Christina Prescott

Christina Rapp Prescott, MD, PhD, is an ophthalmologist at NYU Langone. She is vice chair for education and director of the cornea service with specializations in complex cataract and corneal surgeries.

Her clinical research was focused on improving outcomes of corneal disease in children, who currently have significantly worse outcomes than adults for most corneal diseases. Dr. Prescott has published and presented both nationally and internationally on pediatric corneal surgery.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Prescott has authored and presented research at national and international conferences, with a focus on enhancing surgical outcomes and advancing techniques in anterior segment procedures. Her work reflects a deep commitment to both clinical excellence and scientific innovation.

Dr. Prescott is actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Cornea Society, and has received multiple awards for my contributions to the field.

Dr Prescott is actively involved in numerous organizations to promote ophthalmology education, including AAO, the Cornea Society, the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Eye and Contact Lens Association, Women in Ophthalmology, and the American Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Prescott is the web editor for the Eye and Contact Lens Journal, and the Director of Scientific Programming for the Eye and Contact Lens Association. Dr Prescott has served on the cornea committee for the American Board of Ophthalmology for the past 8 years, responsible for developing the cornea content for ophthalmology certification examinations for both residents and practicing ophthalmologists.

She has received both the Secretariat Award and the Achievement Award from AAO.

With a background in biophysics from Columbia University and a dual MD/PhD in neuroscience from the University of Colorado, Dr. Prescott brings a unique and multidisciplinary perspective to the field of ophthalmology. She completed his residency at Yale and pursued fellowship training at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard University, where she developed advanced expertise in cataract and corneal surgery.

Throughout her career, she has been deeply involved in surgical education, mentoring 35 corneal fellows and receiving top evaluations for mentorship and surgical teaching. At Johns Hopkins University, she built a preeminent cataract and cornea practice and became the most successful cataract surgeon at the Wilmer Eye Institute within five years.

After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in biophysics, she enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) program at the University of Colorado, where she completed a PhD in neuroscience, as well as an MD. She then completed her ophthalmology residency at Yale, followed by a fellowship in cornea, with a focus on pediatric corneal pathology, at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard University. Upon completion of fellowship, Dr. Prescott joined the faculty at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins University. While at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Prescott mentored thirty-five corneal fellows and received the highest evaluations for both mentorship and surgical teaching. At Johns Hopkins, she built a busy cornea practice, becoming the highest volume surgeon at Wilmer within 5 years of joining the department. In 2021, she became the NYU ophthalmology residency program director in 2022, and is active in AUPO, serving on the AUPO fellowship compliance committee.

Dr. Prescott’s work extends far beyond clinical practice; she organizes and teach cataract and corneal surgery courses for residents, fellows, and practicing ophthalmologists in the United States and India, contributing to the global advancement of ophthalmology education.

Her journey into medicine was inspired by a love for math and science, and a fascination with the interface between neuroscience and physics. Observing the elegant surgical procedures in ophthalmology solidified my decision to pursue this specialty.