Gareth Lema, MD, PhD

12/26/2025

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.
1 John 4:11-12 NIV - Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

12/24/2025

Gave blood for the 4th time this year. This is going to be a really nerdy thing to brag about, but i was proud to fulfill the All Season Donor criteria while donating Double Red Cells. Its a tough thing to do when the donations have to be spaced out by 4 months. Give blood this holiday season! It's a free way to give someone the gift of life.
New York Blood Center

12/22/2025

Direct quote from my son: "We have to wear goggles because scientists wear goggles." That's how you make an ophthalmologist dad proud! Safety first! 😊

12/19/2025

Be careful this New Years Eve! Always cover the champagne cork with a towel and direct it away from others and yourself.

Champagne cork eye injuries can happen to anyone. Read Jeremy's story: https://ow.ly/pa2k50XLbgM

12/16/2025

I had an amazing week in Nepal, full of transformational experiences caring for patients, teaching, learning...and receiving credit and accolades that were disproportionate to the efforts I have made so far. But they were well deserved by my colleagues in this video, who have lived this mission for well over a decade. Please take a few minutes to learn about the fascinating efforts made by Operation Restore Sight and Dooley Intermed Intenational. Seriously, if you read this far the video is incredible. Surgery in tents after a two day hike with mules carrying the microscope parts...talk about off the grid!

This is "Gorkha: Gift of Sight" by Skyship Films on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

12/16/2025

Shout out to the surgeons at REMEH in Banepa, Nepal. This eye hospital offers full eye services, including subspecialty surgery at their in house OR. All services are provided regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Surgeons like my retina colleague Dr. Sarita Manandhar are doing the hard work every day. As part of ongoing support, Dooley Intermed International provided the funding to buy a bus to transport patients who can not get to their eye surgeries.

12/10/2025

Respect to the doctors at Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga Eye Hospital in Dhalkebar. Over the last three days, this team performed over 200 cataract surgeries for free. They provided bussing for patients, and even allowed the patients to stay at the hospital until their post-op visit...even if that meant sleeping on a mat in the hallway. We provided subspecialty consultation and surgical expertise.

Dr. Deekshya Malla and Dr. Sandhya Shrestha worked tirelessly to perform most of the surgeries...even going past midnight on the last day.

12/10/2025

It was a day like no other today - midway though my first ever medical mission trip. We started the day on the border of India in one of the poorest towns I've ever seen, took a plane to Kathmandu to meet the President of Nepal, toured the impressive ophthalmology department at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital, and then ended the day in this beautiful mountain town. It is an honor to work with Dooley Intermed and Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga Eye Hospital, who help restore sight at two eye hospitals. I thought I would make a gallery, but there is too much to mention. it may take a few posts.

11/28/2025

Beautiful mural in S. lLong Park that I came across on a morning run. To me it captured summer and winter in one striking image. Get out and get fit! Who cares if it's 30 degrees and windy?!

11/08/2025

I only stumbled upon it thanks to waking up wicked early for a fantastic talk by visiting Professor, . On 125th between Park and Lex, only available for viewing outside of normal business hours :).

09/25/2025

Happy to make the NYBC post this month. I didn't even know they saw these selfies!

09/08/2025

LET'S GO!!!