Speaker Bios

Dr. David A. Kostick, M.D., is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1989.  He then completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at the Cleveland Clinic in 1993, followed by a 2-year fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at West Virginia University.

Immediately following his training, he joined the ophthalmology department at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where he served as Assistant Professor and Consultant of Ophthalmology for 16 years. In 2012, he partnered with Dr. Rajesh Shetty at Florida Eye Specialists. Dr. Kostick performs eyelid, orbital, and lacrimal system surgery, including cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. Since 2005, Dr. Kostick has been consistently selected for the Best Doctors in America®.

Dr. Irene T. Lee is a board-certified ophthalmologist and ASOPRS-trained Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon specializing in functional and cosmetic eyelid, brow, facial, tear duct, and orbital surgery. A summa cum laude graduate of Rice University, she earned her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She completed her ophthalmology residency, serving as chief resident, at Vanderbilt Eye Institute. She then completed a two-year ASOPRS-accredited fellowship at Duke Eye Center.

Dr. Lee has contributed extensively to clinical and basic science research, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national meetings. Known for her warm and attentive style, she blends artistic vision with meticulous surgical skill to deliver natural, patient-centered results. Outside of work, she enjoys international travel, hiking with her husband, exercising, cooking, and caring for her indoor plants.

Dr. Kaleb Abbott is an optometrist and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, specializing in complex ocular surface diseases. He contributes to clinical trials and research through the Dry Eye Clinic and the Center for Ocular Inflammation.

A leader in his field, Dr. Abbott serves as vice president of the Ocular Wellness and Nutrition Society and chairs the Nutrition, Disease Prevention, and Wellness SIG for the American Academy of Optometry. He also sits on multiple editorial advisory boards, participates in AAO leadership initiatives, and hosts the Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease series for the AAO Foundation’s Clinical Podcast.

Dr. Abbott has been recognized as a rising leader, including a 2024 nomination for Colorado’s Young Optometrist of the Year and being named “One to Watch” by Modern Optometry. He co-founded SunSnap Kids, an award-winning pediatric sunglasses company, before selling the majority stake to focus on academic and clinical work.

In addition to patient care and research, Dr. Abbott is a sought-after lecturer, a frequent author in professional publications, and a medical reviewer for 10 scientific journals.

Dr. John S. Jarstad is an experienced ophthalmologist based in Tampa, Florida, affiliated with Tampa General Hospital and TGH Surgery Center at Morsani. He earned his B.S. from Brigham Young University and his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine. 

He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) from 1984 to 1988 and a fellowship in Ophthalmology and Nuclear Medicine at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health in 1983–1984. With over 20 years of practice, Dr. Jarstad specializes in cataract, glaucoma, visual impairment, and other eye conditions.

John Potter, O.D., M.A., is an active practitioner in dispute resolution and conflict management. He has mediated more than 3,000 disputes, many of which occurred in the health care field.  He received his Doctor of Optometry from Indiana University and his Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Distinguished Clinical Scholar at the State University of New York’s State College of Optometry. 

Dr. Potter has been an active practitioner in dispute resolution and conflict management since 2001.  He has written over 60 peer-reviewed publications and more than 200 editorials, and has been the recipient of the William Ezell Award for scientific writing from the Southern Council of Optometrists.  He twice won the Spurgeon Eure Award for excellence in clinical research from the American Optometric Foundation. He received the Vision Service Award from the Heart of America Contact Lens Society in 1994.  Dr. Potter was the first editor of the Journal of Optometric Education, the sixth editor of the Journal of the American Optometric Association, and now serves as a Contributing Editor to the Review of Optometry.  

He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Primary Care Optometry News.  Dr. Potter has been quoted in Reader’s Digest, the Wall Street Journal, the Asian Wall Street Journal, and other national and international publications.

Justin “Jay” Miller is the Dean and Dorothy A. Miller Research Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. Appointed in 2019 as the youngest dean in the nation, he holds a B.S. from Western Kentucky University, an MSW from Spalding University, and a PhD from the University of Louisville’s Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Sciences.

Under his leadership, the College of Social Work (CoSW) has expanded enrollment, grown its research portfolio, and launched innovative programs, including the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center, eService Initiative, and workforce-focused fellowships. He established the Investment in Ingenuity and Initiative Program (I3) and achieved national quality certification for the College’s online MSW program, while also launching new undergraduate and graduate Criminal Justice degrees.

Dean Miller’s research focuses on child welfare, juvenile justice, and self-care among helping professionals, founding the first Self-Care Lab dedicated to empirically studying self-care in social work and other fields. He has authored numerous publications and books, including works on teaching philosophy and self-care for helping professionals.

An active community leader, Dean Miller has founded multiple foster care and social work initiatives, served on local and federal advisory boards, and currently chairs the Kentucky Board of Social Work. His work has earned numerous awards, including the CSWE Distinguished Recent Contributions in Social Work Education Award, international and national recognitions, and multiple state honors.

A proud foster and kinship alum, Dean Miller continues to advance social work education, practice, and policy while mentoring future leaders.

Dr. Kimberly Riordan is a Florida Board-Certified Optometric Physician with advanced training in primary care and ocular disease. A magna cum laude graduate of Ball State University, she earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. She completed a primary care residency at the William Chappell Jr. VA in Daytona Beach. She became a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry in 2012.

At Florida Eye Specialists, Dr. Riordan leads the Dry Eye Center at the San Marco and Ponte Vedra locations. She has special expertise in complex contact lens fittings for patients with corneal degeneration, and she is actively involved in research and lecturing on ocular disease, dry eye, and specialty lenses. Known for her patient-centered approach, Dr. Riordan values building strong relationships and delivering exceptional care. She is also an active member of multiple state and national optometric associations.

Ana is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner and the head of Florida Eye Specialists’ cosmetic division, Focus Aesthetics. She specializes in aesthetics, dermatology, and skincare. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and earned her Master’s Degree as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner from the University of North Florida, where she graduated with honors. She has over 8 years of nursing experience working with pediatric hematology/oncology patients, urgent care, ENT, and primary care.

With her aesthetic knowledge, artistry, and attention to detail, she creates individualized treatment plans tailored to her clients. Ana believes that education and prevention are the foundation of overall health and well-being. Quoting Wayne Fields, she says, “The six best doctors are sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise, and diet … and a touch of ‘tox here and there.”

When she is not at the office, Ana enjoys spending time with her son doing outdoor activities, surfing, running, and playing with her dog, Luna.

Azeem Hasan is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine with a developing interest in ophthalmology. He has been involved in several ophthalmology-related research projects, including recently presenting at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Conference. He plans to pursue residency training in the field.

Dr. McGregor N. Lott is an experienced ophthalmologist with nearly 15 years in practice. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, where he also completed a research fellowship focused on retinal drug studies. After an internal medicine internship at Wake Forest University, he returned to the Medical College of Georgia for his ophthalmology residency.

In 2007, Dr. Lott moved to Florida and completed a Medical Retina fellowship at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Board-certified in ophthalmology since 2009, he spent nine years at the Mayo Clinic in his hometown of Waycross, Georgia, before joining Florida Eye Specialists. Known for his compassionate approach and commitment to patient understanding, he has received numerous awards recognizing his leadership and exceptional patient satisfaction scores, including the Avatar Excellent Award and the Difference Maker Award. Dr. Lott has also held notable professional roles, including serving as President of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology and as a member of the Georgia Composite State Board of Medical Examiners.

Dr. S. Akbar Hasan is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cornea, LASIK, and cataract specialist.   Dr. Hasan completed a rigorous Ophthalmology residency program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He then pursued his corneal and LASIK fellowship at Duke University. Dr. Hasan came to Jacksonville in 2002. He served as the lead cataract and corneal surgeon and Director of the Laser Vision Correction Program at the Mayo Clinic for ten years. He joined Florida Eye Specialists in 2012. Dr. Hasan has tremendous surgical experience in corneal transplantation, laser cataract surgery with advanced technology intraocular lenses, and LASIK.

Originally from India, Dr. Hasan grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where his father served as Dean at the University of Kentucky and his mother worked as a librarian there. He and his wife, Farhana, an artist originally from London, are blessed with four wonderful children: Aamir, Azeem, Aidin, and Aisha. Together, they share a passion for hiking and visiting our national parks.

Dr. Hasan provides comprehensive eye examinations for cataracts, refractive surgery (LASIK), corneal diseases such as corneal infections and scars, pterygia, dry eye, blepharitis, diabetes, and other eye diseases. Dr. Hasan has maintained his strong interest in teaching and continues to engage in research, present at national meetings, and publish in the peer-reviewed literature.

Dr. Susan Frick, O.D., received her undergraduate degree in Finance at the University of Tampa in 1987. Recognizing her passion for the medical field, Dr. Frick returned to school and earned her degree in Optometry with Honors from Nova Southeastern College of Optometry in 1997.

Dr. Frick returned to Optometry after staying home full-time to raise her children and is currently working at Clay Eye Physicians and Surgeons. As a primary care Optometric Physician, patient care is of the utmost priority.

Dr. Alice Sterling, O.D. is a board-certified optometrist practicing at the Florida Eye Clinic in Orlando, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Central Florida in 1979. Recognizing her passion was in the medical field Dr. Sterling returned to school and earned her degree in Optometry from the University of Alabama in 1984.