Our Doctors

If you are searching for an eye doctor in the San Diego area, the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center has an outstanding staff of eye care professionals. Review their credentials to see for yourself why Dr. Schanzlin and his colleagues are recognized worldwide as leaders and innovators in refractive laser eye surgery.

• David J. Schanzlin, MD
• Christopher Heichel, MD
• Sujata Prabhu, MD
• Andrew Crothers, MD
• John Josephson, MD
• Dorothy Wang, MS, OD

If you are ready to learn about your options for laser eye surgery, you can request a consultation online, or call (858) 822-2566 to make an appointment with an eye doctor at the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center. Each eye surgeon at our center performs a full range of refractive and laser eye surgeries for Southern California residents.

David J. Schanzlin, MD

Professor & Refractive Surgeon; Director, Keratorefractive Surgery

Dr. Schanzlin, regarded as a worldwide authority and leader in the refractive surgery field, has received some of the most esteemed awards in ophthalmology. In his more than 25 years as a refractive surgeon, Dr. Schanzlin has helped develop many new technologies, including Intacs™ corneal implants and the excimer laser for San Diego LASIK eye surgery. Dr. Schanzlin and his research teams have participated in many of the most notable developments within the field of laser vision correction.

Internationally renowned as an authority on refractive surgery, Dr. Schanzlin lectures in Europe, South America, and Asia. In the US, he is a coveted speaker at eye society conventions. As a refractive surgeon, Dr. Schanzlin is consistently selected by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America. He was elected President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery, an organization of over 3,500 refractive surgeons. Recently, Dr. Schanzlin was invited to become a member of the American Ophthalmological Society, an exclusive honor.

Education

Dr. Schanzlin received his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 1975. He then completed his residency there and became Chief Resident in Ophthalmology.

After deciding to sub-specialize in Cornea and External Diseases, Dr. Schanzlin completed fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California at San Francisco.

Administration

In 1987, Dr. Schanzlin was recruited to lead the Department of Ophthalmology at St. Louis University. There he served as a professor and department chairman until 1996. Under Dr. Schanzlin’s guidance, the department became one of the top eye training programs in the country. He also oversaw successive expansions at the Bethesda Institute and the eventual completion of the Anheuser-Busch Eye Institute.

The University of California at San Diego invited Dr. Schanzlin to the Shiley Eye Center in La Jolla with the goal of forming an internationally recognized center of refractive surgery. He accepted and proceeded to establish the Shiley Eye Center at UC San Diego as a leading educational resource for ophthalmologists worldwide, who visit the Center to learn the latest in the research and clinical practice of laser eye surgery.

While at Shiley Eye Center, Dr. Schanzlin has also expanded the keratorefractive surgery fellowship experience so that ophthalmologists who have completed their training can specialize in this growing field. From approximately 200 applicants from across the globe, Dr. Schanzlin chooses the one or two most qualified candidates for this valuable opportunity.

• View Dr. Schanzlin’s Curriculum Vitae for more detailed information about his credentials and qualifications.

Christopher W. D. Heichel, MD

Refractive Surgeon

Dr. Chris Heichel joined the faculty at the Shiley Eye Center as an Assistant Professor in July 2004. Dr. Heichel specializes in cornea surgery, San Diego cataract surgery, and refractive surgery.

He completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and cellular biology from Revelle College at the University of California, San Diego, where he was awarded a Howard Hughes Research Fellowship. After graduating with honors as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society from the Chicago Medical School, Dr. Heichel completed his internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where he received an “Outstanding Intern” Award. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Shiley Eye Center, serving as Chief Resident. Thereafter, he continued at Shiley Eye Center, completing a fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Heichel is currently a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the American Medical Association. His clinical interests include corneal transplantation, laser vision correction, challenging cataract surgery, and anterior segment reconstruction. In addition, he has several research interests, including new applications of custom wavefront technology in refractive surgery, the use of intrastromal corneal rings to treat corneal ectasias, and innovative approaches to corneal transplantation.

Sujata Prabhu, MD

Clinical Instructor

Dr. Sujata Prabhu is a Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellow and Clinical Instructor at Shiley Eye Center.

Dr. Prabhu received a Bachelor of Science from Duke University and went on to obtain a medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis.  Dr. Prabhu then completed her internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and ophthalmology residency at Stony Brook University in New York.  Her professional interest includes complicated cataract and anterior segment surgeries, corneal transplantation, and refractive surgery.  In her spare time she enjoys running, surfing, scuba diving, playing the piano, and traveling.

Andrew Crothers, MD

Clinical Instructor                             

Dr. Crothers is a Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellow and Clinical Instructor at Shiley Eye Center.

Dr. Crothers received his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign having been named an Illinois General Assembly Scholarship Recipient and graduating as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.  He then went on to obtain his Medical Degree from Southern Illinois University school of Medicine where he remained to complete an internship in internal medicine.   Dr. Crothers subsequently completed his Ophthalmology Residency at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia where he received the Roger Hiatt award for outstanding research in Ophthalmology and was chosen to serve as Chief Resident.

The son of professional educators in the fine arts and communications Dr. Crothers is excited to continue his parents’ legacy of education and communication while using the art of modern surgical practice for his patients.  Greatest areas of professional interest for Dr. Crothers include complicated cataract surgery, cornea transplants, and laser vision corrective surgery.

John Josephson, MD       

Clinical Instructor

Dr. Josephson is a Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellow and Clinical Instructor at Shiley Eye Center

John Josephson MD is excited to join the UCSD Shiley Eye Center.  He completed his internship and ophthalmology training at the prestigious Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Academic Center, Washington DC.  He completed his medical training at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick NJ with a Distinction in Research Award.  During his medical training he completed a Clinical Research Training Fellowship at the NIH and published numerous papers and presented his work at a number of conferences.  He completed his undergraduate studies in Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers University with High Honors and was a Henry Rutgers Research Scholar.  He carries with him a passion for learning and serving the indigent population including international medical missions.  His focus is on corneal disease and advances in surgical technique.  His extra-curricular interests include basketball, tennis, and spending time with his lovely wife and church community.

Dorothy Wang, MS, OD

Optometrist

Dr. Wang obtained her Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry, where she was awarded with the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society for her outstanding academic achievement and Clinical Honors for her internship in the field of primary, pediatric, and geriatric eye care, contact lens specialty care. After finishing her residency in primary care and ocular disease at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Dr. Wang worked as a refractive optometrist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Wang has extensive experience in refractive surgery patient care and management. She is also actively involved in refractive surgery-related clinical studies. Dr. Wang completed her undergraduate study in medicine in China and earned a Master of Science degree in biology at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Wang enjoys reading, classical music, and spending time with family.