Hossein Ameri

Hossein Ameri, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Director of the USC Retinal Degeneration Center at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. He specializes in vitreoretinal surgery and has expertise in retinal degenerative diseases, gene therapy, and retinal prosthesis development. His research focuses on advancing treatments for conditions like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Education: Graduated from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Completed a general surgery internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, ophthalmology residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), and vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at USC Roski Eye Institute. Earned a PhD in neuroscience from UTMB's Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering.

Research Interests: His lab investigates gene therapy applications for inherited retinal diseases, retinal prosthesis innovation (e.g., Argus II), and ocular vascular pathologies. He holds patents on retinal prostheses and has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

Awards: Multiple awards from UTMB for academic excellence, teaching, and leadership. Notable recognition includes the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Residents Retreat (2011) and USC's Basic Science Award (2007).

Grants & Advising: Leads projects funded by NIH and industry collaborations. Advises on retinal disease clinical trials and serves on editorial boards of ophthalmology journals.

Labs: Directs the USC Retinal Degeneration Center, focused on translational research and clinical trials for novel therapies.