Jerome Jacobson Global Program | Fall 2026 Newsletter

News from our full member Kellogg Eye Center

Building Research Capacity with Aravind Eye Care System in India

One of our flagship successes over the past several years has been a collaborative research capacity-strengthening program with Aravind Eye Care System in Tamil Nadu, India. Funded by the NIH Fogarty International Center, this program brings two to three Aravind faculty members to the University of Michigan each year to study and participate in mentored research.

During their time at U-M, visiting scholars take courses in the School of Public Health, learn the ins and outs of scientific and grant writing, and build connections with colleagues across departments and schools. Upon returning to India, they receive a stipend to continue their research and build careers as clinician-scientists, taking advantage of Aravind’s vast clinical data ecosystem— one of the largest eye care networks in the world. The work of these scholars is already changing the face of clinical and epidemiological vision research in India and will have far-reaching benefits for eye health worldwide.

Kellogg Eye Center Team Returns to Ethiopia to Strengthen Longstanding Partnership

A team from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center recently visited longtime collaborators in Ethiopia for the first time in more than five years. Led by Christine Nelson, MD, FACS, Professor of Eye Plastics and Orbital Surgery, the group spent more than a week at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa. Kellogg Eye Center faculty have collaborated with St. Paul’s since 2014 and helped establish the institution’s ophthalmology department in 2015.

The recent visit marked the first post-pandemic trip to Ethiopia, and Dr. Nelson was impressed by the tremendous growth of the St. Paul’s Department of Ophthalmology — both in size and skill. “It was really great to be able to go back. So much has improved,” said Nelson. “Our friends there who had been just starting their careers in subspecialties have really made tremendous progress in the intervening years.”

When the collaboration began, the department had just three ophthalmology faculty members. Today, it includes 15 physicians, including pediatric, retina, glaucoma, and plastics specialists. The ophthalmology residency program, launched in partnership with Kellogg Eye Center, has now graduated 36 providers. Many remain in Addis Ababa, while others are expanding ophthalmic services across Ethiopia.

Also part of the delegation were Cameron Yang, MD, UMMS oculoplastics surgery fellow; Nathan Shenkute, MD, Kellogg resident, and Dane Slentz, MD, former KEC oculoplastics fellow. The visit was not only an opportunity to celebrate progress but also to help advance new areas of collaboration, including expanded eye bank services and ophthalmic nursing training.

The team met with leaders from St. Paul’s and university officials, including Provost Muluken Tesfaye and Nursing Dean Feyissa Lemessa, to discuss the launch of a new ophthalmic nursing training program.

“A lot of the work currently being done by early-career residents — tasks that in the U.S. are often handled by ophthalmic technicians — could be shifted to trained ophthalmic nurses,” Shenkute said. “That would allow residents to spend more time developing their clinical skills and also help the department see more patients, because the patient volumes are very high.”

U-M Global REACH supported Dr. Shenkute’s experience in Ethiopia and is supporting the nursing training effort through a Partnership Development Grant. A second-year resident, Shenkute plans to remain involved in the project. Born and raised in Ethiopia before moving to the United States for undergraduate and medical school, he described the visit as especially meaningful.

“One of the primary reasons why I wanted to come to Kellogg and U-M was because of the global ophthalmology program,” Shenkute said. “Getting engaged in the project was really personal for me, and being able to return to Addis Ababa, where I was born and raised, as a physician and being able to contribute in a meaningful way felt like a full-circle moment.”

Expanding Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Training in Ghana

In spring 2026, two teams from the Kellogg Eye Center visited Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, for research and surgical training activities in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

The first team included UM medical student Treasure Nwokeleme and U-M undergraduate student Nathalie Tsimhoni, who are working with house officers Dr. Daniel Ampofo-Nimoh and Dr. Jared Atumfuo in Ghana under the mentorship of Dr. Vera Beyuo of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Dr. Otana Jakpor of UM. Their ongoing research project builds on previous work by Dr. Beyuo and focuses on quality of life in children who have experienced ocular trauma. The students are also engaged in a public awareness project centered on pediatric eye injury prevention.

The second team included Dr. Monte Del Monte and Dr. Otana Jakpor, who led a one-week training workshop in complex strabismus. During the trip, Dr. Del Monte and Dr. Jakpor provided hands-on teaching for fellows and residents, along with professional development for faculty from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Thanks to these joint efforts, 24 patients received corrective surgery for strabismus.

Dr. Del Monte and Dr. Jakpor also had productive meetings with leadership from the Eye Center at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the CEO of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, and the Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Richard Adanu.

The Jerome Jacobson Global Program is encouraged by this growing partnership with Ghanaian colleagues in pediatric ophthalmology and looks forward to expanding collaboration in other ophthalmic subspecialties.

Healing Across Borders: A Global Healthcare Network Creates a Safety Net

When health emergencies happen far from home, a trusted medical network can make all the difference.

During a recent trip to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, a traveler from Michigan experienced sudden and concerning eye symptoms. The patient was evaluated by Dr. Zula Erdenezul, a former visiting observer who spent three months at Kellogg in 2020. The patient examined and was prescribed two immediate treatments. Although the initial treatment brought quick improvement, the patient still faced a complicated travel itinerary — continuing on to Basel, Switzerland, before finally returning home.

Rather than leaving the patient to navigate multiple foreign healthcare systems alone, Dr. Christy Nelson helped create an extraordinary cross-continental safety net.

PATIENT SPOTLIGHT — “What impressed me was this safety net provided by all three physicians for my condition. Most of all, however, I am grateful for the support of Dr. Christy Nelson who was able to reach out to her network of fellow professionals.”

To ensure seamless continuity of care, Dr. Nelson mobilized her professional network. The digital care team included:

Dr. Zula Erdenezul the local Mongolian specialist who managed the initial diagnosis and care.

Dr. Hilary Grabe, a former KEC fellow and faculty member and now a trusted physician based in Basel, Switzerland, who was available in case of emergency during travel.

Dr. Christy Nelson, who coordinated communication and follow-up across the patient’s journey.

Through this coordinated effort, all three physicians maintained communication, reviewed updates, and tracked the patient’s progress simultaneously.

After returning from Switzerland, the patient transitioned seamlessly back to care and has been able to safely maintain the treatment plan.

Thanks to dedicated providers like Dr. Nelson and an agile global network, patients are protected wherever the world takes them.

Date: 11 September 2026
Source: Kellogg Eye Center