Dr. John Sheppard, M.D.

Dr. Sheppard is the President of Virginia Eye Consultants, and he oversees our overall mission of providing a leading academic, clinical, and research center for excellence in ophthalmology. Dr. Sheppard is a board-certified and fellowship-trained corneal eye surgeon, and he specializes in such areas as corneal transplantation, dry eye syndrome, uveitis, cataract surgery, glaucoma, and premium lens implants. His commitment to performing the highest quality of eye care solutions has led to Dr. Sheppard receiving the American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award, and he has also been named one of The Best Doctors in America since 2002. Dr. Sheppard is originally from Pittsburgh. He received a full Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship, under which he completed his bachelor’s, master’s and medical degrees from Brown University in Rhode Island. For four years, he served with the U.S. Navy, acting as the 6th Fleet Medical Officer and Chief of Family Practice. Following his time in the military, Dr. Sheppard completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Institute. He then entered a fellowship at the University of California Francis I. Proctor Research Foundation in San Francisco. During this time, he was given the esteemed Heed-Knapp, Burroughs-Wellcome and NIH National Research Fellowship grants for his work in corneal disease, uveitis, third world blindness, and ocular immunology. In 1989, Dr. Sheppard joined the Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) faculty and is now Professor of Ophthalmology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology. He also serves as Research Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at EVMS. As Clinical Director of the Thomas R. Lee Center for Ocular Pharmacology, he not only coordinates clinical trials, but is also instrumental in translational research bringing preclinical studies into practice. He holds a patent for photodynamic therapy of the ocular surface. During a period of major sociopolitical changes in transplantation reimbursement, he was Chairman of the Board of the Lions Bank of Eastern Virginia and now serves as a Medical Director. Dr. Sheppard is actively involved in numerous clinical trials and has participated as principal investigator in over 110 clinical research trials sponsored by many major pharmaceutical companies and for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, Dr. Sheppard has served on the medical advisory board for over 41 pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He has authored over 110 peer review abstracts, journal articles, and chapters.