damien-c-rodger
Damien C Rodger, PhD
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, USC

Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, USC
Visiting Associate in Medical Engineering, Caltech
USA, Fax: (323) 442-6412
Phone: (323) 442-6335 (Los Angeles & Beverly Hills Offices)
Email: damien.rodger@med.usc.edu

Education

DEGREE Year Institution and Location
Doctor of Medicine 2009 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Doctor of Philosophy 2008 California Institute of Technology. Pasadena, CA

Biography

Damien C. Rodger, MD, PhD, worked as a co-op intern at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on attitude control microsystems for unmanned space exploration while completing his Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Cornell University in 2000. Dr. Rodger then earned his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and his PhD in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. He was voted Translational Resident of the Year at the University of Chicago/NorthShore Program before starting his residency in ophthalmology at the USC Department of Ophthalmology, LAC+USC program.

Dr. Rodger completed his vitreoretinal surgery fellowship and was a clinical instructor at the USC Roski Eye Institute. He is now an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and a Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Rodger has conducted groundbreaking research on the design, fabrications, and testing of high density microtechnologies for retinal and spinal cord prostheses, and has been instrumental in the development of novel bioMEMS for intraocular pressure reduction and monitoring. Dr. Rodger has been granted more than twenty patents to date and is principal investigator of many uveitis clinical trials at USC.


Research Interest

He is a clinician-scientist specializing in ophthalmology and subspecializing in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery as well as uveitis. My background is in electrical engineering and bioengineering, and he has focused his research since 1998 on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and biomedical microdevices. Much of his research has been specifically directed at the inception, design, fabrication, and testing of devices for ophthalmic use including retinal prosthetics and intraocular pressure sensors, however he have also tailored his work to other areas of inquiry such as spinal cord prosthetics. His overarching goals are to develop revolutionary cost-effective medical devices to treat or improve existing therapies for common medical diseases. He also see many complicated retinal and uveitis cases in his practice, and he always working to identify the novel findings in them for scientific publication.


Scientific Activities

Positions and Honors
2016 Southern California Super Doctors® Rising StarsSM
2016 - 2019 Member, Allegan Fostering Innovative Retina Stars of Tomorrow Program
2014 Ronald G. Michels Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery
2013-2014 Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship
2012, 2013 RVO Travel Award, Doheny-USC Professional Association
2009-2010 Intern of the Year Award, Transitional Year Program
NorthShore University HealthSystem
2009 Irving I. Lasky M.D. Memorial Award for Excellence in Research
2009 Irving I. Lasky M.D. Memorial Award for Excellence in Research
2007-2008 Salerni Collegium MD/PhD Award recipient
2007 Transducer Research Foundation Travel Award recipient
2005-2006 Drinkward Postdoctoral Fellowship
2003-2006 Whitaker Foundation Graduate Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering
2003 Dean’s Recognition, USC Keck School of Medicine
2001-2003 Salerni Collegium MD/PhD Award recipient
2000-2001 W. M. Keck Foundation Fellowship in Nanobiotechnology
1999-2000 Schlumberger Collegiate Award Scholarship
1996-2000 Dean’s Scholar, Cornell University

Publications

  1. D.C. Rodger and Y.C. Tai, “Microelectronic packaging for retinal prostheses,” IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, 24(5), pp. 52-57, Sept.-Oct. 2005.
  2. P.J. Chen, D.C. Rodger, M.S. Humayun, and Y.C. Tai, “Unpowered spiral-tube parylene pressure sensor for intraocular pressure sensing,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 127(2), pp. 276-282, 2006.
  3. D.C. Rodger, J.D. Weiland, M.S. Humayun, and Y.C. Tai, “Scalable high lead-count parylene package for retinal prostheses,” Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 117(1), pp. 107-114, 2006.
  4. P.J. Chen, D.C. Rodger, E. Meng, M.S. Humayun, and Y.C. Tai, “Surface-micromachined parylene dual valves for on-chip unpowered microflow regulation,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 16(2), pp. 223-231, 2007.
  5. P.J. Chen, D.C. Rodger, R. Agrawal, S. Saati, E. Meng, R. Varma, M.S. Humayun, and Y.C. Tai, “Implantable micromechanical parylene-based pressure sensors for unpowered intraocular pressure sensing,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 17(10), pp. 1931-1938, 2007.
  6. D.C. Rodger, A.J. Fong, W. Li, H. Ameri, A.K. Ahuja, C. Gutierrez, I. Lavrov, H. Zhong, P.R. Menon, E. Meng, J.W. Burdick, R.R. Roy, V.R. Edgerton, J.D. Weiland, M.S. Humayun, and Y.C. Tai, “Flexible parylene-based multielectrode array technology for high-density neural stimulation and recording,” Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 132(2), pp. 449-460, 2008.
  7. P.N. Wahjudi, J.H. Oh, S.O. Salman, J.A. Seabold, D.C. Rodger, Y.C. Tai, and M.E. Thompson, “Improvement of metal and tissue adhesion on surface-modified parylene C,” J Biomed Mater Res A 89(1):206-14, 2009.
  8. W. Li, D. C. Rodger, P. R. Menon, and Y. C. Tai, “Corrosion behavior of parylene-metal-parylene thin films in saline,” Electrochemical Society Transactions, vol. 11 (18), pp. 1-6, 2008.
  9. P.-J. Chen, D. C. Rodger, M. S. Humayun, and Y.-C. Tai, “Floating-disk parylene microvalves for self-pressure-regulating flow controls,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 17 (6), pp. 1352-1361, 2008.
  10. P.-J. Chen, D. C. Rodger, S. Saati, M. S. Humayun, and Y.-C. Tai, “Microfabricated implantable parylene-based wireless passive intraocular pressure sensors,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 17 (6), pp. 1342-1351, 2008.
  11. W. Li, D. C. Rodger, A. Pinto, E. Meng, J. D. Weiland, M. S. Humayun, and Y.-C. Tai, “Parylene-based integrated wireless single-channel neurostimulator,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, vol. 17 (2), pp. 193-200, 2011.
  12. B. Diniz, R. M. Ribeiro, D. C. Rodger, M. Maia, and S. Sadda, "Drusen detection by confocal aperture-modulated infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy," British Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 97, pp. 285-290, March 1, 2013
  13. L. Lam and D. C. Rodger. “Bilateral macular detachments, venous stasis retinopathy, and retinal hemorrhages as initial presentation of multiple myeloma: a case report.” Retinal Cases and Brief Reports. Vol. 8(4) pp. 240-244, 2014.
  14. B. Diniz, D. C. Rodger, V. R. Chavali, T. MacKay, S. Y. Lee, D. Stambolian and S. V. R. Sadda. “Drusen and RPE atrophy automated quantification by optical coherence tomography in an elderly population.” Eye 29, 272-279 (February 2015)
  15. S. Lee, V. Cheng, D. Rodger, and N. Rao, “Clinical and laboratory characteristics of ocular syphilis: a new face in the era of HIV co-infection,” J Ophthal Inflamm Infect, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 26, 2015.
  16. L.C. Olmos, H. Nazari, D.C. Rodger, and M.S. Humayun, “Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration”. Current Ophthalmology Reports. Mar 1;3(1):16-25, 2015.
  17. D.C. Rodger, E.L. Kim, and N.A. Rao, “Ophthalmomyiasis interna,” Ophthalmology, 123(2), 247, 2016
  18. K.S. Rue, D.C. Rodger, N.A. Rao, “Retinopathy in lupus transitioned to Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease.” American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports. 2016 Oct 1;3:43-6.
  19. P.P. Storey, S.A. Philander, A. Ter-Zakarian, N.A. Rao, D.C. Rodger. “Ultra-Wide-Field Fluorescein Angiography in Microscopic Polyangiitis.” Case Reports in Ophthalmological Medicine. 2016 Oct 30;2016.
  20. L. Ediriwickrema, P. Chhadva, D. Rodger, H. Ameri, N. Rao. “Intravenous Immunoglobulin In The Treatment Of Juvenile Retinitis Pigmentosa–associated Cystoid Macular Edema And Uveitis.” Retinal Cases & Brief Reports Nov 2016.
  21. A.Y. Kim, D.C. Rodger, A. Shahidzadeh, Z. Chu, N. Koulisis, B. Burkemper, X. Jiang, K.L. Pepple, R.K. Wang, C.A. Puliafito, N.A. Rao, A. Kashani. “Quantifying Retinal Microvascular Changes in Uveitis Using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.” American journal of ophthalmology. 2016 Nov;171:101.
  22. P. Storey, A. Ter-Zakarian, N. Rao, D. Rodger. “Severe Bilateral Retinal Vascular Occlusion As First Presentation Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And Antiphospholipid Syndrome.” Retinal Cases and Brief Reports. 2017 Jan 1;11:S44-8.
  23. S.N. Moysidis, N. Koulisis, V.R. Patel, A.H. Kashani, N.A. Rao, M.S. Humayun, D.C. Rodger. “The Second Blind Spot: Small Retinal Vessel Vasculopathy After Vaccination Against Neisseria Meningitidis and Yellow Fever.” Retinal Cases and Brief Reports. 2017 Jan 1;11:S18-23.
  24. E.L. Kim, D.C. Rodger, N.A. Rao. “Choroidal neovascularization secondary to tuberculosis: Presentation and management.” American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports. 2017 Jan 6.

REFEREED REVIEWS, CHAPTERS, AND EDITORIALS:

  1. W. Li, D. C. Rodger, J. D. Weiland, M. S. Humayun, W. Liu and Y. C. Tai. Implantable Parylene MEMS RF Coil for Epiretinal Prostheses, Microelectromechanical Systems and Devices, Nazmul Islam (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0306-6. (2012)
  2. D. Rodger, W. Li, J. Weiland, M. Humayun and Y. C. Tai. Flexible Circuit Technologies for Biomedical Applications, Advances in Micro/Nano Electromechanical Systems and Fabrication Technologies, Assistant Professor Kenichi Takahata (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-1085-9. (2013)

ON-LINE PUBLICATIONS:

  1. W. Browne, J. Do, and D. C. Rodger, What’s the Cause of this Panuveitis? http://www.retina-specialist.com/article/whats-the-cause-of-this-panuveitis. 2015.

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