Jessica Shantha, MD, MS
Dr. Shantha worked from 2015-2017 in West Africa, where the magnitude of the challenges of treating uveitis and ocular inflammation due to resource requirements and disease complexity become apparent. Her career goal is to impact the blinding consequences of unrecognized or untreated uveitis in resource-limited settings. Dr. Shantha is most proud of the ability to advocate for the thousands of Ebola virus survivors that need eye care and routine screenings. Additionally, she has been able to impart perspectives and build capacity related to uveitis management in resource-limited settings via regional seminars, education, and mentorship. Through multiple ongoing studies and longstanding partnerships, Dr. Shantha is dedicated to the work towards vision health equity and access in the West Africa region. Dr. Shantha is continuing to explore her academic and clinical interests that include infectious and non-infectious uveitis, emerging pathogen discovery, and addressing clinical and research gaps within uveitis and retinal disease in international health care settings.