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About Dr. Browning

Christopher J. Browning, OD, is a Greenwood native who is proud to follow his dream of providing eye care to his wonderful community. As he has severe nearsightedness, Dr. Browning is passionate about using cutting-edge technology to help his patients achieve excellent vision, particularly through contact lenses.

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About Dr. Harbir Sian OD

Dr. Harbir Sian is the co-owner of three optometric practices in British Columbia. In the clinic, Dr. Sian enjoys practicing various specialties within eyecare, particularly myopia management and dry eye.

After completing his Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in 2010, Dr. Sian found that he was passionate about giving back to those who have less access to care and about educating the public and professionals in various settings.

Over the years, Harbir has volunteered in multiple mobile vision clinics, including global clinics South America and in the Middle East. He has taken his passion for education to countless stages and conferences around North America, including giving a TEDx talk titled "Our Eyes Are The Windows to Our Soul”, which shared the magic and power of the human visual system. Harbir was named as one of the Contact Lens Institute’s 2025 Visionaries. He is also the host of Canada’s number 1 optometry podcast, The 20/20 Podcast which showcases successful guests from various industries and backgrounds.

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Mr. Dempsey brings more than two decades of domestic and global experience in the ophthalmic space, driving successful drug development, business transactions, and commercialization. Mr. Robert’s CEO and Board Director experience spans extensive transaction and portfolio expertise across venture capital, investment banking, and strategies to successfully secure funding and advance M&A opportunities for multiple companies. His professional network in the eye care community is broad and well-established, complemented by his philanthropic leadership as Co-Founder and Board Member of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration. Robert also serves as an independent director on multiple ophthalmic
Boards.

Mr. Dempsey currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of OKYO Pharma, a public, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing investigational therapies for neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and inflammatory eye diseases. The company’s lead candidate, urcosimod, has received FDA Fast Track designation for treating NCP. Previously, Mr. Dempsey served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Ashvattha Therapeutics, where he led development of Migaldendranib (MGB), a novel targeted nanomedicine platform designed to normalize VEGF expression for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Earlier in his career, Mr. Dempsey served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AsclepiX Therapeutics, where he oversaw the rapid clinical development of a new chemical entity targeting ocular diseases and cancer through naturally occurring, self-regulating homeostatic pathways. Prior to that, he served as Chief Executive Officer of TearClear, where he accelerated the company’s business and commercial strategy, leading to multiple value-inflection points, including a successful Series B financing and positive FDA engagements.

Mr. Dempsey formerly served as the Group Vice President and Head of Global Ophthalmology at Shire, which was acquired by Takeda, and was responsible for closing one of only 3 ophthalmology transactions with >$1B upfront in the last 2 decades for Xiidra that transacted again 4 years later for $1.7B to Bausch & Lomb.
At Shire, he swiftly established a highly regarded reputation for Shire as a new company in the ophthalmology and optometry markets. Leading the commercialization strategy that resulted in an industry-leading launch, while overseeing the acquisition of four companies that contributed to the franchise pipeline of innovative candidates aimed at improving vision-related quality, was an
accomplishment about which he is most proud.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family on the lake and watching Boston sports.

Here's another episode about neuropathic pain on The OI Show: https://theoishow.buzzsprout.com/1601521/episodes/15618641-167-the-oi-show-neuropathic-pain-with-kaleb-abbott

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Rob Sambursky, MD, has more than 25 years of experience spanning the life sciences industry and clinical medicine. He is a fellowship-trained cornea specialist and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of DefEYE, Inc..

Prior to joining DefEYE, Dr. Sambursky was one of the original founders of RPS Diagnostics and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of both RPS Diagnostics and Lumos Diagnostics. He led Lumos Diagnostics through its initial
public offering on the Australian Securities Exchange. In addition, he was a founder and Executive Chairman of Visus Therapeutics . Throughout his executive leadership roles, Dr. Sambursky also served as acting Chief Medical Officer for RPS Diagnostics, Lumos Diagnostics, and DefEYE.

Dr. Sambursky currently serves as a strategic advisor to Tenpoint Therapeutics and is Board Chair of Advanced Ophthalmics, Inc. and Sustained Drug Delivery, Inc. He has extensive scientific and clinical expertise in ophthalmology, infectious disease, and medical sciences, and has served as an advisory board consultant to numerous ophthalmic therapeutic companies. Dr. Sambursky has authored dozens of patents and scientific publications, conceived a novel point-of-care diagnostic platform, and served as the clinical and regulatory lead supporting multiple international regulatory clearances and U.S. FDA 510(k) clearances with CLIA-waived designations. He has also played a key role in the successful commercialization of multiple diagnostic products in the United States and internationally.

Dr. Sambursky is a practicing, board-certified ophthalmologist with fellowship training in corneal, external, and infectious disease. He earned a BA in Biology from Brown University, an MA in Medical Sciences with concentrations in biochemistry and microbiology from Boston University, and an MD from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his medical internship at Mount Auburn Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and completed both his ophthalmology residency and cornea fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital, where he also served as Co-Chief Resident.

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About Dr. Volkert

Dr. Kayla Volkert is the founder and optometrist behind See La Vie Eyecare & Eyewear, a boutique eye care practice she opened in 2022 with the goal of bringing personalized, state-of-the-art eye care to the Main Line.

Originally from York, Pennsylvania, Dr. Volkert now lives in Bryn Mawr with her husband and their two young sons. She loves the walkability, charm, and strong sense of community that make the Main Line such a special place to live and raise a family—and she is proud to serve the neighborhood she calls home.

Dr. Volkert earned her undergraduate degree from Penn State University, where she majored in Life Sciences and minored in French and Psychology. During college, she spent a semester studying abroad in Montpellier, France—an experience that shaped her appreciation for culture, connection, and thoughtful design.

She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, where she was inducted into the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society and received clinical honors across her rotations. While in optometry school, Dr. Volkert served as President of the Private Practice Club, reflecting her long-standing interest in improving the patient experience and building a practice rooted in personalized care. Her clinical training included advanced rotations at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, with a focus on pediatric contact lenses, and the Baltimore VA, where she gained extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of ocular disease.

After graduation, Dr. Volkert practiced optometry in Charleston, South Carolina for several years before returning to Pennsylvania to open See La Vie. Through her practice, she combines medical expertise with an elevated, boutique approach to eye care—offering comprehensive eye exams, advanced technology, and a highly personalized experience designed to help patients look, see, and feel their best.

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About Dr. Jeff Banas

Dr. Jeff Banas graduated from Roosevelt University in 2010, completing the Honors Program to earn his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry, the nation’s first and oldest optometric program. His clinical training included rotations at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago, and the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Dr. Banas is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and a member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society. He also holds membership in the American Optometric Association, Wisconsin Optometric Association, and Milwaukee Optometric Society, and is certified by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.

His clinical practice focuses on ocular disease management, with particular expertise in glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eye, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and refractive conditions. Dr. Banas also provides post-surgical care and is proud to be a part of an ophthalmology team recognized for its adoption of advanced technologies and innovative treatment approaches.

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About Dr. Joseph J. Allen

Dr. Joseph J. Allen graduated Magna Cum Laude and Salutatorian from the Rosenberg School of Optometry in 2015 and completed his residency at the Minneapolis V.A. Medical Center.

Dr. Allen is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the AOA Strategic Communications Committee, and he completed the AOA leadership training in 2022. He was also awarded the Media Advocacy award from the AOA in 2021.

Dr. Allen is a practicing optometrist in Virginia and the founder of Doctor Eye Health, an educational YouTube channel and Podcast with more than 1 Million subscribers. There, he provides information about eye health, ocular disease, and vision products. His videos cover a range of topics that his subscribers frequently ask about eye floaters, dry eye syndrome, contact lenses, eyeglasses, eye surgery and more.

Dr. Allen has been featured on the Diary of a CEO Podcast, Ask Men and Oprah Daily and in his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, weight lifting, video games and travel.

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About Dr. Tucker

Dr. Tucker is a graduate of the UHCO where she also completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency. Dr. Tucker is a partner at Bellaire Family Eye Care and The Contact Lens Institute of Houston, a private practice in the Houston, TX area where she primarily focuses on patients in need of specialty contact lenses and myopia management, She is a Visiting Assistant Professor at UHCO where she teaches Ophthalmic Optics. She also serves as the Treasurer for the Scleral Lens Education Society, the Secretary for the AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section and is on the advisory board for the GPLI. Dr. Tucker has been named by the World Council of Optometry as a Global Ambassador for Myopia Management and serves as the medical co-editor for Review of Myopia Management.