Michael S. Lee, MD
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
Doctorate of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Internship in Internal Medicine, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Chief Resident, Ophthalmology Residency, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Vitreoretinal Fellowship, Kresge Eye Institute, Detroit, MI
Certification
Retina Specialist, Vitreoretinal Surgery
Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology
Associations and Affiliations
American Medical Association
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Board member, Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology
Trustee, Oregon Medical Association
About Michael S. Lee, MD
Dr. Lee was born in New Jersey and grew up in upstate New York. He completed his undergraduate degree at Amherst College and his medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine. He remained at Yale for his ophthalmology residency, where he also served as the chief resident.
He went on to a vitreoretinal fellowship at the Kresge Eye Institute. He has presented at several national conferences and has been published in peer reviewed journals. In addition, he has authored several textbook chapters on diabetic retinopathy and complex retinal detachment procedures. He was the Leslie M. Nesmith Award recipient for the Schepens Society Meeting. After completing his training, he became an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University and served as the residency and program director. He joined Retina Northwest in 2005.
Dr. Lee is a board-certified ophthalmologist and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists. In addition, he serves as a board member of the Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology, as well as a trustee of the Oregon Medical Association. He is deeply dedicated to his patients and is involved in all aspects of retinal care, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, complex retinal detachments, retinal vascular disease, and surgical diseases of the retina. In order to advance retinal care, he has been actively working in research and has been the principal investigator for numerous national clinical trials.
When he is not caring for his patients, Dr. Lee can be found spending time with his wife and three children, traveling, hiking, golfing or skiing.
Apurva K. Patel, MD
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Harvard College, Cambridge, MA
Doctor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Internship in Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Ophthalmology Residency, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, NY
Certification
Retina Specialist, Vitreoretinal Surgery
Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology
About Apurva K. Patel, MD
Dr. Patel grew up in New York City and New Jersey before moving to Boston to attend Harvard College for both his undergraduate education in biophysics and medical school. Following graduation, he completed ophthalmology residency at the University of Pennsylvania and then retinal fellowship at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City. He then returned to a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania where he was awarded the Resident Surgical Teaching award. Married to a physician from the Northwest, Dr. Patel eagerly joined Retina Northwest in 2014, and has been enjoying the natural beauty, good food, and great neighborhoods in the Portland area since that time. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Patel serves as Chair of Ophthalmology at Providence St. Vincent’s Medical Center. His research publications include work on surgical management of diabetic tractional detachments, diabetic macular edema, and uveitis. He proudly continues his clinical research at Retina Northwest and continues to work on innovations for retinal diseases. He strives to listen to each patient, explain treatment options, and together create a patient-focused care plan. He additionally values the trust his patients place in him and enjoys long-term patient relationships. Outside of patient care, Dr. Patel enjoys cooking and learning to fish, forage and farm in the Northwest with his wife, daughter and son.
Harpal S. Sandhu, MD
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Doctorate of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Internship in Internal Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital, Boston, MA
Ophthalmology Residency, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA
Retina Fellowship, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Certification
Retina Specialist, Vitreoretinal Surgery
Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology
Certified in ophthalmology, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada
Associations and Affiliations
American Medical Association
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Retina Specialists
American Uveitis Society
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies
International Ocular Inflammation Society
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology
Retina Society
Royal College of Surgeons of Canada
About Harpal S. Sandhu, MD
Dr. Sandhu is a native of Vancouver, Canada. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in chemistry from Harvard College before attending Harvard Medical School. He performed his residency in ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Ear and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and his fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery and diseases at the Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Sandhu was a full-time faculty member in ophthalmology and physiology at the University of Louisville for four and a half years where he was an attending on the retina service, the uveitis service, and the ocular trauma service. He also served as the uveitis fellowship director and trained multiple fellows in retinal surgery and uveitis. While in academic ophthalmology, he was an NIH-sponsored investigator with research spanning ocular immunology, diabetic physiology, pharmacoepidemiology, and artificial intelligence applications to ophthalmic imaging. He has published over 100 scientific papers, abstracts, and book chapters in total.
In his free time, Dr. Sandhu enjoys playing tennis, spending time with his family both near and far, watching a wide range of sports, and reading non-fiction, particularly international relations history.
Paul S. Tlucek, MD
Education
Bachelor of Arts, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Doctorate of Medicine, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK
Internship in Internal Medicine, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK
Ophthalmology Residency, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK
Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
Certification
Retina Specialist, Vitreoretinal Surgery
Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology
Associations and Affiliations
American Medical Association
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Retina Specialists
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology
About Paul S. Tlucek, MD
After growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Tlucek moved to the Midwest, attending St. Olaf College and graduating summa cum laude while majoring in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. He then followed his family to Oklahoma City, studying at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, during which time he was selected as a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. After receiving his Doctorate of Medicine with special distinction, he continued his studies at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine for his internship in Internal Medicine and then residency in ophthalmology. In his final year of residency, he was selected as the first chief resident in ophthalmology at Dean McGee Eye Institute. Dr. Tlucek completed his vitreoretinal surgery training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics, and is the author of multiple peer-reviewed publications. After his fellowship, he made his way back to the Pacific Northwest and joined Retina Northwest in 2013, particularly drawn by the opportunity to participate in clinical studies to advance the field while providing care for patients. When not at Retina Northwest, Dr. Tlucek enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife, and sings in choirs whenever he has the chance.
Wenlan (Wendy) Zhang, MD
Education
Bachelor of Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Doctorate of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
Internship in Internal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
Ophthalmology Residency, Duke University, Durham, NC
Chief Resident, Ophthalmology Residency, Duke University, Durham, NC
Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, Duke University, Durham, NC
Certification
Retina Specialist, Vitreoretinal Surgery
Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology
Associations and Affiliations
American Medical Association
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Retina Specialists
Women in Ophthalmology, Women in Retina
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology
About Wenlan (Wendy) Zhang, MD
Dr. Zhang was born in China before immigrating to the US at age 4. She grew up in the Northeast and Midwest, and spent a few formative years in Mexico City, Mexico.
Dr. Zhang completed her undergraduate studies in biochemistry/chemistry at the University of Washington in St. Louis, graduating summa cum laude. She attended Duke University School of Medicine where she fell in love with ophthalmology after two years of dedicated research time studying eye diseases. She completed her medical internship at Duke followed by ophthalmology residency at the Duke Eye Center. Following residency, she served a year in clinical education as the Chief Resident.
Dr. Zhang completed her vitreoretinal surgery training at Duke University. During her time at Duke, she participated in numerous research projects with particular interests in ophthalmic imaging and retinal disease. She presented at national conferences and authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. During fellowship, she was one of five retina fellows in the country to receive a Ron Michels Foundation Fellowship Award.
Dr. Zhang is a board-certified ophthalmologist and active member of various academic associations. She joined Retina Northwest in 2019. At Retina Northwest, she blends her passion for patient care with her interest in adopting and advancing technology as an investigator in various clinical trials to ultimately advance clinical care.
Outside of the practice of medicine, Dr. Zhang enjoy hiking and exploring the bounties of the beautiful Pacific Northwest in rain or shine with her toddler daughter, husband, and two dogs. When she is not chasing after her daughter or dogs, she enjoys a good book with a cup of pourover coffee.
