Joseph N. Martel, MD

  • Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
  • Retina and Vitreous Service
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

A Conversation With Dr. Martel


Joseph Martel is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC department of Ophthalmology, specializing in vitreoretinal surgery and diseases. He received his medical degree at the University of Nevada. Dr. Martel completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco and obtained fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at Duke University. 

Dr. Martel’s research and clinical activities are focused on investigating and treating patients with vision threatening vitreoretinal diseases with specific interest and expertise in vision restoration therapies, retinal prosthetic devices, and robotic assisted vitreoretinal surgery. At both the investigational preclinical stages and in-human clinical trials, Dr.Martel along with collaborators, aim to develop and deploy novel vision restoration approaches to patients with blinding retinal conditions.  Dr. Martel was the first surgeon in North America to surgically implant an investigational wireless photovoltaic submacular implant (Pixium PRIMA) in patients with end-stage atrophic macular degeneration and a co-author of a Nature Medicine publication describing preliminary results in end-stage retinitis pigmentosa patients treated with a novel optogenetics treatment. In recognition of his superb clinical and surgical management, he has been selected as a “Top Doctor: by his peers every year since 2014.