JAMES M. MAISEL, MD, FAAO

Meet Dr. James M. Maisel

Diplomate, American Board of Ophthalmology Fellow, American Society of Retina Specialists

Awards and Honors

    Special Congressional Recognition Award.

    Banko Gift of Sight Award.

    Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Humanitarian of the year.

    Nassau County Executive Citation for Community Service.

    Dyson Fellow in Vitreous and Retinal surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.

    National Society to Prevent Blindness Representative for the ANSI Z-80 committee.

    Former President Nassau County Ophthalmological Society.

    Co-Chair World Diabetic Congress.

James M. Maisel, MD, FAAO.

Professional Affiliations

Hospital Appointments

    North Shore University Hospital Syosset.

    North Shore University Hospital Plainview.

    Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow.

Biography

Dr. James M. Maisel, MD, is a distinguished retinal specialist and the CEO and Founder of the Retina Group of New York and ZyDoc, a HealthTech AI company. With over four decades of experience as a vitreoretinal and laser surgeon working with the pharmaceutical industry on advanced medical treatments, Dr. Maisel is renowned for his expertise in treating complex retinal conditions, including dry and wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and complicated eye surgery. His practice integrates cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, offering patients world-class care.

Dr. Maisel’s contributions to medicine and technology have earned him numerous accolades. In 2025, he was awarded second place at the AI-Med 2025 Convention Competition for his groundbreaking presentation, "Solving Medicine’s Quadruple AIMS with ZyDoc’s Disruptive Innovative EHR Clinical Documentation Solutions." This achievement highlighted his innovative use of AI-powered to improve healthcare. His scientific publication holds the number 1 spot in the Journal of Medical Informatics Research and is one of the top 5% scientific publications of all time.

Throughout his career, Dr. Maisel has received prestigious awards, including a Special Congressional Recognition Award, the Anton Banko Small Incision Surgery Award, and the Gift of Sight Award. He was also named Humanitarian of the Year by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and served as Co-Chair of the 5th World Diabetes Congress in 2017. His work in medical informatics includes developing one of the first multimedia electronic medical records (EMRs), which was licensed to the Department of Defense, and pioneering speech recognition language models in the medical industry, the use of NLP, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in medicine.

Dr. Maisel’s expertise extends beyond clinical care. He has collaborated with leading pharmaceutical companies to advance treatments for many retinal diseases and has served as a consultant to ophthalmic equipment manufacturers. His leadership in the field has made him a sought-after lecturer and a key contributor to industry standards for the ophthalmic industry. He has served on the American Academy of Ophthalmology Instrument and Device, and Low Vision Committees, and on its Board Foundation.

Patients seeking exceptional retinal care can trust Dr. Maisel’s unparalleled experience, innovative approach, and dedication to improving outcomes. Schedule your appointment today with the Retina Group of New York to receive care from one of the most accomplished leaders in retinal health.

Education

Board Certified Ophthalmologist.

Dyson Vitreoretinal Fellowship, New York Presbyterian-Cornell Medical Center.

Residency in Ophthalmology, Nassau University Medical Center.

Internship in Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center.

Doctor of Medicine, New York Medical College.

B.A., Honors Chemistry, Kenyon College.

Special Congressional Award Logo.

Publications

Lincoff H, Maisel JM, Lincoff A.: Intravitreal disappearance rates of four perfluorocarbon gases. Arch Ophthalmology. 1984 June; 102(6):928-9.

Chang S, Coleman DJ, Lincoff H, Wilcox LM Jr., Braunstein RA, Maisel JM.: Perfluoropropane gas in the management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Am J Ophthalmology. 1984 Aug 15; 98(2):180-8.

Heinemann MH, Gold JM, Maisel J.: Bilateral toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Retina. 1986 Winter; 6(4):224-7.

Maisel JM, Miller F, Sibony PA, Maisel LM.: Multiple myeloma presenting with ocular inflammation. Ann Ophthalmology. 1987 May; 19(5):170-4.

Maisel JM.: Visual complaints and video display terminals. N Y State J Med. 1988 June; 88(6):289-90.

Maisel JM, Pearlstein CS, Adams WH, Heotis PM.: Large optic disks in the Marshallese population.Am J Ophthalmology. 1989 February 15; 107(2):145-50.

Maisel JM, VorwerkPA.: Sympathetic uveitis after giant tear repair. Retina. 1989; 9(2):122-6.

Panessa-Warren B, Maisel JM, Warren J.: Alterations in rabbit vitreal fine structure following C3F8 injection.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmology. 1990; 228(6):541-51.

Maisel J: Profile of an Imagenet User. Topcon Imagenews, 3:3, Spring 1992.

Maisel J, Nauheim R, Collucciello M, Rahn E, Nauheim J: Juxtafoveal Subretinal Neovascular Membranes Associated With Retinitis Pigmentosa. Nassau County Medical Center Proceedings, 19(1):23-25, July 1992.

Maisel J: Ophthalmics - Instruments - General-Purpose Clinical Visual Acuity Charts, ANSI Z80.21-1992 (R1998).

Maisel J: SLO And Imaging Systems Make Powerful Allies. EyeCare Technology, 4(1):41-44, 69; January/February 1994.

Maisel J, Short A: Fundamentals of Digital Imaging. EyeCare Technology, 4(2):43, 45, 47, 108, March/April 1994.

Maisel J: ZyDoc: State-Of-The-Art Medical Infosystem: The Only System You'll Ever Need. Doctor’s Shopper, 20-21, Fall 1994.

Maisel J: Ophthalmics - Intraocular Lenses. ANSI Z80.7-1994

Maisel J: Ophthalmics - Instruments - Tonometers - Requirements. ANSI Z80.10-1994.

Maisel J: Hospital Management International. Sterling Publications, Computerized Clinical Workstations. Hospital Management International, 117-119, 1995.

Maisel J: The Future via Digital Imaging. EyeCare Technology, 5(2):27, March/April 1995.

Maisel J, Hilton E: Ocular Lyme Borreliosis Diagnosed By Polymerase Chain Reaction Performed On The Vitreous. Long Island Jewish Medical Center, May 1995.

Maisel J: CD Simplifies Literature Access. Ophthalmology Times, 7, June 1995.

Maisel J: Drive for Efficiency Prompts Software Development. EyeCare Technology, 5(4):65, July/August 1995.

Maisel J: Voice Recognition Software. EyeCare Technology, 5(5):31, September/October 1995.

Bijlefeld M, Mathen: 21st Century Forecast: Managed Care's Influence (Featuring Dr. James Maisel). EyeCare Technology, 6(1):58, January 1996.

Maisel J: What's New In Office Systems - Medical Connections To Offer Continuous Speech Capability. EyeCare Technology, 6(1):80, January 1996.

Davidson D: The Best in Digital Imaging (Featuring Dr. James Maisel). EyeCare Technology, 6(3):21-22, March 1996.

Maisel J: Computerized Medical Infosystems and Practice Management. NYsight, 17-19, July 1996.

Maisel J, Hallak J, Rahn E, Gnadt G, Wertheimer R, Morcos M: Reaffirming the Importance of Routine Eye Exams. Spectrum, October 1997.

Maisel J: Making Doctors More Productive Speech Technology Magazine. September/October 2001

Maisel, James. Higher Speech Recognition Accuracy with Language Models. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 30 October 2001.

Maisel, James: Documenting the Medical Encounter with Speech Recognition Ophthalmology Times March 1, 2002

James M. Maisel, M.D. Requirements for Successful Front-End Speech Recognition Ophthalmology Times

C. Peter Waegemann; Claudia Tessier; Andrew Barbash; Barry H. Blumenfeld; Jonathan Borden; Robert M. Brinson Jr.; Todd Cooper; Peter L. Elkin; J. Michael Fitzmaurice; Susan Helbig; Kathleen Milholland Hunter; Brenda Hurley; Brian Jackson; James M. Maisel; David Mohr; Kathy Rockel; Joseph H. Schneider; Thomas Sullivan; Joe Weber, 2002, Medical Records Institute.

Vanessa Caceres, James M. Maisel, M.D., Jason S. Slakter, M.D., Gerald Mcgwin Jr., M.S., Ph.D., Cholesterol-Lowering Medications May Have Positive Association With AMD Prevention 8/8/2005 Ophthalmology News

Vanessa Caceres, Gary Fish, James M. Maisel, Jason S. Slakter, Francis F. Mah, Wet AMD Market Continues To Expand. Ophthalmology News 2006-9-4.

James M. Maisel, M.D., Lucentis Macular Degeneration Treatment Available - Macular Degeneration Stabilized For 95% of Patients. July 8, 2006 Prweb.Com Http://Www.Prweb.Com/Releases/Lucentis/Amd/Prweb408963.Htm

Vanessa Caceres, James M. Maisel, M.D., Pravin U. Dugel, M.D , Tim Jackson, Ph.D. , Tony Moses , Vidion , A Potentially Promising AMD Treatment Ophthalmology News

James Maisel, M.D., Eylea Treatment Available For Leading Cause Of Blindness In Elderly – Wet Macular Degeneration Stabilized For 95% Of Patients With Fewer Treatments. November 28, 2011 Prweb.Com. Http://Www.Prweb.Com/Releases/Macular_Degeneration/Eylea/Prweb8990740.Htm

James M. Maisel, M.D., Jetrea®: The First Non-Surgical Treatment of Vitreo-Macular Adhesion. February 4, 2013 Prweb.Com Http://www.Prweb.com/Releases/Jetrea/Macula/Prweb10397202.Htm

David R. Kaufman, Ph.D., Barbara Sheehan, Ph.D., Peter Stetson, M.D., M.A, James M. Maisel, M.D., Ashish Bhatt, M.B.A., Adele Field, M.F.A., Chirag B. Patel, M.D., Ph.D. JMIR Med Inform 2016;4(4):e35. Applying Natural Language Processing to Free Text as a Data Capture Method to Improve Electronic Health Record Usability