Dr. Rootman gained an undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Toronto and a Medical Doctorate at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He further received specialized training in orbital disease and oculofacial surgery at the Stein Eye Institute of UCLA in Los Angeles. He is now a member of the Academic Faculty at UCLA, working out of the Doheny and Stein Eye Institutes in Los Angeles.
An accomplished academic, Dr. Rootman has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He lectures widely at the regional, national and international levels on a range of topics related to orbital, facial and lacrimal surgery. His research interests mirror his clinical focus and relate to orbital disease processes, particularly: thyroid eye disease, orbital vascular malformations and oncology. He also has a specific interest in the physiology of ptosis, eyelid position maintenance mechanics and the applications of these processes for surgical management and has published widely on these topics. His interests additionally intersect across a variety of academic disciplines and he maintains collaborative interdisciplinary relationships on projects relating to hyaluronic acid biochemistry, fat proteomics, big data and artificial intelligence. Dr. Rootman is a passionate teacher at all levels training and maintains academic focus in this area, specifically as it relates to methods of assessment in student performance.