UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute
by name
Afshari, Natalie A. Baxter, Sally L. Borooah, Shyamanga Brown, Stuart I. Camp, Andrew Do, Jiun Ferreyra, Henry A. Freeman, William R. Goldbaum, Michael H. Granet, David B. Haw, Weldon W. Heichel, Chris W. Hennein, Lauren Huang, Alex A. Huang, Lingling Kikkawa, Don O. Kline, Lanning Korn, Bobby S. Lee, Jeffrey E. Liu, Catherine Y. Moghimi, Sasan Movaghar, Mansoor Nguyen, Thao P. Nudleman, Eric Puig-Llano, Manuel Robbins, Shira L. Rudell, Jolene Savino, Peter J. Scott, Nathan L. Spencer, Doran B. Toomey, Christopher B. Vasile, Cristiana Weinreb, Robert N. Welsbie, Derek S.
by specialty
Comprehensive Ophthalmology Cornea & Cataracts Dry Eye Clinic Glaucoma Neuro-Ophthalmology Ocular Oncology Ophthalmic Genetics Ophthalmic Pathology Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science Optometry & Low Vision Pediatric Ophthalmology & Eye Alignment Disorders Refractive Surgery / LASIK Retina & Vitreous Thyroid Eye Clinic Uveitis
by condition
AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) Cataracts Corneal Conditions Cosmetic Surgery Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Cancer Eye Movement Disorders Glaucoma Hereditary (Genetic) Disorders Low Vision Neuro-Ophthalmic Conditions Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Pediatric Conditions Refractive Errors Retinal Diseases Strabismus (Strabimus) Thyroid Eye Disease Uveitis
Derek S. Welsbie, MD, PhD

Derek S. Welsbie, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Board Certification in Ophthalmology
Fellowship in Glaucoma


Medical School ​University of California, Los Angeles
Residency The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Wilmer Eye Institute
Fellowship The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Wilmer Eye Institute
Special Interest Neuroprotection in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies; Use of functional genomic technologies to identify novel mediators of axon injury signaling in neurons; Development of dual leucine zipper kinase inhibitors; Role of dual leucine zipper kinase in traumatic brain injury
Publications View on PubMed

Derek S. Welsbie, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and a board-certified ophthalmologist who has an active medical and surgical practice, specializing in adolescents and adults with all stages of glaucoma.

Dr. Welsbie studies the way in which glaucoma leads to optic nerve injury, neurodegeneration and, ultimately, vision loss. Specifically, he uses high-throughput genetic screening to comprehensively characterize the genes responsible for nerve cell death. His ultimate goal is to develop new medication- and gene therapy-based neuroprotective strategies to interfere with these deleterious genes, prevent nerve cell death and improve outcomes for patients with glaucoma.

Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Welsbie was an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute, where he won the Shafer Prize for innovative glaucoma research from the Glaucoma Research Foundation and was named Assistant Professor of the Year (2015). In 2019, his laboratory was selected for the Catalyst for a Cure Consortium by the Glaucoma Research Foundation. He has been awarded multiple resident teaching awards including the Whitehill Prize. He also served as the Stephen J. Ryan Assistant Chief of Service and continues to have an interest in resident and medical student education.

Dr. Welsbie completed a residency in Ophthalmology and fellowship training in Glaucoma at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He earned his medical degree and doctorate in molecular biology from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Shiley Eye Institute Faculty Expertscape Rankings


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