Jenny Y. Yu, MD FACS
Katherine E. Duncan, MD
Project Theia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization named after the Greek goddess of sight and heavenly light. We are focused on delivering specialized surgical care, training surgeons, and providing sustainable healthcare in low-income, middle-income, and developing countries.
Katie Duncan, MD and Jenny Yu, MD are the co-founders of the organization. Both are fellowship trained Oculoplastic surgeons who are experienced in trauma and reconstructive surgeries. The team will include other facial plastic surgeons, ophthalmic surgeons, nurses, and anesthetists. For each country of service, the members of the team will vary based on the local needs.
Katie is a native Marylander whose education experiences include Roland Park Country School, Washington&Lee, and University of Maryland. She currently works as an oculoplastics surgeon at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC). Katie has always had an interest in global health, being part of mission trips as a child.
Jenny is a native Californian who practices medicine in Pittsburgh both at the University of Pittsburgh and Everett and Hurite. Her interest in global health also dates back to high school and college days, participating in mission trips.
The idea of Project Theia stemmed from both of their passion to improve the lives of patients with vision loss and facial deformities. This organization assists in long-term education and solutions in addition to the surgical trips to positively impact communities overtime.
Officers
Nikisha Q. Richards, MD FACS
Sohani Amarasekera, MD
Nikisha Richards completed medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine and her internship at Michigan State University. She went on to complete her ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital and an ophthalmic plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Dr. Richards is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, serves as an oral examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, and is currently an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System as well as the school of medicine. She excels in teaching both medical students and residents and is the recipient of the 2016-2017 ophthalmology instructor of the year award at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Sohani Amarasekera grew up in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 with a BA in Biology. After graduation, she undertook a year of glaucoma research at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary under the guidance of Dr. Robert Ritch. She then pursued her Master’s of Public Health at Cambridge University, followed by her MD at New York Medical College.
She has particular interests in retina and global ophthalmology, and has worked on diverse clinical and surgical projects in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Kenya. She recently graduated from the ophthalmology residency program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where she served as Chief Resident of the program. In her spare time, she enjoys spinning, trying out new restaurants, and cheering on the Raptors.
Advisory Board
Mary LeDonne Bank has over 25 years of experience at Goldman Sachs. In her most recent role, she has been aligned to the firm's Engineering Management and Strategy team as the Head of Engineering & Organizational Development and the Chief of Staff for Texas Engineering. In her role, Mary works closely with Engineering leadership on advancing the division's culture, strategy and overall investment in engineer career progression and education as well as helping the firm advance its overall commitment and footprint in the Texas region. Mary attended Pennsylvania State University and did her graduate work at Columbia University. Her greatest accomplishments in life is her family. Mary’s husband James and her have three beautiful children along with there most recent addition to the family a rescue dog named Jetty.
