Eichenbaum Acorns: Piloting a career pivot with David J. Tanzer, MD, ABO

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish word for oak tree, and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding.

In this episode, Eichenbaum speaks with David J. Tanzer, MD, ABO, chief medical officer (CMO) at Lexitas Pharma Services, Inc., about a career that travels from the cockpit through clinical practice to the boardroom.

From flight surgeon to ophthalmologist

Tanzer’s path began as a US Navy flight surgeon, where he flew the T‑34C aircraft and, he says, “was able to solo that bad boy in three weeks.” He hadn’t planned on pursuing a career in ophthalmology, but a four‑week rotation in San Diego during his fourth year at Georgetown University changed that. Seeing the retina through a condensing lens for the first time, Tanzer recalls, was the moment it clicked—”this beautiful retina and macula in three dimensions, and oh my gosh, that was amazing.”

Tanzer completed his ophthalmology residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and a fellowship in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery at USC’s Doheny Eye Institute before returning to the Navy for a 13‑year career as a staff physician, surgeon, and clinical trialist, retiring in 2021 as a Navy captain after 21 years of service.

Building a career across industry

Tanzer’s shift into industry began even before he left the Navy, through clinical trial relationships that led to a 2013 offer from Jim Mazzo, then chief executive officer (CEO) of Abbott Medical Optics, to become the company’s first chief medical officer. From there, he moved to Novartis as lead medical strategist for the finalization of brolucizumab (Beovu), then to OcuTerra Therapeutics, a single‑asset ophthalmology company, as CMO—until its closure prompted his move to his current role at Lexitas, a contract research organization.

Despite the executive titles, Tanzer says he misses hands‑on care: “The patient care, the seeing patients, doing the surgery… seeing the immediate gratification, especially where I lived in the anterior segment space, I absolutely miss that.”

Advice for the next generation

Asked what advice he’d give the next generation, Tanzer points back to a talk he gave to medical students at the University of North Carolina a few months earlier. His advice to them, Tanzer says, starts with intellectual curiosity—not taking things at face value, but digging into “the what’s and the why’s and the how’s.”

From there, Tanzer urges young physicians to get involved in research early—whether that means joining as a research associate, contributing to ongoing programs, or simply getting involved in the research process in whatever capacity is available. What matters, Tanzer says, isn’t the specific role but showing up and participating.