James Dooner, M.D.

James Dooner, M.D., is an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Ophthalmology at Dell Medical School. He was born in Wisconsin but spent much of his life, including his high school years, in Ireland. He graduated with distinction from the University of Rochester in New York, earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience at one of the nation’s top-tier research universities. After returning to Ireland, he received his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in 1991. Completing a retina research fellowship at the prestigious Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Dooner later completed his ophthalmology residency and retina fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Finally settling in Austin, he joined Austin Retina in 1998.

Dooner specializes in managing all diseases of the retina, vitreous and macula, including macular holes, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, ocular trauma and macular degeneration. He has also been the principal investigator for nationally recognized clinical research trials seeking newer and more effective surgical and pharmacological treatments for vitreoretinal pathologies.

In addition to his community service contributions in Austin through educational seminars and lectures, Dooner is dedicated to the advancement of vitreoretinal care in developing countries. He lectured at the opening of the first retinal institute in Shanghai, China, and has lectured and performed surgery in Zimbabwe.

Dooner is board-certified in ophthalmology and is a past-president of the Austin Ophthalmological Society. He is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, Texas Ophthalmology Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Texas Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He has been selected as one of Austin’s Super Doctors consistently for the past 10 years. This prestigious honor is only given to the top 5% of ophthalmologists in the community.

Outside of work, Dooner enjoys spending time with his wife, Leslie, a doctor of veterinary medicine, and their son, Finn, who is an active Boy Scout.