Current Residents
Maya Ling, MD grew up in Princeton, NJ and received her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics from Yale University. Her activities at Yale were varied, ranging from promoting environmental awareness and advocating recycling to spending a summer in the Philippines to coordinate the transport of donated medical supplies to physicians in Manila. Before starting medical school, Dr. Ling spent some time tutoring and then backpacked around southern Patagonia for several months. She went on to receive her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. During medical school, Dr. Ling was drawn to ophthalmology because of the field’s combination of long-term patient care and surgical expertise, along with its potential to help patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds. She completed her internship in internal medicine at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco and is excited to be working at California Pacific Medical Center because of its diverse patient population and excellent faculty.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Ling enjoys the outdoors, travel, reading fiction, and cooking.
Patrick Coady, MD, MBA was born in Brazil, but grew up in New Canaan, CT. He received his undergraduate degree in Economics at Dartmouth College and subsequently spent two years as an investment-banking analyst at JPMorgan in New York City. He returned to the granite of New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth Medical School and while there, received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business.
Dr. Coady completed his internship in internal medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt in New York, NY. Prior to coming to CPMC, he had the opportunity to do volunteer medical work in and around the Amazon city of Santarém, Brazil. He also had the opportunity to settle in the area and do research with some CPMC ophthalmology faculty.
Dr. Coady feels fortunate that he had the types of mentors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center that inspired him to pursue ophthalmology. He was drawn to CPMC by its strong clinical training, dedicated faculty, international experience and collaborative learning environment. After finishing training, he hopes to be involved in delivering eye care to internationally underserved areas.
Deeply rooted to the northeast, Dr. Coady is excited to call the San Francisco Bay Area home for at least his time at CPMC. He enjoys hiking, running, snowboarding, gastronomy on a budget and travel.
Edie De Niro, MD joined the CPMC Department of Ophthalmology in November 2010. She grew up in Spokane, WA and has lived in San Francisco for the past ten years. Dr. De Niro earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Williams College, a liberal arts college in Williamstown, MA. She graduated summa cum laude and received highest honors for an undergraduate thesis about the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in chorus frogs. While at Williams College, Dr. De Niro received the Coaches Award in Varsity Cross Country and she continues to be an avid runner.
Dr. De Niro came to CPMC after her diverse experiences at UCSF that included Medical School Representative for the Student Health Committee, Dean’s Fellowship for Summer Research, and Coordinator for Men’s Support Group for a homeless health clinic. Prior to medical school, she worked for three years as a Researcher and Lab Manager at the University of California, Berkeley, and taught Physical Science and Chemistry at the Mercy High School summer school program.
Dr. De Niro chose to pursue Ophthalmology because vision has a profound impact on a person’s life. She selected residency training at CPMC because of the program’s focus on applied training and the supportiveness and camaraderie of the residents and faculty. After completion of the residency program, she hopes to be able to volunteer her skills to help people in developing countries.
During her free time, Dr. De Niro enjoys cycling, soccer, traveling abroad, and going to the theater.
Sally Chang, MD is originally from Taiwan. She attended high school in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Chang graduated summa cum laude with undergraduate degrees in Biomedical Science and Biololgy at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued on at UPenn to obtain her medical degree. During medical school, Dr. Chang did research involving patients with multiple sclerosis, and won an award for this work at a national neuro-ophthalmology conference. Her extracurricular experiences at UPenn include a position as Ophthalmology Interest Group-Co-President, as well as volunteering in the free Chinatown clinic. Prior to her arrival at CPMC, Dr. Chang completed her internship in internal medicine at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA. Dr. Chang chose the Eye Department at CPMC to work with exceptional faculty and to experience diverse training opportunities.
Dr. Chang has lived in San Francisco for one year. She enjoys the opportunity to visit her family in the Bay Area. Outside of medicine, Dr. Chang’s interests include piano, cooking, traveling, and trying new restaurants with her husband.
Geoffrey Wilkes, MD received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Biology and his medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School.
His previous work and volunteer experience is varied and extensive. He served in a number of capacities with the West Virginia Governor’s School for Math and Science, ranging from activities coordinator to physician in residence. In his eight summers with the National Youth Science Camp in West Virginia, his responsibilities included audio-visual technician, rock climbing program coordinator, medical assistant and ultimately camp physician. Recently he held a unique role outside of medicine as the Personal Assistant to stand-up comedian Josh Blue.
Dr. Wilkes volunteered in Benin, Africa with Unite for Sight, helping to organize an eye clinic for vision screening and treatment. This included assisting with cataract surgeries, an experience that inspired him to pursue ophthalmology as a career. Dr. Wilkes selected residency training in ophthalmology at CPMC because of its reputation for clinical excellence and for the supportive family atmosphere amongst the residents, attending physicians, and staff in the Eye Department.
Dr. Wilkes and his partner, Erin Welch, an ambulatory care pharmacist, are new to the San Francisco Bay Area. They enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors. His hobbies include cooking, hiking, camping, water sports, and basketball.
Adam Gess, MD grew up in Alexandria, Minnesota and received his undergraduate degree in sociology from Wheaton College, IL. In college he participated in the Human Needs and Global Resources program, during which he spent six months working in a medical clinic in rural Honduras. His interactions with a volunteer group of ophthalmologists during his internship in Honduras greatly influenced his interest in the field of ophthalmology. He attended the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, and completed his internship in internal medicine at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco.
Adam’s interest in ophthalmology is fueled by the rewarding nature of restoring sight, and the profound impact this has on patients’ lives. He comes from a family of eye doctors, and developed an interest in international eye care through the influence of his grandfather, a medical-missionary ophthalmologist in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He hopes to incorporate international service in the developing world as a regular part of his career.
Adam is excited to be training at California Pacific Medical Center because of the outstanding clinical and surgical volume, the variety of training environments, the superb faculty, the opportunity for international rotations, and the excellent camaraderie between residents and faculty. In his free time, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife, reading, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling.
Alan Lowinger, MD grew up just outside of New York City. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed medical school at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
As a medical student, Alan worked as a primary care provider at a clinic for uninsured Camden, NJ residents. As part of the Student Scholar Program, he spent significant time volunteering in charity hospitals in India. He was also co-President of the International Health Interest Group, raising money for health care needs abroad and helping to organize a for-credit ten-lecture elective on important international health matters.
Alan is very excited about the role of Ophthalmology in delivering permanent, inexpensive, life-altering care to those in need abroad. For him, California Pacific offers an amazing mix of surgical experience, diverse pathology, unbelievably down-to-earth attending physicians who love to teach, along with emphasis on International Ophthalmology and charity care.
Alan is most content in the proximity of a yoga mat or a journal with a gel pen. If he were not a resident, he would without a doubt be traveling.
Christian Hester, MD is originally from Magnolia, Arkansas. Dr. Hester received his undergraduate degree in Economics and Business from Hendrix College in Conway, AR. He studied medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS). Dr. Hester’s previous work experience includes political and policy internships in grassroots efforts with the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Washington, D.C., and at the Arkansas Medical Society in Little Rock. He worked at the American Academy of Ophthalmology in San Francisco, where he performed social media needs and risk benefit analysis and served as a liaison between physician and young ophthalmologist leadership and AAO staff. He also trained in low vision rehabilitation with Dr. Donald C. Fletcher. Dr. Hester chose California Pacific Medical Center to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Susan Day.
Dr. Hester enjoys experiencing the diverse culture in San Francisco and exploring the numerous restaurants and eateries with his fiancé. His other personal interests include cooking, fly fishing, playing guitar and singing, news and politics, and tennis.
Dr. Hester would like to thank the staff at California Pacific for the support provided to him and for the unique opportunity for his residency in Ophthalmology.