About Our Ophthalmologists (Eye MD’s) at Austin Eye

Krista Stewart, MD – Curriculum Vitae

Professional

Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon – Austin Eye. Austin, TX. 2025- present

Partner, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon—Minnesota Eye Consultants. Minneapolis, MN 2019-2025

Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon—Hennepin County Medical Center. Minneapolis, MN 2020-2025

Education

Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota. Minneapolis and Rochester, MN
ASOPRS Ophthalmic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Fellowship, 2017-2019

University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Ann Arbor, MI
Ophthalmology Residency, 2014-2017

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Ann Arbor, MI
Transitional Internship. 2013-2014

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Madison, WI
Degree: Medical Doctor with Research Honors.  2013

University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, WI
Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Molecular Biology. 2009

Professional Societies:

American Board of Ophthalmology
Diplomat 2018-2028, participating in MOC

American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Full member

Honors and Awards:

2015 Michigan Ophthalmology Trainee Career Development Award
Proposal entitled: Postoperative Pain Control After Enucleation or Evisceration, a Double-Masked, Randomized Controlled Trial of Plain 0.5% Bupivacaine versus Sustained-release Bupivacaine (Exparel).

2014 Intern of the month, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital

2013 American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Annual Meeting-Poster awarded “Best in Show”

2013 Marck Gichert Memorial Award in the Neurosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Award for best medical student pursuing a career in the neurosciences.

2010 American Association of Neurological Surgeon Medical Student Research Fellowship
AANS provides medical students an opportunity to participate in neurosurgical research through a summer fellowship. Students were judged based upon the scientific merits of the proposed project, the credentials of the applicant, letters of reference, the preceptor statement and the support provided by the sponsoring program/laboratory.

2010 Shapiro Summer Research Grant
Given to medical students to undertake research with a faculty member. Proposal entitled “The effect of nitrous oxide exposure on in vitro CNS regeneration.”

2008 Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship for outstanding faculty/student research University of Wisconsin award for exceptional research with a UW-Madison faculty.

2007-08 Dean’s List, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Administrative Service

2025-present American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Written examination committee; Abstract Reviewer

2019-2025 American Academy of Ophthalmology: EyeWiki
Oculoplastic Surgery Section Editor

2017-present American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports
Reviewer

2010-11 Student Leader-Neuroscience Interest Group
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

2010-11 Bardeen House Leader
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Grant Support

2015-2017 Michigan Ophthalmology Trainee Career Development Award

2010 American Association of Neurological Surgeon Medical Student Research Fellowship

2010 Shapiro Summer Research Grant

2008 Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship for outstanding faculty/student research

Research Experience:

University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Neurosurgery
Research Assistant from 2007-2013, Lab of Dr. Bermans J. Iskandar
Performed research on epigenetics of central nerve regeneration including spinal cord and optic nerve injury.

Publications

2023 Rizk EB, Madrid A, Koueik J, Sun D, Stewart K, Chen D, Luo S, Hong F, Papale LA, Hariharan N, Alisch RS, Iskandar BJ. Purified regenerating retinal neurons reveal regulatory role of DNA methylation-mediated Na+/K+ ATPase in murine axon regeneration. Communications biology. 2023. Jan.

2020 Patel NJ, Rizk EB, Hogan KJ, Stewart KJ, Meethal SV, Gorges LR, Weber K, Lake W, Bauer A, Hariharan N, Kuehn T, Cook T, Keles S, Iskandar BJ. Ancestral folate promotes spinal cord axonal regeneration after injury in untreated progeny. Molecular Biology. 2020 Apr;57(4):2048-2071.

2020 Sun S, Stewart KJ, Lyford-Pike S, Harrison A, Mokhtarzadeh A. Ultrasonic Aspiration of Debulking Infiltrative Masses of the Orbit. Oph Recon Pls Surg. 2020.

2019 Stewart KJ, Iskandar BJ, Meier B, Rizk EB, Hariharan N, Koueik J, Andrei A, Hogan KJ. Nitrous oxide impairs axon regeneration after nervous system injury in Male Rats. Anesthesiology. 2019 Aug 23. doi: 10.

2019 Heisel CJ, Heider A, Stewart KJ, Andrews CA, Kahana A. Orbital Septum Fibrosis in Congenital Ptosis Correlates with Eyelid Function: A Clinicopathologic Study. Oph Recon Pls Surg. 2019.

2017 Stewart KJ, Joseph SS, Douglas R. An aesthetic orbicularis oculi myectomy technique for blepharospasm: use of topical 5-fluorouracil and fibrin glue. Oph Recon Pls Surg. 2018. Jul/Aug; 34(4):342-345.

2013 Stewart KJ, Griepentrog GJ, Lucarelli MJ. Modified full-thickness anterior blepharotomy for upper eyelid retraction in children. Journal of AAPOS : the official publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus / American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2013; 17 (2) : 223-4.

2012 Ghassibe-Sabbagh M, Platt DE, Youhanna S, Abchee AB, Stewart K, Zalloua PA, et al. Genetic and environmental influences on total plasma homocysteine and its role in coronary artery disease risk. Atherosclerosis. 2012 May; 222(1): 180-6. 2012 Stewart K, Burkat CN. Hemangiopericytoma. EyeWiki. 31 March 2012.

Book Chapters

2019 Stewart K, Burkat C. (2018) Eyelid and Periorbital Reconstruction. In Albert and Jakobiec (Ed.), Principles of Ophthalmology.

2018 Stewart K, Harrison A. (2018) Management of Lacrimal Outflow and Watering Eyes, Eyelid Causes: Paralytic (facial palsy and post blepharoplasty). In Olver et al (Ed.) Lacrimal Disorders: Medical and Surgical Management. Thieme.

2018 Stewart K, Harrison A. (2018) Pediatric endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. In Cohen AJ (Ed.), Compendium of Oculofacial, Orbital, & Lacrimal Surgery. Springer-Verlag

Oral Presentations

2019 Use of ultrasonic aspirator for orbital soft tissue tumors. Mayo Clinic Oculoplastic Surgery Update. Rochester, MN. June 2019.

2018 Lacrimal sac oncocytoma in a patient with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. ASOPRS Spring Scientific Symposium. Austin, TX. May 2018

2017 Tasered: A discussion of electrical ocular injury and intraorbital foreign bodies. ATPO. New Orleans, LA. Nov. 2017

2015 A Modified Myectomy Technique for Blepharospasm with Improved Cosmesis. ASOPRS. Las Vegas, NV. Nov 2015.

2015 A Case of Transformation. Oculoplastics grand rounds. University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. July 2015.

2011 Nitrous oxide exposure inhibits CNS regeneration in vitro. Medical Student Research Symposium. Madison, WI. January 2011.

2010 Folic acid enhances CNS regeneration on inhibitory myelin. American Association of Neurological Surgeons Pediatric Section Meeting. Cleveland, OH. December 2010.

2009 Folate supplementation improves central nervous system regeneration following spinal cord injury. University of Wisconsin-Madison Undergraduate Research Symposium. March, 2009.

2008 Folic acid supplementation improves central nervous system regeneration in vitro. American Association of Neurological Surgeons Pediatric Section Meeting. Spokane, WA. December 2008.

Personal Interests:

Traveling internationally with her husband and two children, paddleboarding, hiking, yoga.  Dr. Stewart was previously a concert violinist, and now spends her musical time practicing piano with her children.