Our Doctors
Sadiqa Khawaja Stelzner, MD, MA, FACS
Dr. Stelzner joined the Santa Monica Eye Medical Group in 2004. After the retirement of Dr. Dickerson in January of 2008, she became the successor of the practice. Initially trained as a Cellular Biologist, Dr. Stelzner has published many scientific, peer-reviewed articles in respected scientific journals. Upon completion of her undergraduate and graduate studies at UCLA, Dr. Stelzner was invited to Milan, Italy, to perform scientific research on a grant from the Italian Council of Science. She subsequently received her medical school education at Boston University. Dr. Stelzner was granted a research fellowship by The National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After completion of her research fellowship, Dr. Stelzner accepted a residency training position in Ophthalmology at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has completed Executive Management training with the Yale School of Management.
Dr. Stelzner worked as an Ophthalmologist with Dr. David McIntyre at an internationally known practice in Seattle, Washington. While there, Dr. Stelzner performed cataract, LASIK and cosmetic eyelid surgeries. In addition to her work at the practice, she traveled with humanitarian organizations to perform surgeries, giving the gift of sight to patients and teaching her safe and innovative surgical techniques to local eye physicians in Mexico and El Salvador.
In 2003, Dr. Stelzner and her family moved back to Los Angeles. Dr. Stelzner is currently the Director of Eye Care at the Greater Los Angeles Veteran’s Hospital, Chief of Ophthalmology at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital, and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine/Jules Stein Eye Institute where she attends the UCLA residents.
Dr. Stelzner has been recognized in Who’s Who and in Consumer Reports as one of Americas Best Ophthalmologists. Her area of interest is in comprehensive eye care including cataract, laser and eyelid surgeries. Dr. Stelzner is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology(AAO) and Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS); a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Medical Association, the California Medical Association and the American Society of Anti-Aging. She is a staff surgeon at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Santa Monica Surgery Center, and Laser Eye Associates in Beverly Hills.
Dr. Stelzner is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist. She lives on the Westside with her husband and two children. Dr. Stelzner was the recent recipient of the Best Teaching Award from the Jules Stein Eye Institute/UCLA.
Peter J. Kappel, MD
Dr. Kappel graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in Microbiology. He earned his medical degree from the University of California at Irvine-College of Medicine where he graduated at the top of his class. After finishing an internship in internal medicine at the University of California at Irvine Department of Medicine, Dr. Kappel completed his Ophthalmology residency at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he also completed a fellowship in Ocular Inflammatory Eye Diseases.
Throughout his education and training, Dr. Kappel earned numerous honors, awards, and recognition for his scholarship and clinical excellence. Dr. Kappel is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society. He has numerous publications in respected peer-reviewed Ophthalmology journals such as Ophthalmology, The American Journal of Ophthalmology (AJO), and Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS). Dr. Kappel has presented his research at professional society meetings across the country.
Dr. Kappel lives on the Westside with his son and wife Stefani Triff Kappel, MD; she is also a physician and in the process of completing her residency in Dermatology at UCLA.
Maria Mahat Braun, MD
Dr. Maria M. Braun is a board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologist and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology(AAO). Dr. Braun has attended and trained in some of the most prestigious universities in the country. She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, and received her medical doctorate from The University of Virginia. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Stanford University and then entered private practice. She has been in private practice for more than six years, providing outstanding care to the Westside community.
Dr. Braun has numerous publications in respected peer-review journals and is the co-author of chapters in two ophthalmologic textbooks. As well she has given presentations at national ophthalmologic conferences. Dr. Braun grew up in the Washington D.C. area and has been living in Los Angeles since 2004. She joined the Santa Monica Eye Medical Group in 2010 after leaving a private solo practice in Beverly Hills, California. She and her husband live in Brentwood and have two young children.
Jacob Reznik, MD
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jacob Reznik to the Santa Monica Eye Medical Group.
Dr. Reznik grew up in Southern California. He graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received his medical degree from University of CA, Irvine where he was awarded a full Regents Scholarship. Dr. Reznik completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA. He received his ophthalmology training at the prestigious Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
After finishing residency in Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins, he and his wife relocated back to California. Dr. Reznik received additional sub-specialty training in Refractive Surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
Ophthalmology is an All-In-The-Family affair with Dr. Reznik. He is a third generation physician and second generation ophthalmologist, and his wife is completing her Ophthalmology residency. With an early interest in ophthalmology research, Dr. Reznik contributed to studies on Age-Related Macular Degeneration, the Safety of Modern Refractive Surgery, and treatment of Ocular Infections. He has several published scientific articles and presented his peer reviewed findings at Ophthalmology meetings.
He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Cornea Society, and the Wilmer Research Association at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Reznik is Board Certified by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Reznik places significant value on volunteer work and giving back to the community. While at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Reznik was involved in organizing community ocular disease screening events for local underserved communities. He is fluent in Russian and enjoys spending time with his wife and young son.