Physicians

Dr. Rose has been practicing with Retina Associates of Western NY since 1990. As a principal investigator in national clinical trials of new drugs and treatments for retinal diseases, Dr. Rose has continued to remain active academically. Numerous publications that Dr. Rose has authored appear in peer-reviewed articles and books.

Dr. Connolly was born and raised in the Rochester area and graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School in 1987.  He was offered a scholarship to attend St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto in Canada. He obtained the Academic Silver Medal for academic excellence with a Major in Immunology and Minor in Ethics in 1991.  He attended SUNY Stony Brook Medical school and graduated with an MD, with distinction in Research.

Dr. Hall was born and raised in central Massachusetts and graduated from Brandeis University in 1997 with high honors in biology. He completed his undergraduate honors thesis at Harvard Medical School while working in conjunction with Drs. Jeffrey Hall and Michael Rosbash, who were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Dr. Witmer was born and raised in Rochester, New York. He joined Retina Associates of Western New York in 2016. He has performed a 2-year fellowship in vitreo-retinal surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, where he also served as clinical instructor to the residency program in ophthalmology.

Dr. Bessette joined RAWNY in September of 2020. Dr. Bessette is a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester followed by dual fellowship training in Medical Retina and Uveitis at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.