Kamran M Riaz, MD

Dr. Kamran Riaz is a Clinical Professor, the Thelma Gaylord Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, and Vice-Chair for Clinical Research for the Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma. His clinical and surgical practice focus on cornea, external disease, anterior segment, cataract, and refractive surgery.

Dr. Riaz completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was admitted into the prestigious Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions pathway and was a member of the Honors College. He received dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and history and graduated magna cum laude with highest distinction. Dr. Riaz attended medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Northwestern University, where he served as Chief Resident during his senior year and received the Resident Research Award. He then completed an additional year of fellowship training in Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Riaz’s academic ophthalmology career began at the University of Chicago, where he served as an Assistant Professor and Director of Refractive Surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. During his time there, he restarted the refractive surgery service, inaugurated a region-wide optics course, and brought many new surgical procedures to the department. For his efforts, Dr. Riaz was recognized by the hospital administration in May 2018 at the “Best Practices Forum” for restoring vision in a patient who was blind for 38 years. He received the “Best Teacher Award” in 2018 from the University of Chicago ophthalmology residents and the “Teacher of the Year” award in 2019, as voted by residents from all six programs in the Chicago area.

Since arriving at Dean McGee Eye Institute in 2019, Dr. Riaz has developed a regional referral practice for complex cornea, cataract, refractive, and anterior segment surgery. He is frequently asked to evaluate patients with challenging eye conditions, prior surgical complications, dislocated or unstable lens implants, abnormal iris or pupil anatomy, corneal scarring, corneal infections, keratoconus, and other complex problems involving the front part of the eye. His surgical practice includes advanced cataract surgery, LASIK and PRK, corneal transplantation, secondary and scleral-fixated lens implant surgery, iris repair and artificial iris implantation, complex anterior segment reconstruction, and innovative corneal procedures, such as MICE for selected patients with abnormal blood vessel growth in the cornea.

Dr. Riaz has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed publications and more than 20 book chapters, and has delivered more than 120 presentations at national and international ophthalmology meetings. He is frequently invited to teach other eye surgeons through lectures, surgical courses, visiting professorships, and professional conferences across the United States and around the world, including veterinary ophthalmology meetings. His teaching focuses on cataract surgery, refractive surgery, corneal disease, optics, intraocular lens calculations, and the management of complex anterior segment problems.

Dr. Riaz holds several academic leadership roles, including Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic and Clinical Science Course Optics textbook, a core educational resource used by ophthalmology residents across the United States and by many trainees internationally. He also serves on the editorial boards of several ophthalmology journals. In April 2022, he received the Aesculapian Teaching Award from the OU College of Medicine — the first ophthalmology faculty member to receive this award since its inception in 1962. In 2025, he received the Dewayne Andrews, MD, Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He has also been recognized by Castle Connolly as a Top Doctor and as one of the top AAPI doctors nationally.

Dr. Riaz is passionate about resident and fellow education, especially in optics, cataract surgery, refractive surgery, and complex anterior segment surgery. He teaches national board review courses and helps train residents, fellows, and practicing ophthalmologists in surgical planning, corneal disease, intraocular lens calculations, and the management of complex eye surgery cases.

He is the Chief Editor of Optics for the New Millennium (Sept 2022), and the Associate Editor for Clinical Atlas of Anterior Segment OCT: Optical Coherence Tomography (May 2024), educational resources used by ophthalmology trainees and practicing eye doctors.

In his free time, Dr. Riaz enjoys history documentaries, football, basketball, and jazz music. He and his wife, Sanaa, who is also a physician, have three children. As a proud father and surgeon, Dr. Riaz has named surgical instruments he helped develop after his children — a personal reminder of the connection between his family life and his work helping restore vision. Dr. Riaz speaks Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic.