Mark Borchert, MD

Director, Eye Birth Defects Program, The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Director, Eye Technology Program, The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Attending Physician

Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Mark S. Borchert, MD, is director of the Eye Birth Defects Program and Eye Technology Program in The Vision Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Borchert is professor of clinical ophthalmology and neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

After receiving his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, he completed his residency at the USC Roski Eye Institute (formerly the Doheny Eye Institute University of Southern California), and a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard University.

Dr. Borchert, who has been listed in “Best Doctors in America,” also has received honors from the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Society of Heed Fellows, as well as several teaching awards from the Keck School of Medicine. He directs the world’s largest study into optic nerve hypoplasia, now the single leading cause of blindness in infants in the United States and Europe.

Another area of Dr. Borchert's research is the development of better diagnostic and treatment tools, in particular the pioneering use of spectroscopy to measure glucose levels in the eye.

Education

Medical School

Baylor College of Medicine

Internship

Boston City Hospital; Internal Medicine Interns

Residency

Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center; Ophthalmology Residency

Fellowship

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; Neuro-Ophthalmology

Accomplishments

Certifications

Ophthalmology: American Board of Ophthalmology

Professional Memberships

Los Angeles Society of Ophthalmology; Los Angeles County Medical Association; Los Angeles Society of Neurological Sciences; California Academy of Ophthalmology; California Medical Association; Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology; American Academy of Ophthalmology; Society of Heed Fellows; North American Neuro-ophthalmology Society; International Congress of Neuro-ophthalmology; Pan American Association of Ophthalmology

Awards

2010 Pasadena Magazine Top Doctors Award; 2010 Los Angeles Magazine Super Doctors Award; 2009 Best Doctors in America Award; 2009 America's Top Doctors, Eighth Edition; 2009 LA Times Magazine Best Doctors in Southern California; 2008 Pasadena Magazine Top Doctors Award; 2008 America's Top Doctors Award, Seventh Edition; 2006 Best Doctors in America Award; 2006 America’s Top Doctors, Sixth Edition; 2002 American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award; 1991-94, 96, 99, 01 - Resident Teaching Award - USC School of Medicine; 1994-94 - Senior Resident Teaching Award - USC School of Medicine - Department of Ophthalmology

USC Bio Link

USC Biography

Publications

ATOH7 mutations cause autosomal recessive persistent hyperplasia of the primary vitreous. Prasov L, Masud T, Khaliq S, Mehdi SQ, Abid A, Oliver ER, Silva ED, Lewanda A, Brodsky MC, Borchert M, Kelberman D, Sowden JC, Dattani MT, Glaser T. Hum Mol Genet. 2012 Aug 15;21(16):3681-94. Epub 2012 May 29.
Serum prolactin concentrations in relation to hypopituitarism and obesity in children with optic nerve hypoplasia. Vedin AM, Garcia-Filion P, Fink C, Borchert M, Geffner ME. Horm Res Paediatr. 2012;77(5):277-80. Epub 2012 May 10.
Reappraisal of the optic nerve hypoplasia syndrome. Borchert M. J Neuroophthalmol. 2012 Mar;32(1):58-67.
Presenting features and long-term effects of growth hormone treatment of children with optic nerve hypoplasia/septo-optic dysplasia. Vedin AM, Karlsson H, Fink C, Borchert M, Geffner ME. Int J Pediatr Endocrinol. 2011 Nov 15;2011(1):17.
Risk factors for decreased visual acuity in preschool children: the multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease and Baltimore pediatric eye disease studies. Tarczy-Hornoch K, Varma R, Cotter SA, McKean-Cowdin R, Lin JH,Borchert MS, Torres M, Wen G, Azen SP, Tielsch JM, Friedman DS, Repka MX, Katz J, Ibironke J, Giordano L; Joint Writing Committee for the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study and the Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study Groups. Ophthalmology. 2011 Nov;118(11):2262-73. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
Risk factors for hyperopia and myopia in preschool children the multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease and Baltimore pediatric eye disease studies. Borchert MS, Varma R, Cotter SA, Tarczy-Hornoch K, McKean-Cowdin R, Lin JH, Wen G, Azen SP, Torres M, Tielsch JM, Friedman DS, Repka MX, Katz J, Ibironke J, Giordano L; Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study and the Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study Groups.Ophthalmology. 2011 Oct;118(10):1966-73. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
Risk factors for astigmatism in preschool children: the multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease and Baltimore pediatric eye disease studies. McKean-Cowdin R, Varma R, Cotter SA, Tarczy-Hornoch K, Borchert MS, Lin JH, Wen G, Azen SP, Torres M, Tielsch JM, Friedman DS, Repka MX, Katz J, Ibironke J, Giordano L; Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study and the Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study Groups. Ophthalmology. 2011 Oct;118(10):1974-81. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
Clinical electrophysiology and visual outcome in optic nerve hypoplasia. McCulloch DL, Garcia-Filion P, Fink C, Chaplin CA, Borchert MS. Br J Ophthalmol. 2010 Aug;94(8):1017-23. Epub 2009 Dec 2.
Light-adapted electroretinograms in optic nerve hypoplasia. Chaplin C, Borchert MS, Fink C, Garcia-Filion P, McCulloch DL. Doc Ophthalmol. 2009 Oct;119(2):123-32. Epub 2009 Aug 11.

PubMed Link

Publications on PubMed

Research

Dr. Borchert's research primarily focuses on the development of the optic nerve and its retinotopic connections in the tectum (part of the midbrain) and thalamus (part of the forebrain). He is interested in the role that inaccurate or inadequate development of these connections plays in the pathogenesis of optic nerve hypoplasia.

He directs the world’s largest study into optic nerve hypoplasia, now the single leading cause of blindness in infants in the United States and Europe. The study has produced numerous publications and contributed vastly to knowledge of the syndrome, furthering our understanding of prenatal characteristics of children with ONH, as well as endocrinological, developmental and vision outcomes for these children.

Visit the Borchert Laboratory.