designation by Optica Board of Directors, 2020–present
• SPIE (International Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers), 2007–present Member
• Senior Member Designation by SPIE Board of Directors, 2024–present
•  American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2007–present Member
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), 2007–present
• Continuing Medical Education Committee, ARVO 2020–2024
• Chair-Elect, Continuing Medical Education Committee, ARVO 2021–2022
• Chair, Continuing Medical Education Committee, ARVO 2022–2024
• Member, American Physical Society 2007–present
• Member Hellenic Business Network, 2009–2013
• Member of Stanford Alumni Association, 2009–present
• California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, 2010–2013
• Board of Councilors, California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, 2010–2013
• Member, Hellenic Bioscientific Association USA 2010–present
• American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2010–present
• Member, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting Program Committee Retina/ Vitreous Member Subcommittee 2022–present
• Stanford Club of Palo Alto, 2010–2013 Member
• Member American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 2011–2013
• International Society for Eye Research (ISER), 2012–present
• Fundraising Committee, ISER 2019–present
• Young Investigator Committee, ISER 2019–2021
• Member, Ophthalmology Innovation Network 2012–present
• Member, The Maryland State Medical Society 2014–2016
• American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), 2014–present
• Finance Committee, American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), 2019–present
• Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, 2015–present
• Co-Chair, 51st Annual Conference of the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Mackinac Island, MI 2018–2019
• Co-Chair, 52nd Annual Conference of the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Mackinac Island, MI 2019–2020
• Member, Michigan State Medical Society 2015–2020
• Member, Genesee County Medical Society 2015–2017
• Member, Society of Heed Fellows 2015–present
• Member, Washtenaw County Medical Society 2017–2020
• Associate Fellow, Initiate, American College of Surgeons 2016–2017
• Fellow, American College of Surgeons 2017–present
• Member, Macula Society 2017–present
• Member, LIGHT The International Retinal Laser Society 2018–present
• Member, Advanced Retinal Imaging Network 2018–present
• The Retina Society,2019–present
• Research Committee, The Retina Society 2022–2024
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2020–present
• Senior Member Designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2022–present
• Member, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2020 – present

Professional Activities

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO): Chair, Continuing Medical Education Committee
• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): Fellow, Annual Meeting Program Committee Retina/ Vitreous Member Subcommittee
• Optica (formerly Optical Society of America or OSA): Senior Member and Executive Committee for the Optical Society of America Technical group on Therapeutic Laser Applications
• International Society for Eye Research (ISER): Fundraising Committee
• American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS): Finance Committee
• The Retina Society: Research Committee