Shannath Louise Merbs MD, PhD, FACS

Shannath Merbs, M.D., Ph.D., FACS treats diseases of the tissues surrounding the eyes, eyelids and eye socket. This includes diseases such as eyelid malposition, congenital defects, benign and cancerous growths, tear duct problems and the ocular effects of thyroid disease, as well as traumatic injuries to the eyelids, tear drainage system and bones of the eye socket. Dr. Merbs also leads an active research program in the field of ocular epigenetics and its contribution to retinal development and disease. Dr. Merbs also performs research in Africa, working to improve the outcome of eyelid surgery for trachoma, the most common infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Dr. Merbs and others in the Division are improving the treatment of orbital fractures, thyroid eye disease and orbital tumors by using pre-operative planning and intraoperative navigation.

Dr. Merbs received her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed her residency in ophthalmology and fellowship in oculoplastic surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute. She has been a member of the Wilmer faculty since 1997.