Current Residents

Our current residents report that our rotations and electives, stimulating research opportunities and supportive faculty constitute a rewarding training environment.

  • PGY-1 Joint Program with UB Internal Medicine Residency Program

    • Daniel Lai.

      Daniel “Alex” Lai, MD

      Medical School: SUNY Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
      Email: dalai2@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Lai has spent most of his life in Western New York. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at SUNY Geneseo and earned his medical degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at SUNY Buffalo. His interest in ophthalmology began during college when he shadowed a rural ophthalmologist. Since then, he has cultivated his passion for the field through research projects investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic retinopathy and conducting meta-analyses on the safety and efficacy of intravitreal injection therapies for retinal diseases. For his academic and research achievements, he was honored with the Thomas J. Guttuso Award. In his free time, Dr. Lai enjoys playing video games with friends, staying active at the gym, improving his golf game, and spending his summer days at his home on Chautauqua Lake. He is ecstatic to continue his medical training in Buffalo near his mentors, longtime friends, and family.

    • Julia Nguyen.

      Julia Nguyen, MD

      Medical School: New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University
      Email:  jn72@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Nguyen was born and raised in Rocklin, Calif., a small suburb of Sacramento, to Vietnamese refugee parents. Graduating high school as a valedictorian and National Merit Scholar in 2018, she was selected for the accelerated BS/MD program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. She graduated summa cum laude from NJIT with a BS in Bioinformatics and a minor in Chemistry in 2020 and received her MD from Rutgers in 2025. During medical school, she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and was a two-time recipient of the AOA Weiss-Lambert Research Recognition Award. She also spent a year as a clinical and research fellow at the University of Buffalo/Ross Eye Institute, where she worked closely with Drs. James and Andrew Reynolds. Dr. Nguyen is delighted and grateful to stay at UB to complete her ophthalmology residency training. Outside of medicine, she enjoys reading, working out, watching soccer, and playing with cats. In addition to English, Dr. Nguyen also speaks Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese and French.

    • Michael Weaver.

      Michael Weaver, MD, PhD

      Medical School: SUNY Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
      Email:  mweaver2@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Weaver, a native of Mount Laurel, N.J., earned his honors degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Rutgers University, where he received the Henry Rutgers Scholar Award for his undergraduate cancer research. After conducting post-surgical wound healing research at Princeton University, he then completed an NIH-funded MD/PhD in neuroscience at the University at Buffalo. During his studies, Dr. Weaver also served in the U.S. Army National Guard, first as an enlisted infantryman and then as a logistics officer. Following medical school, he researched the eye disease Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy at UB as a postdoctoral fellow. As an aspiring physician-scientist, Dr. Weaver is passionate about “bench-to-bedside” research that bridges the gap from laboratory discoveries to clinical practice. In his free time, Dr. Weaver enjoys swing dancing, running, hiking, rock climbing, gardening, traveling, reading, and spending time with his wife and their many pets.

  • PGY-2

    • Catherine Johnson.

      Catherine Johnson, MD

      Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
      Email: cj94@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Johnson grew up in Orlando, Fla. and now calls Lancaster, Pa. her hometown. She received her BA in Classical Civilizations from Wellesley College with a focus in Ancient Greek. She went on to complete her combined MD/MPH degree from University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, during which she conducted research at Bascom Palmer on virtual reality-based visual field testing. Following her medical school graduation, Dr. Johnson completed a glaucoma research fellowship at the Moran Eye Center involving pre-clinical glaucoma device studies and clinical studies on home tonometry. She is passionate about research on new technology that can improve patients’ accessibility to care. Outside of medicine, Catherine enjoys playing violin, reading fiction, and taking care of her pet guinea pigs. 

    • Avneet Nagra.

      Avneet Nagra, MD

      Medical School: SUNY Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
      Email:  avneetna@buffalo.edu

      Avneet Nagra is a proud Buffalo native. She completed her undergraduate studies at Canisius College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Ethics. She received her medical degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Between her third and fourth year, she spent a dedicated research year with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Cornea, where she worked on projects focusing on dry eye disease and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Dr. Nagra is committed to serving the Western New York Community, with a particular interest in outreach and patient education. Outside of medicine, she enjoys playing tennis, fashion, working on puzzles, traveling, cooking and sharing meals with friends and family.

    • Zane Porterfield.

      Zane Porterfield, MD

      Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
      Email: zaneport@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Porterfield grew up in Allegany, N.Y., but spent most of his weekends traveling to Buffalo for hockey. He studied psychology and biology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he also minored in piano and co-captained the Men’s squash team. Next, he received his medical degree from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, Pa. - the Electric City! Dr. Porterfield is an enthusiastic teacher and throughout undergraduate and medical school he held several teaching and mentoring positions. His interest in ophthalmology stems from it combining his favorite aspects of medicine: understanding a patient’s story, addressing quality of life, performing skillful surgeries, and preserving the sense perhaps most vital to the human experience. When he’s not at the clinic, Zane enjoys playing ice hockey, pickleball, hiking, playing video games, and eating too much food with good company. 

    • Brian Rosario.

      Brian Rosario, MD

      Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
      Email: br86@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Rosario is a proud native of Pittsburgh, Pa. where he completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and went on to pursue his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Rosario first discovered his interest in Ophthalmology while working with an oculoplastic surgeon in his hometown, and then further nurtured that interest in medical school by finding many incredible mentors and participating in research projects centered around retinal diseases such as Central Serous Chorioretinopathy and using artificial intelligence to map choroidal curvature in different disease states. Outside of medicine, Dr. Rosario enjoys playing pickup basketball with his friends, cooking new foods and going on walks with his goldendoodle named Lola. He is very excited to start this new chapter of his medical career in Buffalo, N.Y. 

  • PGY-3

    • Dmitriy Belous, MD.

      Dmitriy Belous, MD

      Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
      Email: dmitriyb@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Belous is a proud native of Buffalo, N.Y. His family made the decision to immigrate from Belarus to the United States when he was a young child. He studied exercise science as an undergraduate at the University at Buffalo before starting medical school. While playing beer league hockey in his undergraduate years, an ophthalmology resident joined his team, igniting his interest in ophthalmology, setting him on a path towards a career that combines his passion for science and patient care. During his time as a medical student, he was honored with the Thomas J. Guttuso Award, recognizing his performance and dedication to research and patient care in ophthalmology. Dr. Belous is also passionate about mentorship. Outside of medicine, he loves golfing and going to the beach in the summertime, watching the Buffalo Bills and Sabres in the fall and wintertime, as well as playing hockey year-round.

    • Sylvia Marshall, DO.

      Sylvia Marshall, DO

      New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
      Email: mssylvia@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Marshall is a Colorado native, but has spent most of her adult life in New York. After graduating with honors in biochemistry from Stony Brook University, she remained on Long Island to complete her medical school training at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). In addition to the four years spent in medical school, she was selected to partake in NYITCOM’s Academic Medicine Scholars Program, a competitive one-year scholarship program where she played an integral role in teaching first- and second-year medical students in a variety of preclinical courses. This was an experience that helped hone her teaching skills and has influenced her decision to pursue academic medicine as a future career. As a result of this program, she now holds a degree in Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Academic Medicine. Sylvia’s interest in ophthalmology sparked after working as an ophthalmic technician prior to initiating medical school where she had the pleasure of learning about a wide array of ophthalmic conditions and observing various surgical procedures. She is now thrilled to be completing her residency training at UB. Outside of medicine, Sylvia enjoys strength training, hiking, and cooking, and will take any opportunity she can to be outdoors. 

  • PGY-4

    • Jordan Bell, MD.

      Jordan Bell, MD

      Medical School: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine 
      Email: JBell7@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Bell grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience & Behavior with high honors from Wesleyan University. He went on to pursue his medical degree at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. During medical school, Dr. Bell completed a year-long research thesis in machine learning and image segmentation at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. Dr. Bell is excited to return to western New York to continue his ophthalmology training in Buffalo. Outside of medicine, Dr. Bell enjoys playing soccer, cooking and jamming on bass guitar. 

    • Thomas Kellner, MD.

      Thomas Kellner, MD

      Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
      Email: tmkellne@buffalo.edu

      Dr. Kellner was born and raised in the Buffalo area. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat medic. His initial exposure and interest in ophthalmology began while treating eye injuries during his deployment to Afghanistan. After completing his enlistment, he was determined to pursue a career in medicine. He returned to Buffalo and received a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College. He went on to earn his medical degree at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (PSCOM) in Hershey, Pa. During his time in medical school, he explored his interests in ophthalmology by conducting research in strabismus and created the first inherited retinal disease registry at PSCOM. When he is not in clinic or studying, he enjoys hiking, biking and skiing. He feels very fortunate to live in Buffalo again and to have the opportunity to train in the UB ophthalmology residency program. 

    • Catherine Seeger, MD.

      Catherine Seeger, MD

      Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
      Email: cseeger2@buffalo.edu 

      Dr. Seeger grew up in Rochester, N.Y. Her interest in ophthalmology began early as her father is an ophthalmologist. She graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University Maryland with a major in biochemistry. She received her medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine where she was inducted to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She has a longstanding interest in teaching which she fostered through both her undergraduate and medical school education by serving as a tutor and small group instructor. Dr. Seeger enjoys playing classical piano, traveling and making homemade pizza with her friends and family in her free time.