Sandy Zhang-Nunes, MD

Sandy X. Zhang-Nunes, MD, earned her undergraduate degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She then completed her ophthalmology residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute UCLA and completed a prestigious two-year American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Fellowship based at Ophthalmic Surgeons and Consultants of Ohio in Columbus. Her clinical interests involve eyelid and eyebrow lifting surgeries for both cosmesis and functional reasons (blepharoplasty, ptosis surgery, endoscopic brow lifts), cosmetic lower eyelid, midface and full face surgery, reconstruction after Mohs (tumor) excisions, orbital disease, such as thyroid eye disease, tumors, fractures, eyelid malpositions from aging and congenital anomalies, blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm, cosmetic laser and light therapy, Botox and fillers.

Dr. Zhang-Nunes treats each patient with care, addressing concerns to achieve the most natural and optimal results as possible. She also enjoys teaching, having published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, as well as lecturing and presenting research nationally and internationally.

Dr. Zhang-Nunes’s research focuses on patients with thyroid eye disease. She also conducts studies related to imaging of eyelid and orbital structures, comparison of cosmetic neurotoxins, and dissolution rate of various hyaluronic acid gel fillers. Dr. Zhang-Nunes performs blepharoplasty and brow surgery corrections and studies their clinical outcomes.

• Merz: Winner of Innovation Forum, 2023
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Top Doctors, 2023
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Top Doctors, 2022
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Top Doctors, 2021
• Women in Ophthalmology, National Organization: Educators Award, 2021
• Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) USC: Women in Medicine Featured Mentors, 2021
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Top Doctors, 2020
• Los Angeles Multi-Specialty Cosmetic Academy: Leadership Award in Aesthetics, 2019
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Top Doctors in Pasadena, 2016-2017
• Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, CA: Rising Stars Top Doctors, 2016-2017
• Howard Hughes Medical Research Fellowship Award, 2005
• Sarnoff Foundation Research Award, 2005
• American Neurological Association Travel Award, 2003
• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, 2003
• Sigma Xi Honor Society, 2003
• Community Connection Award for Leadership in Alternative Spring Break, 2003
• Hans-Lukas Teuber Award for Outstanding Research and Academics in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2003
• MIT Excellent Academic Record, 2002
• National Merit Scholar, 1999
• Olympus Titan Award, 1999
• National Beta Club Scholarship, 1999
• Zonta Club Scholarship, 1999
• Discover Card Scholarship, 1999

• Identifying Minimum Single Dose of Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase for In Vitro Dissolution of Twenty-Two Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2025 Apr 22. . View in PubMed
• Ultrahigh field (7T) MRI for assessment of orbitofacial structures Orbit. 2025 Apr; 44(2):254. . View in PubMed
• Management of vision loss associated with complications of cosmetic filler injections Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne). 2025; 5:1568370. . View in PubMed
• An Analysis of Surgical Factors Associated With Clinically Significant Eyelid Edema (CSEE) in Patients Undergoing Blepharoplasty: Lid Crease Techniques Associated with CSEE Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2024 Nov-Dec 01; 40(6):701-705. . View in PubMed
• The caretaker-reversible Tarsorrhaphy Int Ophthalmol. 2024 Oct 01; 44(1):399. . View in PubMed
• Light Therapy for Facial Rejuvenation and Dry Eyes, Blepharitis, and Styes Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2024 Jul 01; 64(3):9-12. . View in PubMed
• Extraocular Muscle Enlargement in Thyroid Eye Disease Using Volumetric Analysis Cureus. 2024 Jul; 16(7):e63843. . View in PubMed
• Phthisical eye and orbital ischemia after cosmetic platelet-rich plasma injection to the forehead Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2024 Jun; 34:101968. . View in PubMed
• Accuracy and Bias in Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Recommendations for Oculoplastic Surgeons Cureus. 2024 Apr; 16(4):e57611. . View in PubMed
• Assessing the Utility of ChatGPT in Simplifying Text Complexity of Patient Educational Materials Cureus. 2024 Mar; 16(3):e55304. . View in PubMed
• A comparison of five point-of-care ultrasound devices for use in ophthalmology and facial aesthetics Ultrasound. 2024 Feb; 32(1):28-35. . View in PubMed
• Long-Term Follow-Up of a Case of Severe Hyperglycemia Requiring Hospitalization after Third Dose of Teprotumumab: A Case Report Case Rep Ophthalmol. 2024 Jan-Dec; 15(1):115-121. . View in PubMed
• Response of 21 Hyaluronic Acid Fillers to Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2023 Dec; 11(12):e5457. . View in PubMed
• Arterial Wall and Tissue Penetration Force With Various Cannulas and Needles Aesthet Surg J. 2023 11 16; 43(12):1521-1529. . View in PubMed
• Bias and Inaccuracy in AI Chatbot Ophthalmologist Recommendations Cureus. 2023 Sep; 15(9):e45911. . View in PubMed
• Periocular irritation in elderly Asian patient JAAD Case Rep. 2023 May; 35:19-21. . View in PubMed
• Demographic and physiological factors associated with clinically significant eyelid edema in patients following upper eyelid surgery J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2023 03; 78:4-9. . View in PubMed
• Re: “Correlation of Automated Computed Tomography Volumetric Analysis Metrics With Motility Disturbances in Thyroid Eye Disease” Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2023 Mar-Apr 01; 39(2):194. . View in PubMed
• Lateral orbital wall anomaly in a patient with thyroid eye disease Orbit. 2023 Feb; 42(1):94-97. . View in PubMed
• Response of five different hyaluronic acid gels to varying doses of recombinant human hyaluronidase J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2023 Jan; 76:298-300. . View in PubMed
• Bias and Inaccuracy in AI Chatbot Ophthalmologist Recommendations Cureus. 2023; 15(9). . View in PubMed
• The Nictavi Tarsus Patch: A New Device for Achieving Temporary Eyelid Closure in Lagophthalmos Clin Ophthalmol. 2023; 17:1877-1884. . View in PubMed
• Misdiagnosis of Orbital Foreign Body as Glaucoma Drainage Device J Emerg Med. 2022 07; 63(1):e22-e27. . View in PubMed
• Clinical activity of PD-1 inhibition in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma J Immunother Cancer. 2022 05; 10(5). . View in PubMed
• Focused ultrasound stimulation on meibomian glands for the treatment of evaporative dry eye Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 03; 247(6):519-526. . View in PubMed
• Imaging of the post-operative orbit and associated complications J Clin Neurosci. 2021 Jul; 89:437-447. . View in PubMed
• Thyroid eye disease with choroidal folds Orbit. 2021 Jun; 40(3):206-214. . View in PubMed
• Response of twelve different hyaluronic acid gels to varying doses of recombinant human hyaluronidase J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Apr; 74(4):881-889. . View in PubMed
• Prospective in vivo evaluation of three different hyaluronic acid gels to varying doses of hyaluronidase with long-term follow-up J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Apr; 74(4):874-880. . View in PubMed
• Safety and Efficacy of an Augmented Intense Pulse Light Protocol for Dry Eye Syndrome and Blepharitis Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2021 Mar; 39(3):178-184. . View in PubMed
• Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a Topical Formulation Containing Epidermal Growth Factor, Tranexamic Acid, Vitamin C, Arbutin, Niacinamide and Other Ingredients as Hydroquinone 4% Alternatives to Improve Hyperpigmentation: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Split Face Study J Cosmet Sci. 2020 Sep/Oct; 71(5):263-290. . View in PubMed
• Organogenesis and distribution of the ocular lymphatic vessels in the anterior eye JCI Insight. 2020 07 09; 5(13). . View in PubMed
• Clinical Update on Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Conjunctival and Eyelid Melanoma Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2020; 60(2):77-89. . View in PubMed
• Optic Neuropathy due to an Ethmoid Mucocele: A Case Report and Literature Review Case Rep Ophthalmol. 2019 May-Aug; 10(2):227-234. . View in PubMed
• Evolving Minimally Invasive Techniques for Tear Trough Enhancement Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015 Jul-Aug; 31(4):306-9. . View in PubMed
• Minimally invasive options for the brow and upper lid Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2015 May; 23(2):153-66. . View in PubMed
• Minimally invasive surgical adjuncts to upper blepharoplasty Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2015 May; 23(2):137-51. . View in PubMed
• Characterization and outcomes of repeat orbital decompression for thyroid-associated orbitopathy Orbit. 2015 Apr; 34(2):57-65. . View in PubMed
• Late adult onset optic pathway astrocytoma J Clin Neurosci. 2013 Nov; 20(11):1610-2. . View in PubMed
• Late central visual recovery after traumatic globe displacement into the maxillary sinus Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012 Jan-Feb; 28(1):e17-9. . View in PubMed
• A novel approach to clinical-radiological correlations: Anatomo-Clinical Overlapping Maps (AnaCOM): method and validation Neuroimage. 2007 Oct 01; 37(4):1237-49. . View in PubMed
• Homeostatic plasticity of GABAergic synaptic transmission in mice lacking GAT1 Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Sep 21; 361(2):499-504. . View in PubMed
• Antibody-mediated clearance of amyloid-beta peptide from cerebral amyloid angiopathy revealed by quantitative in vivo imaging J Neurosci. 2007 Feb 21; 27(8):1973-80. . View in PubMed
• AIDS dementia complex in China J Clin Neurosci. 2007 Jan; 14(1):8-11. . View in PubMed
• Characterization of amyloid deposition in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer disease Neurobiol Dis. 2006 Dec; 24(3):516-24. . View in PubMed
• The cerebral beta-amyloid angiopathies: hereditary and sporadic Brain Pathol. 2006 Jan; 16(1):30-9. . View in PubMed

• Hamm-Alvarez, Sarah
• Demetriades, Demetrios
• Burnstine, Michael
• Elbuluk, Nada