Michael J. Tolentino, MD, Ophthalmologist, Retinal Specialist & Surgeon with The Macula Center
Get to know Ophthalmologist, Retinal Specialist & Surgeon Dr. Michael J. Tolentino, who serves patients in Lakeland, Florida.
Dr. Michael J Tolentino attended Deerfield Academy and received his honors Bachelor’s degree in computer science and organizational behavior from Brown University and his Medical degree from the University of Massachusetts. During College he studied at Nanjing University in China.
During high school and college he worked at Harvard Medical School at the Schepens Eye Research Insitute in his father’s laboratory. His father (Felipe Tolentino MD) is one of the founders of the field of vitreoretinal surgery and was a partner of Charles Schepens the founder of the Schepens Eye Research Institute of the Harvard Medical School.
He moved to the University of Pennsylvania for his vitreo-retinal surgical fellowship under the guidance of Drs. Stuart Fine and Alexander Brucker. He had a joint appointment as a member of the Cellular and Molecular Biology Faculty at UPENN and ran a NEI sponsored laboratory where he invented a VEGF gene silencing molecule called Bevasiranib.
As a retinal specialist, he also researched the use of gene and stem cell therapy for use in retinal disease. In parallel he refined his surgical skills as one of the main ophthalmic trauma surgeons in Philadelphia and the main Veterans Administration retina surgeon for the northern mid-Atlantic region. He eventually became the director of the vitreo-retinal surgical fellowship at UPENN.
Michael Tolentino, MD, is a leading physician at the Center for Retina & Macular Disease that is based out of the state of Florida. With nearly 20 years of experience and Board certification, Dr. Tolentino is well-versed in the field of ophthalmology; with particular expertise in retina surgery.
Dr. Tolentino helped develop all current treatments for wet macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy; such as Avastin, Lucentis, Macugen and Verteporfin.
Being a doctor of distinction, Dr. Tolentino was the first in the world to test Avastin in a model of eye disease 15 years ago; and is currently helping to develop eyedrops for wet macular degeneration, novel treatments for dry macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy at the Center.
Dr. Tolentino has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has been invited to speak globally on new therapies for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Being highly active in his field, Dr. Tolentino invented Bevasiranib, a drug being tested for wet AMD by OPKO health, and also founded Acuity Pharmaceuticals, which merged to become OPKO health.
Learn More about Michael J. Tolentino:
Through his findatopdoc profile, https://www.findatopdoc.com/doctor/8130746-Michael-Tolentino-Ophthalmologist-Lakeland-Florida-33805 or through The Macula Center, https://maculacenter.com/michael-tolentino-florida-retinal-specialist/
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