Robert Avery, M.D., Ophthalmologist

Dr. Robert Avery received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and took his ophthalmology training there at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He completed a vitreoretinal fellowship at Duke University under Dr. Robert Machemer, the father of modern vitreous surgery. Dr. Avery returned to Johns Hopkins as Assistant Chief of Service and head of the trauma unit. He later went on to found Califorina Retina Consultants as well as California Retina Research Foundation.

He has received numerous honors and awards, including Senior honor awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists, where he also serves on the board of directors, as chairman on the practice management committee. He was the first recipient of the prestigious Ronald G. Michels Fellowship for his contribution to vitreous surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Retina Society, the Macula Society, the American Society of Retinal Specialists, the Vit-Buckle Society, and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Dr. Avery has been the principal investigator for dozens of national clinical trials at California Retinal Consultants. He is the co-editor of Retina Today and has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles on retinal diseases, including 5 pivotal articles and a book chapter on intraocular Avastin in 2006, when he and his colleges at CRC helped pioneer the clinical use of anti-VEGF agents for retinal diseases. His articles have been published in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Medicine, Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology, JAMA Ophthalmology, and Retina, He continues research on the pharmacokinetics, safety, and delivery of anti-VEGF agents. He lectures nationally and internationally and consults for over a dozen pharmaceutical companies. He holds patents in retinal drug delivery and has been involved in several start-up companies involving ocular drug delivery.