Pearls Conference 2026 Speakers
Meghan Berkenstock, M.D.
Dr. Meghan Berkenstock earned her medical degree from the Drexel University College of Medicine in 2011. She completed her ophthalmology residency through the Drexel University/Hahnemann Hospital program, followed by an additional year of subspecialty training in ocular immunology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduation, she joined the faculty of the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she is currently an associate professor of ophthalmology.
Over the last 9 years, she has focused her research on identifying and treating ocular adverse events (IRAE) associated with immunotherapy and targeted cancer agents. She is a member of and the only ophthalmologist on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Panel on developing guidelines to treat IRAEs. She has given national and international talks on managing ocular toxicities and was awarded the John Clarkson, MD, Quality Improvement Award by the American Board of Ophthalmology for her research.
Joseph G. Chacko, M.D.
Dr. Joseph G. Chacko received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (now Drexel University College of Medicine) in 1991. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta in 1995 and served a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami in 2004.
Dr. Chacko is a professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology in the UAMS College of Medicine. He also serves as Ophthalmology Clerkship Director for third-year medical students. He has been the director of neuro-ophthalmology at the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences since 2005. He also performs no-shot, no-patch cataract surgery with over 20 years of experience.
Jonathan Eisengart, M.D.
Dr. Jonathan Eisengart completed his undergraduate training at Cornell University and earned his medical degree at The Ohio State University. After completing his internship, Eisengart completed his residency in ophthalmology and his fellowship in glaucoma and anterior segment surgery at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.
Dr. Eisengart currently practices at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, where he serves as the glaucoma section chief. His practice includes both adults and children with glaucoma. He has a particular interest in uveitic (inflammatory) glaucoma, eyes with failed prior glaucoma surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
Geoffrey G. Emerson, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Geoffrey G. Emerson graduated from Yale University with a degree in chemical engineering, where he also received his M.D. and Ph.D. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he received the Mitchell Prize and Julia Haller Prize for research in optical coherence tomography. He completed his fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, where he received the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship and the Ronald G. Michels Award.
Dr. Emerson is President of the American Society of Retina Specialists and Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. His clinical interests include diabetic retinopathy, epiretinal membranes, macular degeneration, macular holes and retinal detachment.
Kristina Lopez, M.D.
Dr. Kristina Lopez earned her medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine, where she also completed her fellowship in neurology. She completed her fellowship in headache medicine from Baylor University.
Lopez is an assistant professor and the director of the Headache Medicine Fellowship Program for the West Virginia University Department of Neurology.
Bradley Thuro, M.D.
Dr. Bradley Thuro, M.D., earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he also completed his residency in ophthalmology. He completed the Orbital Oncology and Oculoplastic Surgery Fellowship Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Thuro joined the West Virginia University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and WVU Eye Institute faculty in 2016. He serves as an assistant professor and the director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program and specializes in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery.