S3:E6 - Eye Tea - Eyes as a site for Systemic Implantation - Dr. Midhat Abdulreda - Ophthalmology podcast

Midhat H. Abdulreda, MS, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery, Microbiology and Immunology, and Ophthalmology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. His lab is located at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and his research focuses on the immunobiology of diabetes and islet transplantation. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since his postdoc training through the prestigious National Research Service Award (NRSA), and as independent investigator through a Career Development (K) Award and UC4, R56, and R21 awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Abdulreda’s multidisciplinary scientific training spans biology, physiology, biophysics, and immunology. Since joining the DRI, he developed the “living window” model – islet transplantation in the eye approach originally developed by Prof. Per-Olof Berggren – to study the pancreatic islet immunobiology in the living animal during diabetes development and after transplant. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, several of which were featured as cover stories in high-impact journals. Dr. Abdulreda is also recipient of many awards, including the Award of Academic Merit and Excellence of the University of Miami’s Graduate School, and the Medical Faculty Association (MFA)’s Best Research Award. Dr. Abdulreda’s research has caught the attention of many experts in the field of diabetes and islet transplantation. He has been invited to present his work at numerous national and international meetings.