Steven D. Ness, MD

Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Steven Ness, MD is an Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and serves as the Chief of the Retina Service and Director of the Vitreoretinal Surgery and Medical Retina Fellowships at Boston Medical Center. He sees patients both at Boston Medical Center and the Taunton office of Boston University Eye Associates and also serves as an Attending Physician at the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare System. His clinical interests include the medical and surgical management of chorioretinal vascular disease including diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, and age related macular degeneration and the surgical treatment of retinal detachment, epiretinal membranes and macular holes.

After graduating with a degree in neurobiology from Yale University and summa cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Ness completed a 1 year transitional internship at the Frankford Healthcare System. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Boston University, serving as chief resident in his final year. After a 2 year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Boston Medical Center and VA Boston Healthcare System, he joined the faculty of both institutions in 2008.

Dr. Ness serves as Director of Clinical Research for the Department of Ophthalmology and has several ongoing projects focusing on advanced novel retinal imaging systems, diabetic retinopathy, and the social determinants of healthcare and patient adherence. He is a co-investigator in an RO1 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke entitled "Predictive markers from diabetic retinopathy via quantitative imaging of retinal capillary functions".

Dr. Ness has been an invited speaker at regional, national, and international meetings. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and serves on national committees through the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retinal Specialists and on the editorial boards of Surveys of Ophthalmology and Focal Points.

Publications

  • Published 3/4/2025

    Zhang R, Jeon J, Ness S. Socioeconomic associations of amblyopia in the All of Us research program. J AAPOS. 2025 Apr; 29(2):104160. PMID: 40043939.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/13/2023

    Dia M, Davoudi S, Sanayei N, Martin DC, Albrecht MM, Ness S, Subramanian M, Siegel N, Chen X. Demographic and socioeconomic disparities in the hybrid ophthalmology telemedicine model. J Telemed Telecare. 2023 Nov 13; 1357633X231211353. PMID: 37960873.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/31/2023

    Dia M, Albrecht MM, Sanayei N, Cabral H, Martin DC, Subramanian ML, Ness S, Siegel NH, Desai M, Chen X. Patient Satisfaction with the Hybrid Telemedicine Model for Ophthalmology. Telemed J E Health. 2024 Feb; 30(2):499-508. PMID: 37651189.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/29/2023

    Nguyen AH, Davoudi S, Dong K, Bains A, Ness S, Subramanian ML, Siegel NH, Chen X. Socioeconomic Disparities in Patients Receiving Intravitreal Injections for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2023; 7(5):376-381. PMID: 37701269.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/12/2023

    Oke I, Ness SD, Peeler CE. Gaze-Evoked Vision Changes. J Binocul Vis Ocul Motil. 2023 Jul 03; 73(3):75-76. PMID: 37043635.

    Read at: PubMed

Education

  • University of Maryland School of Medicine, MD
  • Yale University, BA