Nicole A. Langelier
Nicole A. Langelier, M.D., M.B.E. is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids and cosmetic laser surgery of the skin.
Origins
Dr. Langelier is originally from Massachusetts where she excelled in her academics and athletics. She was a competitive gymnast, serving as team captain her junior and senior years and awarded the “Unsung Heroine” award for tireless work ethic and leadership. In addition to competing in gymnastics year-round, she was also captain of the varsity volleyball team and competed with the track team. She credits her athletics training for her drive for continuous improvement and her initial interest in understanding the human body, how it functions, what causes dysfunction, and how it heals itself.
Education
She earned her undergraduate degree in neuroscience with honors from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where she used an animal model of Parkinson disease to test the ability of caffeine-like drugs to improve walking ability.
Dr. Langelier’s interest in medical research continued after college when she joined ORA Clinical and coordinated clinical research trials in ophthalmology, helping to set up and run clinical trials on dry eye and macular degeneration across the country.
Driven by her interest in clinical medicine, Dr. Langelier traveled to Philadelphia to earn her Doctorate in Medicine from The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. While in medical school, she also completed her Masters in Biomedical Ethics (M.B.E.) with coursework covering complex decision-making in clinical research, end-of-life care, allocation of resources, mediation, and a grant proposal to increase funding for vision screening of underprivileged children in Philadelphia. After her first year of medical school, she was awarded with the Agnew Fellowship in Surgery and studied the ethics of surgical innovation.
She then completed her residency in ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where her training included the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal disease, inflammation of the eye, trauma, and infection. During her training, she developed a particular interest in oculofacial plastic surgery—the treatment of the eyelids, tear drain, eye socket, and face.
Specialized Training
After completing her ophthalmology residency, she persued an additional two years of specialized fellowship training in oculofacial plastic surgery at the Duke University Eye Center under the mentorship of Dr. Julie Woodward. This training is one of the few prestigious training programs sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, which is known for its stringent standards and requires graduates to demonstrate surgical proficiency, contribute unique research to the field, and pass a rigorous oral and written examination. In addition to oculofacial plastic surgery training, she received extensive cosmetic laser training for rejuvenation of the skin. During her fellowship, she was selected by the residents to receive the Hornaday Fellow Award, which is awarded to one fellow each year for their contribution to resident education and excellence in professionalism and clinical care.
Key Research Contributions
Dr. Langelier contributed to research on facial asymmetry and sunscreen use around the eyes. She has also been published in OPRS for a novel surgical technique for improving eyelash droop and Dermatologic Surgery describing how multiple injection, laser, and light treatments can be performed in one session to optimize results. In addition to her research, she has traveled around the country giving lectures and participating in surgical education on blepharoplasty surgery, ptosis repair, and how to prevent and manage complications.
Her Approach Today
Dr. Langelier joined the Virginia Eye Institute in 2017. Dr. Langelier uses a customized, patient-centered approach incorporating surgical and non-surgical options to help patients choose their best treatment plan for cosmetic, reconstructive, and functional concerns around the eyes.