Contact Us
Investigator / Contact Person
Siamak Yousefi, Ph.D., FARVO
Office
305-243-5411
Email
siamak.yousefi@miami.edu
Cornea Research Network
A Multimodal, AI-Driven Platform for Corneal Disease Characterization and Diagnostics
Mission
The Cornea Research Network (CRN) is a collaborative initiative focused on advancing corneal disease research through large-scale, multimodal data integration and artificial intelligence. CRN aims to enable early detection, objective staging, progression prediction, and personalized management of corneal disorders.
Scientific Scope
CRN addresses a broad range of corneal diseases, including:
- Keratoconus and ectatic disorders
- Post-refractive surgery ectasia
- Corneal dystrophies and degenerations
- Infectious and inflammatory keratitis
- Corneal scarring and transplantation outcomes
Key objectives include:
- Early detection of subclinical and forme fruste disease
- Quantitative staging and risk stratification
- Prediction of progression and treatment response
- Decision support for intervention timing and modality
Current Collaborators
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine / Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
- Amr Saad Mohamed Elsawy
- Shelby Solomon Darnell
University of Baghdad, College of Education for Pure Sciences (KECBU), Iraq
- Ali Altimemy
University of Brest, France
- Mostafa Elhabib Daho
University of Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Marwa Chendeb
- Noor Aburaed (first name not specified)
Morgan State University, United States
- Shiva Mehravaran
University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
- Waqas Munir
Refractive Surgery Center (Refraktives Zentrum), Germany
- Suphi Taneri
Jichi Medical University, Japan
- Hidenori Takahashi
University of Sao Paolo, Brazil
- Rossen Hazarbassanov
Asuit University, Egypt
- Hazem Abdelmotaal
Other Collaborators
- Amir Rahdar
- Alexandru Lavric
Datasets and Modalities
Imaging
- Corneal tomography (Pentacam, Orbscan)
- Corneal topography
- Anterior segment OCT
- Biomechanical imaging (e.g., Corvis ST dynamic deformation)
- Slit-lamp photography
Clinical and Surgical Data
- Refraction and visual acuity
- Contact lens and refractive surgery history
- Cross-linking and surgical interventions
- Postoperative and longitudinal outcomes
Biomechanics and Biophysics
- Corneal stiffness metrics
- Dynamic deformation parameters
- Structure–biomechanics relationships
Genetics (where available)
- Keratoconus-associated variants
- Polygenic risk profiling
- Gene–environment interaction analysis
AI and Analytics Framework
CRN leverages advanced AI methodologies to:
- Detect early ectatic changes beyond human recognition
- Integrate structure, shape, and biomechanics
- Predict individual risk of progression
- Guide personalized treatment pathways
- Enable explainable and clinically interpretable models
Collaborative Model
CRN is structured as a multi-institutional, open research platform, enabling:
- Standardized imaging and annotation protocols
- Multi-site validation of AI models
- Prospective and retrospective studies
- Academic–industry collaboration
Partners include:
- Cornea and refractive surgery centers
- Biomedical engineers and AI scientists
- Imaging and device manufacturers
Impact
CRN seeks to:
- Redefine early diagnosis of corneal disease
- Reduce preventable vision loss
- Improve surgical planning and outcomes
- Accelerate translation of AI into corneal practice
- Establish globally validated corneal biomarkers
Get Involved
CRN invites:
- Clinical and surgical cornea centers
- Data scientists and engineers
- Imaging technology partners
- Trainees and collaborators worldwide