Corneal Associates, PC
840 Walnut Street
Suite 920
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5109
Phone: 866-337-7167
Fax: 215-928-3854
Our Physicians
Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD
- College - BA, Harvard University, 1971 – Phi Beta Kappa
- Medical School - Harvard Medical School, 1975 – Alpha Omega Alpha
- Internship - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1976
- Residency - Wills Eye Institute, 1979
- Fellowship Training - Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, 1981
- Academic Appointments - Director Cornea Service, Attending Surgeon, Wills Eye Institute; Professor of Ophthalmology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
- Certification - American Board of Ophthalmology, 1980
Dr. Cohen is the director of the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Institute. Her interest in ophthalmology and cornea started when she was a medical student at Harvard. She says, "I liked the combination of medicine, surgery and primary care in ophthalmology in general. I chose cornea because the surgery is most elegant and often successful, and my favorite part of medicine is infections. In addition, the emergencies in cornea are challenging and varied."
Dr. Cohen joined the Wills Eye Institute Cornea Service after her fellowship in 1981. In addition to her position as the director of the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Institute, Dr. Cohen acts as co-medical director of the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley. She has served on various ophthalmic society boards, committees of the AAO, and the editorial staffs of several prominent journals. She was a member of the FDA Ophthalmic Device Panel. She has published over 175 articles and 20 chapters in the ophthalmic literature on corneal diseases and surgery. She teaches and lectures extensively at Wills and throughout the country on cornea-related topics.
She has a special interest in corneal infections and corneal transplantation and an expertise in fitting contact lenses in patients with corneal diseases, specifically keratoconus.
She lives with her husband between Center City Philadelphia
and New York City, where her husband is chairman of radiology at NYU They have two grown sons, David and Benjamin. David works at a hedge fund, and Benjamin is a lawyer.
Christopher J. Rapuano, MD
- College - B.A. Brown University, 1982
- Medical School - Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1986
- Internship - Mount Auburn Hospital, 1987
- Residency - Wills Eye Institute, 1990
- Fellowship Training - University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, 1991
- Academic Appointments – Co-Director, Cornea Service; Co-Chief, Refractive Surgery Department, Attending Surgeon, Wills Eye Institute; Professor of Ophthalmology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
- Certification - American Board of Ophthalmology, 1991
Dr. Rapuano, originally from Northern New Jersey, joined the Cornea Service at Wills after his fellowship in 1991. He was instrumental in reintroducing refractive surgery to Wills at that time. Dr. Rapuano is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in corneal diseases, with a special interest in refractive surgery. He feels that cornea specialists are particularly skilled at performing LASIK, which essentially involves reshaping the cornea. As a cornea specialist who performs LASIK, he is especially good at determining who is and is not a good candidate for LASIK, thereby decreasing the risk of complications after LASIK. Dr. Rapuano performs all pre-operative and post-operative care for his LASIK patients. When complications occasionally occur, other LASIK doctors refer their patients to Dr. Rapuano for his expertise and care.
He has published several books and over 100 research papers in the medical literature on corneal diseases and excimer laser PTK surgery. During his ophthalmology residency, Dr. Rapuano co-authored a best-selling textbook in ophthalmology, The Wills Eye Institute Manual. This book is considered the bible to ophthalmology residents throughout the country during their training, and it is in its 4th edition. He recently published The LASIK Handbook – A Case-Based Approach. Dr. Rapuano serves on many committees of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and on the editorial boards of numerous peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals, including the American Journal of Ophthalmology. He is a member of the American Ophthalmalogical Society.
Dr. Rapuano lives with his wife, Sara, and their four children in the Philadelphia suburbs. Sara is involved in the administration of Corneal Associates and does medical practice management and hospital consulting.
Kristin M. Hammersmith, MD
- College - University of North Carolina, 1994
- Medical School - West Virginia University, 1998
- Internship - Washington Hospital Center, 1999
- Residency - Wilmer Ophthalmologic Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 2002
- Fellowship Training - Wills Eye Institute, 2003
- Academic Appointments – Director, Cornea Fellowship Program; Assistant Surgeon, Wills Eye Institute; Instructor, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
- Certification - American Board of Ophthalmology, 2003
Dr. Hammersmith joined Corneal Associates in September of 2003 after finishing a year of corneal fellowship here. Dr. Hammersmith says, "I found that I enjoy anterior segment surgery, especially the opportunity to consistently and dramatically make a positive impact on patients’ lives. The specialty also allows for the development of long-term relationships with patients, the best part of medicine."
She is excited to be here at Wills as an active part of the teaching program. She is the director of the Wills Eye Institute Cornea Fellowship Program and teaches the residents in the Wills Eye Institute Residency Program. Her research interests include the study of severe ocular surface diseases such as dry eye, blepharitis, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, and recurrent erosions. She is one of a few doctors nationwide involved in treating severe ocular surface disease with the artificial cornea transplant, Boston K-Pro. In addition, she has a special interest in corneal disease in children.
Dr. Hammersmith is married and lives in Center City Philadelphia. Her husband, Doug, works for the Campbell’s Soup Company.
Peter R. Laibson, MD
- College - BA, University of Vermont, 1955
- Medical School - State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, 1959
- Internship - Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, 1960
- Residency - Wills Eye Institute, 1964
- Fellowship Training - Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, 1965
- Academic Appointments – Director Emeritus Cornea Service, Attending Surgeon, Wills Eye Institute; Professor of Ophthalmology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Clinical Associate Professor or Ophthalmology, Temple University School of Medicine
- Certification - American Board of Ophthalmology, 1965
After completing his corneal fellowship at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Dr. Laibson returned to Wills Eye Institute. He has been full time on the Cornea Service since then.
He was the director of the Cornea Service from 1973 through 1999, when he passed the directorship to Dr. Elisabeth Cohen. He is currently Director Emeritus of the Service. He is also the co-medical director of the Lions Eye Bank of the Delaware Valley.
Dr. Laibson is an internationally recognized expert in cornea and external disease. In fact, he has had the distinct honor of being the first ophthalmologist to practice the subspecialty of corneal ophthalmology at Wills. He has trained over 165 ophthalmologists to be corneal specialists, and has published over 325 articles and chapters in the ophthalmic literature. He is an invited lecturer throughout the United States and the world. His expertise lies in his knowledge of corneal diseases, particularly corneal dystrophies and degenerations; viral diseases of the eye, particularly herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and adenovirus; and corneal transplantation. He was involved in research on the first anti-viral drug used for herpes in the eye. He has been on the editorial board of virtually every significant ophthalmology journal during his illustrious career.
Dr. Laibson has served on the FDA Advisory Committee and on numerous committees of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), including the program committee. He has been the president of the Cornea Society and is the recipient of numerous awards and lectureships, including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the AAO, which he received in 1999, and the Castroviejo Medal of the Cornea Society. He has been a member of the American Ophthalmological Society for 31 years. He has been involved in and honored by numerous ophthalmology societies during his career.
Dr. Laibson and his wife live in Haverford, Pennsylvania. They have three grown children and three grandchildren scattered across the United States. David is a professor of economics at Harvard University. Rebecca is a lawyer in San Francisco, and Rachel is a healthcare consultant for Chapterhouse in Chicago.