Isha Cheela, DO

Isha Cheela, DO is the Residency Program Director in the Department of Ophthalmology at Northwell Health/Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH) and an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. A cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery specialist, Dr. Cheela maintains a busy clinical and surgical practice at MEETH and teaches in the resident clinic, with a focus on corneal transplantation, complex anterior segment surgery, cataract surgery, and the management of ocular surface and infectious diseases.Dr. Cheela completed graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Psychology and minor in South Asia Studies, and she earned her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at St. John's Episcopal Hospital/One Brooklyn Health System, where she served as Chief Resident. She completed her fellowship in Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital/Northwell Health. A dedicated educator and academic leader, Dr. Cheela previously served as Associate Program Director of the residency, before assuming leadership of the program. She is also the Associate Director of the Cornea Fellowship at MEETH. She teaches regularly in the AUPO Surgical Curriculum for Ophthalmology Residents and is a co-director of the Manhattan Eye Review. She routinely teaches surgical instructional courses at national meetings. She has trained dozens of residents and fellows and is the recipient of multiple institutional Teacher of the Year awards from both Northwell Health and the Ophthalmology Residency Program.Dr. Cheela is an active clinician with a diverse research portfolio spanning corneal transplantation outcomes, keratoprosthesis complications, resident surgical education, and ocular infections. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and national presentations.Dr. Cheela's professional interests include corneal transplantation techniques, complex cataract surgery, laser vision correction, and education innovation for graduate medical training. She has been recognized as a New York Rising Star and a Super Doctor, reflecting her commitment to patient care, clinical excellence, and medical education.