Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD

Dr. Skondra is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at The University of Chicago and the Director of J. Terry Ernest Ocular Imaging Center. She is a highly respected retinal specialist with expertise on the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases. In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr. Skondra is an active researcher. As a physician-scientist, she is dedicated to investigating methods to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for retinal conditions, with special focus on the role of microbiome in AMD. Her work on animal models of AMD has provided new insight about the role of diet and lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of AMD.

Throughout her career, Dr. Skondra has received several prestigious awards for her translational research on AMD, ocular angiogenesis and diabetic retinopathy, including the Retina Society Raymond Margherio Award, Harvard /Alcon Clinical Scholar Award, AUPO Research Award, ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician Scientist Award, Joslin/Tonseth Research Fellowship Award, and the Knights Templar Award.

Dr Skondra received her MD summa cum laude from the University of Crete (Greece), as valedictorian, and graduated with the highest grades in the history of the medical school. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral fellowship at the Angiogenesis Laboratory of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School, under the supervision of Dr. Joan Miller and Dr. Evan Gragoudas, world-renowned retinal researchers and pioneers in the field of AMD. She completed her residency at New-York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College and then returned to Harvard Medical School to complete a two-year fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery.