Board of Directors
2024–2025
Jigna Joshi, MD
President
Dr. Joshi is currently the Associate Chief of Surgery and Chief of Ophthalmology and Optometry at the West Palm Beach VAMC. She completed her residency at Northwestern University, glaucoma fellowship at Yale University, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology. She is active in resident education and administration. She has a passion for improving access and care in the VA health care system and for integrating new technologies in surgical practice.
Alexa Lu, MD
Vice President
Dr. Lu is currently the National Education Director for Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) for VISN 7, Regional Telehealth Services. She is also an assistant professor at Emory School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Brown Medical School, and cornea fellowship at UC San Diego. She is active in resident and medical student education. She has an interest in improving patient care in the VA healthcare system and integrating telemedicine in medical education.
April Maa, MD
Immediate Past President
Dr. Maa received her Medical Doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine and completed Ophthalmology residency at University of Texas Southwestern. She joined Emory and the VA system in 2008, staffing residents and providing patient care at both Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta VA. She is now Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine and the Clinical Director for Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) for VISN 7, Regional Telehealth Services. In addition, she is also one of the subject matter experts for tele-eye care for the Office of Connected Care and the Program Lead for VA Office of Rural Health Enterprise Wide Initiatives. She is also one of the members of the Ophthalmology Field Advisory Committee. She is passionate about reducing health care disparities and improving access to care for Veterans. Her research interests include tele-ophthalmology, healthcare delivery, implementation science, and artificial intelligence/'big data' tools for physician decision support.
Natalie Cheung, MS, MD
Treasurer
Dr. Cheung is the associate section chief of ophthalmology at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and assistant professor at Case Western University School of Medicine. She completed medical school at Brown University, residency at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and cornea fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital. Dr. Cheung is part of the core teaching faculty for the University Hospitals ophthalmology residency program. She is committed to teaching residents in clinic and in surgery and has won awards for both teaching and service. She continues to mentor residents and teach wet labs at national meetings. Dr. Cheung is passionate about providing the best care to the veteran population. Dr. Cheung practices comprehensive ophthalmology in addition to corneal and external diseases at the Cleveland VA Medical Center.
Eric Suhler, MD, MPH
AAO Councilor
Damien Luviano, MD FACS
Acting Ophthalmology National Program Executive Director
Damien Luviano fights blindness and is board-certified in clinical informatics and ophthalmology. He is passionate about preparing ophthalmologists to take the Oral Examination for the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is also the immediate past Senior Editor for the Comprehensive Section for the AAO ONE Network. He grew up in Houston, TX, and graduated from the Dr. Michael DeBakey High School for Health Professions. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Then, he completed an internship in general surgery in Dallas and an ophthalmology residency in Los Angeles, CA. He joined the Veterans Affairs because he is an Army Veteran. He is stationed at the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Virginia. His current roles include chair of the Ophthalmology Surgery Advisory Board and the Acting Ophthalmology Deputy National Program Executive Director.
Amy S. Chomsky, MD
Acting Ophthalmology National Program Executive Director
Dr. Amy Chomsky began her VA career in 1994 at The Nashville VA. She took over the role of Chief of Ophthalmology for what became the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in 1999. Throughout her VA career she has served multiple VA leadership roles including an early member and then two-time chair of the Field Advisory Board followed by a two-term chair of the Surgical Advisory Board. She currently serves as Acting National Program Executive Director for Ophthalmology under the Specialty Care Program Office.
In addition to her VA career, as a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) Dr. Chomsky has been active in academics including research and education. Her areas of focus include cataract outcomes research and resident cataract surgical instruction. She has mentored dozens for medical students and residents in research projects and has been recognized for these efforts with awards including the VEI Research Mentorship Award and The VEI Excellence in Surgical Instruction Award. She has also been elected to the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Academy for Excellence in Education.