Ahmara G. Ross, MD, PhD

Ophthalmology
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 12 and up
Scheie Eye Institute Penn Presbyterian
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Headshot of Ahmara G. Ross, MD, PhD
Penn Medicine Provider

About me

  • Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in Neurology

Dr. Ross is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Neurology who completed ophthalmology residency at the University of Pittsburgh then fellowships in Neuro-ophthalmology and Glaucoma at the Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania. She also has a PhD from Thomas Jefferson University. In addition to caring for patients with both glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmologic disorders, she also performs ocular surgery ranging from cataracts, minimally invasive, and incisional glaucoma surgery.

Dr. Ross diagnoses, treats, and manages optic neuropathies beyond the spectrum of glaucoma, but views this disease as another neuro-degenerative disease in need for sight changing therapy. Her interests and professional strengths go beyond basic science research with a clinical approach also aimed at addressing socio-economic barriers to the treatment of healthcare.

She joined the faculty in 2017 and is currently funded by an NIH K08 Career Development award to investigate the neuroprotective potential of gene therapy directed at retinal ganglion cells and neighboring support cells to treat chronic glaucoma. She is also collaborating on similar research using gene therapy to treat other mouse models of optic neuropathy such as trauma, compression, and inflammation.

My education and training

  • Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
  • Residency: Lankenau Medical Center
  • Residency: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Spoken languages

English
English

Reviews

Average Rating

567 reviews

Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.

Anonymous
May 2026
every single provide was superb in every way.
Anonymous
April 2026
she's brilliant as well as her fellows
Anonymous
April 2026
dr. ross listened to me. her advice was understandable and practical and hopeful.
Anonymous
April 2026
outstanding experience

Insurance accepted

Please contact the practice and/or the member services department of your insurance company for specific details before receiving services. Providers may participate in some, but not all, products offered by a health plan; providers may also accept plans at some practice locations but not others.

Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Ross is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

Research

Publications

Foshe S, Shi S, Bell BA, Lee S, Shankar A, Dine K, Song Y, Vithayathil J, Ross AG, Dunaief JL A Remarkable Tale: Increased Retinal Fluorescence Following Application of Permanent Marker Ink to Mouse Tails , Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 67(3): 2026,40

Realini T, Balasubramani GK, Kenkre T, Wolsk J, Kass MA, Gazzard G, Wisniewski SR; COAST Study Investigators Realini T, Balasubramani GK, Kenkre T, Wolsk J, Kass MA, Gazzard G, Wisniewski SR; COAST Study Investigators , Design and Baseline Characteristics of Participants in the Clarifying the Optimal Application of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) Therapy (COAST) Trial 1. : 2026

Vrathasha V, Pahl MC, Pippin JA, Nikonov S, He J, Halimitabrizi M, Moksha L, Salowe R, Edziah AA, Bradford Y, Zhu Y, Gudiseva HV, Chavali VRM, da Costa BL, Berry AM, Quinn PMJ, Cui QN, Miller-Ellis E, Sankar PS, Ross AG, Addis V, Verma SS, Wells AD, Grant SFA, O'Brien JM Variant-to-gene mapping identifies ARHGEF12 as a primary open-angle glaucoma effector gene operating within retinal ganglion cells , bioRxiv pre-print : 2026

Chaqour B, Rossman JB, Meng M, Dine KE, Ross AG, Shindler KS. SIRT1-based therapy targets a gene program involved in mitochondrial turnover in a model of retinal neurodegeneration , Sci Rep, 15: 2025,13585

Brown JS, Mumford S, Alexis DA, Ross AG, Higginbotham EJ. Gender Differences in Patient-Physician Communication in Ophthalmic Practice, Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Period , Am J Ophthalmol, 275: 2025,114-120

O'Neill N, Khan RS, Abd Alhadi S, Dine KE, Geisler JG, Chaqour B, Ross AG, Shindler KS. Mitochondrial Uncoupler, 2,4-Dinitrophenol, Reduces Spinal Cord Paralysis and Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model of Multiple Sclerosis , Biomolecules, 15: 2025,189

Brahim Chaqour, Jacob B. Rossman, Miranda Meng, Kimberly E. Dine, Ahmara G. Ross & Kenneth S. Shindler SIRT1-based therapy targets a gene program involved in mitochondrial turnover in a model of retinal neurodegeneration , Scientific Reports: 2025

Suad Abd Alhadi, David Camacho, Brahim Chaqour, Jacob B. Rossman, Jennifer C. Pham, Kenneth S. Shindler, Ahmara G. Ross Neuroprotective Effects of SIRT1 in Human RGCs Derived from iPSCs Following Oxidative Stress Induction at Early and Late Stages of Differentiation , Experimental Eye Research: 2025

O'Neill N, Meng M, Chaqour B, Dine K, Sarabu N, Pham JC, Shindler KS, Ross AG Comparison of SNCG and NEFH Promoter-Driven Expression of Human SIRT1 Expression in a Mouse Model of Glaucoma , Translational Vision Science Technology (TVST), 13(8): 2024

Ross AG, Higginbotham EJ Adopting More Precise Metrics to Move Everyone Closer to Eye Health , JAMA Ophthalmology, 142(6): 2024,546-547