Dr. Daniel P. Shepard

Dr. Avery received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and took his ophthalmology training there at the highly regarded Wilmer Eye Institute. He completed a vitreoretinal fellowship at Duke University working with Dr. Robert Machemer, who invented the first vitrectomy machine and is considered the father of modern vitreous surgery.Dr. Avery returned to Johns Hopkins as Assistant Chief of Service and head of the trauma unit. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Heed Fellowship, and was the first recipient of the prestigious Ronald G. Michels Fellowship for his contribution to vitreous surgery. Dr. Avery is an examiner for American Board of Ophthalmology, is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists(ASRS) where he serves on the US federal Affairs Committee.He has been the principal investigator for 12 national clinical trials at California Retinal Consultants. His research interests include; macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and surgery for complex vitreoretinal conditions. He has published numerous articles on these subjects in journals such as Ophthalmology, Retina, New England Journal of Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Journal of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic Surgery, and Archives of Ophthalmology.He is on the editorial board of Retina Today. He and his colleagues at CRC helped usher in the use of Avastin for eye diseases by publishing 6 peer reviewed articles and a book chapter on intraocular Avastin in 2006. He recently won an award from the ASRS for his video demonstrating a safer surgical technique for sutureless vitrectomy.He lectures internationally on retinal diseases. His basic science research continues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he holds an appointment in the Neuroscience Research Institute. He is a founder of the California Retina Research Foundation.As a vitreoretinal specialist, I provide comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for all disorders of the retina, macula and vitreous. I focus on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of these conditions. Thus, I do not prescribe glasses nor do we perform cataract or LASIK surgery. I will keep your referring doctor informed of our findings, your treatment and your progress. Dr. Avery is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Neuroretinitis. His top areas of expertise are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

Dr. Nathan C. Steinle received his undergraduate and medical training in his home state of South Dakota, where he was named the class valedictorian and graduated with summa cum laude honors. After completing his ophthalmology residency in Kentucky, Dr. Steinle had the fortune of performing his surgical vitreoretinal fellowship at the renowned Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic is a world-class institution and is consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in all of healthcare. While at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Steinle worked closely with Dr. Daniel F. Martin, who is one of the world’s leading experts in ophthalmic research including the groundbreaking Comparison of Age Related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials (CATT).Dr. Steinle earned multiple awards for excellence during his surgical training. He was given the honor of being named Chief Resident in addition to earning the prestigious Wirtschafter award recognizing the finest resident teacher. During his fellowship, he was named the best fellow teacher while at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Steinle has published numerous book chapters and research articles on topics including age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and ocular trauma.Dr. Steinle has been an investigator in a number of clinical research trials including the investigation of novel therapies for neovascular age related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Steinle is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist, and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, and the American Medical Association.As vitreoretinal specialists, we provide comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for all disorders of the retina, macula and vitreous. We focus on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of these conditions. Many abnormalities of the retina and vitreous may cause visual loss. These disorders include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, macular holes, macular edema and epiretinal membranes. Our practice has multiple locations throughout Central California to serve our patients. Dr. Steinle is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Neuroretinitis. His top areas of expertise are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Geographic Atrophy, Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Vitrectomy, and Cataract Removal.

Jennifer Spiegel is an Ophthalmologist in Santa Maria, California. Dr. Spiegel has been practicing medicine for over 17 years and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Neuroretinitis. Her top areas of expertise are Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Retinal Artery Occlusion, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Vitrectomy.