Who We Are

Dr. Hugo Quiroz-Mercado is a recognized leader and specialist in diseases of the retina, macular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).  He is currently a Retinal surgeon with an appointment at Hospital para Evitar la Ceguera en México (APEC) and Medica Sur Hospital.  He holds an appointment as a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver.

With over 25 years of practice experience, Dr. Quiroz has held previous appointments as the Director of the Retina Department and Chief of the Experimental Surgery Laboratory at Luis Sanchez Hospital for the Prevention of Blindness, as well as a professor of Ophthalmology at the Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Mexico.  He specializes in treating patients with severe retinopathy and helping them cope with impending complications.

Dr. Quiroz is the former Director of Ophthalmology at Denver Health Medical Center where he influenced teaching programs mainly in Vitreoretinal Surgery as well as impulse research in different areas of Ophthalmology.  He is currently the Director of Research at Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera en México (APEC) acting as the liaison between several Ophthalmological programs in the USA including University of Colorado, Stanford University and Allegro Ophthalmics. He is a Research level III at Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología).

Dr. Quiroz was trained completing fellowships in Vitreo-Retinal Diseases at APEC in Mexico City and Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston.

Dr. Maria Ana Martinez-Castellanos is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Retina, at the Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera (APEC) in México City, the largest eye hospital in Latin America.  She also serves as a pediatric retina specialist at General Hospital “Belisario Dominguez” in Mexico City and Perinatal Hospital “Monica Pretelini” in Toluca, Mexico.  Dr. Martinez-Castellanos is a Mexican board certified ophthalmologist whose clinical practice involves the surgical and medical management of adult and pediatric vitreo-retinal disease.

Dr. Martinez-Castellanos´ primary research interests focus on the pathogenesis and management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).  She works with numerous investigators worldwide to address the growing burden of ROP.  Dr. Martinez-Castellanos runs the retinopathy of prematurity prevention program at 5 different hospitals in Mexico City and Toluca, Mexico and is engaged in many clinical projects and collaborations studying ROP.

Dr. Martinez-Castellanos has won numerous academic awards including Biennial Award of Ophthalmology “Arturo Santos” from the Mexican Society of Ophthalmology, Rosenkranz Award from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Tyson Award from the Pan American Ophthalmology Association and the Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists.

Paulina Ramírez-Neria is an Ophthalmologist and retina surgeon and specialist in pediatric retina. She currently is head of Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening Program at the Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología (I.A.P.) in Queretaro, Mexico.  She is a specialist in the detection and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and in the management of extremely premature babies, and their revision in intensive neonatal therapy.

Paulina conducts research across internal medicine, and retinal diseases, including retinopathy of prematurity and diabetic retinopathy among others.  Her most recent publication is ‘Basis and Design of a Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Levosulpiride on Retinal Alterations in Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema’.

Knows as ‘Frank’ by colleagues and friends, he is a second-year Retina fellow in APEC Hospital in Mexico City.  After graduating in 2017 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), he worked 2 years alongside Dr Hugo Quiroz as a retina research fellow.  His interest in ROP and prematurity took him into working with Dr Armitage Harper and Dr Hugo Quiroz in screening studies in different pediatric hospitals within Mexico City.  After finishing the ophthalmology residency, he plans on continuing his training as a retina specialist with a particular focus on pediatric conditions.

Dr. Perez-Vazquez is an enthusiastic clinician, surgeon and researcher interested in the prevention of blindness in premature newborns through research and collaboration between different organizations.