John A. Moran Eye Center physicians will present research and surgical innovations and instruct peers at the 2026 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Annual Meeting this week.
The meeting brings together ophthalmologists who specialize in conditions affecting the front of the eye.
Ten Moran faculty members and their trainees will contribute to dozens of presentations spanning cataract, cornea, and glaucoma care. They will share work to improve surgical outcomes for patients, how they use new technologies in their clinics, and provide hands-on skills training for peers.
Below are highlights of Moran physicians at ASCRS; click the linked names to view each physician's full schedule.
- Nick Mamalis, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, who co-direct Moran’s Intermountain Ocular Research Center, will present research on IOL performance, safety, and long-term outcomes as well as a unique investigation of IOL materials exposed to space aboard the International Space Station.
- Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, who directs Moran’s Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation, will contribute broadly across the meeting as he shares his expertise in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), novel surgical devices, artificial intelligence in clinical care, and outcomes from large registry datasets. He will also lead an instructional course on complex anterior segment surgery.
- Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, chair of the Moran Eye Center and the University of Utah Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, will share practical cataract surgery techniques and lead an instructional course on small-incision cataract surgery used for international ophthalmology or some complications.
- Austin Nakatsuka, MD, will lead hands-on surgical training labs and share research on visual outcomes and surgical complications, while Mark Mifflin, MD, is an author on research aimed at improving IOL power calculations in patients who have undergone prior LASIK.
- Craig Chaya, MD, and Roya Garakani, DO, will present studies on MIGS procedures, including device safety and long-term outcomes.
- Katherine Hu, MD, will share complex case studies involving rare corneal disease and surgical complications, and Rachel Simpson, MD, will discuss the future of MIGS.