Jessica Shantha, MD, joined Emory Eye Center’s faculty in September 2017. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia. She earned her medical degree, summa cum laude, from Morehouse School of Medicine. She completed a transitional year program at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and an ophthalmology residency at Emory. She followed residency with a clinical and research fellowship in medical retina disease at Retina Consultants of Hawaii. In addition, she spent a year as the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation clinical uveitis fellow with the Francis I. Proctor Foundation.
During her residency at Emory, Shantha became involved with research related to how Ebola virus disease can affect survivors’ vision and the eye itself. She has published in scientific journals such as Ophthalmology, Current Opinions in Ophthalmology, and the New England Journal of Medicine and continues to be involved in on-going efforts in West Africa.
Currently, she is a part of the BIRCWH Scholars Program at Emory University and is continuing to explore her academic and clinical interests that include infectious and non-infectious uveitis, emerging pathogen discovery, and addressing clinical and research gaps within uveitis and retinal disease in international health care settings.
Shantha holds memberships in the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Uveitis Society, and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. She also is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
She is the daughter of Victoria McLeod of Americus and Dr. T. R. Shantha of Stone Mountain. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McLeod of Americus and the late Mr. and Mrs. Totada Shantha of India.