Marcio Bittar Nehemy MD, PhD

Dr. Marcio is a Full Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, UFMG, Márcio Bittar Nehemy joined the institution's teaching team in 1996. In addition to having supervised 25 doctoral and master's theses, he is head of the Hospital's Retina and Vitreous Service São Geraldo, who is part of the Hospital das Clínicas complex at UFMG, vice president of the Brazilian Academy of Ophthalmology, and member of several boards of directors of national and international medical societies in the field of ophthalmology.

Nehemy's works are divided into the use of stem cells in ophthalmology, vitreoretinal surgery, and, mainly, age-related macular degeneration (RMID), the main cause of legal blindness in individuals over 50 years of age and one of the four main causes of the blindness of the world. In individuals over 65 years of age, the disease is present in 5% to 7% of the population. In addition to age, obesity and smoking are risk factors, according to the ophthalmologist.