“Dr. Rene Choi is an exceptional ophthalmologist, distinguished by his unwavering integrity and outstanding kindness and compassion towards his patients. He combines superb clinical and surgical skills in treating retinal and inflammatory diseases with a genuinely warm demeanor. It has been some years since completing training, and he continues to be solidly regarded as one of the most effective and beloved fellows to have graduated from OHSU Casey Eye Institute.” — Andy Lauer, MD, Chair and Director of Ophthalmology at the Casey Eye Institute, Past Chair and Director, American Board of Ophthalmology
At AAO 2025, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual meeting held in Orlando, Florida, October 18-20, 2025, Texas Retina’s Rene Y. Choi, MD, PhD, was presented the “One to Watch” award, a peer-nominated honor given to upcoming doctors in the field of retina who are considered future leaders.
“I’m honored and humbled to receive this award and grateful for the support I have always received from all of my mentors, including Andreas Lauer, MD, and Eric Suhler, MD, at the OHSU Casey Eye Institute. “Managing some of the most complex ocular diseases is both challenging and immensely rewarding. Every day, I am driven by the desire to make a real difference for patients suffering from blinding retinal diseases. Each surgery or treatment is not just about fixing a condition—it’s about giving someone back their ability to experience the world with their eyes, and that’s incredibly fulfilling.”
Earlier this year, Texas Retina’s Nikisha Kothari, MD, was also recognized as “One to Watch.”
About Dr. Rene Y. Choi
Dr. Choi joined Texas Retina in September 2020 and treats patients at our Denton and Frisco offices, specializing in vitreoretinal surgery, medical retina, and uveitis. He graduated with honors from Columbia University before earning his medical degree as well as a doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He came to Texas Retina from the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, where he completed fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery, uveitis, and clinical ocular immunology. Prior to that, he completed his ophthalmology residency at the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.