Biography
Dr. Francis Char DeCroos received his undergraduate degree in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a member of the varsity wrestling team and held leadership positions in several community service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
He completed his medical degree at Duke University Medical School, then his ophthalmology residency at Duke Eye Center. During this time he was the recipient of several awards for both service to the community and excellence in biomedical research such as the Robert Machemer Research award, ASCRS Resident Excellence award, Jack Gelb Service award, and the Duke Eye Center Ocular Innovation award.
Prior to joining Southeastern Retina Associates in 2013, he completed a prestigious two-year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital. This training program is consistently ranked as one of the top ophthalmology hospitals in the world. During this time, Dr. DeCroos was the recipient of both the Heed Fellowship and the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship. Each of these competitive fellowships is given to only a handful of retina specialists nationwide. Dr. DeCroos also developed an interest in clinical trials during his fellowship training. He was responsible for designing multiple clinical trials, and was subsequently awarded a Wills Innovation grant to further his research efforts.
Dr. DeCroos has presented at multiple international meetings and published over 20 peer-reviewed research articles in leading journals such as Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (IOVS). Dr. DeCroos actively participates in Southeastern Retina Associates nationally recognized clinical trials program. He is firmly convinced that these trials can meaningfully better the lives of his patients, as well as patients all over the world. His research interests complement his clinical interests in age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and diabetic macular edema.
In his spare time, Dr. DeCroos enjoys hiking, cycling, and spending time with his family.