Clinical Advisors

Dr. Christopher Blanton is the Owner and Director of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service at Inland Eye LASIK at Pacific Eye Institute in California. He brings extensive clinical, academic, and industry experience in cornea and refractive surgery, with a career spanning clinical practice, military service, education, and global surgical training.

During his service as an Active-Duty Navy Ophthalmologist, Dr. Blanton served as an instructor for numerous courses, including Combat Casualty Care and cataract surgery, and trained residents in corneal and cataract surgery at Naval Hospital San Diego. Following his military service, he was selected
by medical device manufacturers as a surgical trainer, certifying fellow surgeons in excimer laser corneal surgery. To date, he has certified more than 1,000 surgeons worldwide across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. He also serves as a global medical advisor focused on optimizing refractive
surgery outcomes and the prevention and management of complications.

Dr. Blanton completed his ophthalmology residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he served as Chief Resident, and his fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications
and delivered over 180 scientific presentations. He has instructed more than 330 courses in the United States and internationally, including Canada, Australia, China, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Argentina.

His academic excellence has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Glidden Brooks Award (Valedictorian of his medical school class) and the Dean’s Award, recognizing the graduating senior demonstrating the greatest promise as a physician.

Dr. David Eichenbaum is the Director of Research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida and a board certified, fellowship-trained vitreoretinal surgeon. He has served as Principal Investigator in more than 120 Phase I–IV clinical trials and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, in addition to multiple textbook chapters. Dr. Eichenbaum has been in clinical practice since 2007 and regularly presents his work at major national and international scientific meetings, including ASRS, AAO, ARVO, and the Retina Society. He also teaches nationally, providing continuing medical education in retinal disease management and clinical research operations. He serves on numerous Clinical and Scientific Advisory Boards and National Executive Steering Committees for both commercial and pipeline products, and has contributed to the design and interpretation of clinical study protocols.

Dr. Eichenbaum has built a top-tier clinical research program from the ground up, beginning with an investigator-initiated trial in 2010. He has extensive experience developing and scaling clinical trial programs and is actively involved in mentoring and advising new principal investigators, supporting the growth of high-quality, compliant research sites.

Dr. Eichenbaum is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a recognized leader within the ophthalmology community. His leadership roles include President of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (2023–2024), Board Member of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, and Past President of the Tampa Bay Ophthalmic Society. His contributions to the field have been widely recognized through numerous honors, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, the American Society of Retina Specialists Senior Honor Award, and multiple distinguished recognitions from national and regional ophthalmic organizations.

Dr. Andrés Emanuelli-Anzalotta is President and Research Director of Emanuelli Research and Development Center and serves as President and Medical Director of Retina Care in Puerto Rico. He is a vitreoretinal surgeon and clinical researcher with deep expertise in diabetic retinopathy, neovascular retinal disease, and inherited retinal disorders.

Dr. Emanuelli leads a high-performing research center that has participated in more than 50 industry sponsored clinical trials, including first-in-human and gene therapy studies. He brings combined experience as a Principal Investigator, surgeon, and educator, allowing him to bridge clinical care with innovative clinical research. He has worked closely with globally recognized sponsors to accelerate trial execution while maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance, data integrity, and patient safety.

In addition to his role as an investigator, Dr. Emanuelli has served as a medical monitor and clinical study lead, consistently exceeding patient enrollment targets. He also brings industry experience as a scientific advisor and frequent presenter at national and international ophthalmology conferences. Dr. Emanuelli is deeply committed to mentoring young physicians and fostering collaborative research initiatives that advance retinal health, with a particular focus on expanding access to clinical research in underserved populations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dr. Emanuelli completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Puerto Rico, where he served as Chief Resident, and his fellowship in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.