Glendale Eye Medical Group

Richard A. Weise, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Cosmetic Laser Surgery for Eyelids and Wrinkle Removal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cosmetic and Medical Eyelid Surgery

Hospital Affiliations: Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Verdugo Hills Hospital, Foothill Surgery Center, Glendale Memorial Hospital

Professional Associations: American Academy of Ophthalmology

Dr. Weise is from the Pasadena area. He attended Pasadena High before going on to the University of Southern California where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He chose to attend USC’s Medical School and, while there, was selected student representative to the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association. In addition, he received the Dean’s Merit Award during his medical school career.

He interned at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, then did his residency in Ophthalmology at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Weise’s interest in the field led to a Fellowship in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the prestigious University of Toronto, Canada.

His past experience includes several years as a Clinical Instructor in Ophthalmology at USC. He also served on the 11th District Medical Quality Review Committee.

Dr. Weise and his wife Cathy live in Arcadia and have two children, Rob and Rachel. He also enjoys fly fishing, biking and mountain hiking.

Stephen S. Chang, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: LASIK Vision Correction, Cataract and Laser Surgery

Hospital Affiliations: Verdugo Hills Hospital

Professional Associations: American Academy of Ophthalmology 

Dr. Chang serves as medical director of our group and specializes in cataract and laser refractive surgery.

Born in California and raised here and in Hawaii, Dr. Chang says his goal throughout childhood was to go to medical school and become a doctor.

He earned his B.A. in biology from Pacific Union College and then enrolled in Loma Linda University School of Medicine. After his internship at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, he served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Army for two years. Following his residency in ophthalmology at White Memorial Medical Center, he began working with Dr. McCaffery here at Glendale Eye.

While still a resident at White Memorial, he joined LIGA International, the Flying Doctors, and made frequent trips to El Fuerte, Mexico with Dr. McCaffery and other medical personnel from Glendale Eye. Their medical missions are documented in the film, “Esperanza”.

In 1989, he bought a ranch in Canyon Country to fulfill his dream of being a rancher, and this is where he now lives. He is the father of two grown children and has one grandson and one granddaughter. Flying his antique Waco open cockpit biplane is his passion, and touring the West on his motorcycle is how he likes to relax.

Marta A. Recasens, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery of the Macula, Retina and Vitreous, Diabetic Retinopathy, Age-related Macular Degeneration, Retinal Vascular Occlusions, Retinal Tears, Retinal Detachments and other conditions that affect the back of the eyes

Hospital Affiliations: Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale Memorial Medical Center, Physicians’ Adventist Surgery Center, Chevy Chase Surgery Center

Professional Associations: Diplomat American Board of Ophthalmology, Fellow American Academy of Ophthalmology, Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, First Medical Experts

Raised in Southern California, Dr. Recasens graduated from Loyola Marymount University and attended medical school at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and completed her ophthalmology residency at Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Recasens did her vitreoretinal fellowship at Louisiana State University Eye Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In addition to her retina career, Dr. Recasens has expanded her practice to include non-invasive aesthetic procedures for the eyes, face and neck. Using the latest technologies in skin science to smooth away unwanted wrinkles, tighten the skin and reduce unwanted fat, she can assist you in selecting best skin treatments and products for your age group and skin type.

Visit Marta’s Medi-Spa, for a full listing of aesthetic and cosmetic services performed by Dr. Marta Recasens. Treatments include Laser Face and Neck Lift, Laser Tattoo Removal, Permanent Fat Reduction, Anti-Aging, Wrinkle Reduction, Laser Acne Scar Removal, Laser Treatment of Rosacea, and Botox and Fillers, all completed with brand new state of the art technology and the highest quality injectables.

Dr. Recasens and her family live in Altadena.  She is dedicated to her son, Jamie, her pride and joy!

Paul B. Kouyumjian, MD

Eye Surgeon and Physician Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Anterior Segment Surgery LASIK/PRK Vision Correction Cataract and Laser Surgery Glaucoma

Hospital Affiliations: Verdugo Hills Hospital

Professional Associations: American Academy of Ophthalmology American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery

Dr. Kouyoumjian is a native of Southern California. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) for his undergraduate school. He then attended the Chicago Medical School. Following an internship at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore where he conducted research in corneal diseases.

Dr. Kouyoumjian then performed a fellowship in corneal and refractive surgery at the prestigious Boston Eye Group.

He lives in Glendale with his wife Hanriet and their young son and daughter. Dr. Kouyoumjian is bi-lingual in English and Armenian. In his spare time, Dr. Kouyoumjian enjoys skiing and playing tennis.

Elda Aghaian, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Venous Occlusive Disease, Uveitis, Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Glaucoma and Cataracts

Hospital Affiliations: Glendale Adventist Medical Center

Professional Associations: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists, Clinical Instructor at LAC-USC Medical Center

Dr. Aghaian has joined the Glendale Eye Medical Group to bring her expertise in diseases of the retina and vitreous to our patients.

Dr. Aghaian grew up in the Glendale area and completed her undergraduate studies in Business-Economics at UCLA, graduating summa cum laude and in the top 15 of her major. She received her MD from the prestigious University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine.

While at UCSF, Dr. Aghaian was awarded the Dean’s Research Fellowship to study axonal transport of the Herpes Simplex Virus in a mouse visual model. Her work was published in the Journal of Virology.

Dr. Aghaian completed her medical internship at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco and was awarded the Intern of the Year Award at graduation. She completed her ophthalmology residency and fellowship in Medical Retina and Uveitis diseases at the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute and LAC/USC Medical Center. During her training, she continued her interest in research and presented her work at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Dr. Aghaian is fluent in Armenian and Spanish. She strongly believes in investing in her community. Her activities have included serving as a mentor in the Generation Next Mentorship Program, founding and serving as director of the UCSF Student Sight Savers Program, and more recently, she is an active supporter of the Armenian Eye Care Project.

In her spare time, Dr. Aghaian enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, traveling, hiking, and cycling.

Michael Javaheri, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Diabetic Retinopathy, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Macular Disease, Retinal Detachment, Ocular Trauma, Venous Occlusive Disease, Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

Hospital Affiliations: Glendale Memorial Hospital, LAC-USC Medical Center, Foothill Surgery Center, Glendale Adventist Medical Center

Professional Associations: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists, California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Association for Research & Vision in Ophthalmology, Doheny-USC Professional Association Alumni Board

Dr. Javaheri has joined the Glendale Eye Medical Group to bring his expertise in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous to our patients.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Javaheri completed his undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at UCLA, where he graduated summa cum laude with honors thesis in 1999. He then attended the Keck School of Medicine of USC where he received his M.D. in 2003.

Following a one-year medical internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, he completed his residency at the prestigious Doheny Eye Institute and LAS+USC Medical Center at USC. Dr. Javaheri then completed a two-year fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at the esteemed Doheny Retina Institute, USC, where he was awarded a prestigious Heed Ophthalmic Fellowship, which is given each year to the most promising graduating ophthalmologists from around the country. During his residency and fellowship, he also earned a masters degree in the Department of Cell and Neurobiology at USC studying the effect of electrical stimulation of the retina.

Dr. Javaheri is an avid fan of basketball and football. He enjoys running and listens to music from around the world.

David J. Fuerst, MD

Board Certified: American Board of Ophthalmology

Specialties: Cataract Surgery, Corneal Transplants, Refractive Surgery: LASIK,

Hospital Affiliations: White Memorial Medical Center, Foothill Surgery Center, Specialty Surgery Center of Beverly Hills

Professional Associations: Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology, L.A. County Medical Association, California Medical Association, California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Max Fine Cornea Society, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery

Dr. Fuerst joined Glendale Eye to bring his expertise in cataract surgery, corneal transplants and refractive surgery to our patients.

Raised on the east coast, Dr. Fuerst was an undergraduate and medical school student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He received his M.D. in 1978.

He served his internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York and his residency in ophthalmology at the prestigious Eye and Ear Infirmary of the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Dr. Fuerst received a fellowship in corneal surgery and external eye disease at the Proctor Foundation of the University of California, San Francisco, in 1982. The following year, he was named Director of the Cornea Service of the Department of Ophthalmology of White Memorial Medical Center. He served as Residency Program Director at White Memorial from 1989 until 1995.

Dr. Fuerst performs most of his surgical procedures in Glendale Eye’s Foothill Surgery Center.

Dr. Fuerst and his wife Marie have three children, Nicole, Jessica and Jason. He is trained as a classical oboist and enjoys cooking and biking.

Helen M. Wu, MD

Board Certified Ophthalmologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, cataracts, and comprehensive eye care.

Hospital Affiliations: Glendale Adventist Medical Center

Professional Associations: Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Chicago Glaucoma Society, Cleveland Ophthalmology Society

Born and raised in the Midwest, Dr. Wu relocated to the Los Angeles area and joined Glendale Eye Medical Group where she hopes to utilize her specialized training in the medical, laser, and surgical treatment of glaucoma to benefit our patients.

Following medical school at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Dr. Wu completed a residency in Ophthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine Cullen Eye Institute in Houston, Texas where she developed an interest in glaucoma. She pursued a fellowship in glaucoma at the Cole Eye Institute Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Most recently, Dr. Wu was the Director of Glaucoma Services in Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

With her husband and three young children, Dr. Wu resides in Altadena. When not busy attending soccer games and swimming lessons, she enjoys ice-skating, sewing, and reading.