Management Team

Forrest J. Ellis MD - Founder and CEO

Dr. Ellis, a board-certified ophthalmologist, has over 25 years of experience in the fields of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and Ophthalmic Plastics, Orbital and Reconstructive Surgery. He is a graduate of Indiana University with a BA in Economics (honors), and the Indiana University School of Medicine. Following residency at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and fellowships at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute with David Guyton M.D., Dr. Ellis moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he served as co-director of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital for 11 years. He also served on the faculty of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Dr. Ellis has published numerous articles in the fields of pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastic surgery, and ophthalmic optics. He served on the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s writing committee for the Basic Science series on ophthalmic optics. In addition, Dr. Ellis served on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus from 2007-2019.
Dr. Ellis remains active in research and publication and has served as a course director and/or co-director on many occasions, teaching techniques in adult strabismus and in pediatric ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Ellis has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences, including named lectureships and visiting professorships.
In 2007, Dr. Ellis joined Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates, where he is in the private practice of ophthalmology. He has been listed as a “top doctor” both regionally and nationally. Dr. Ellis’s areas of recognized expertise include adult and pediatric strabismus surgery, correction of congenital and acquired eyelid and orbital abnormalities, tear duct surgery, and pediatric cataract surgery.
Dr. Ellis founded JelliSee Ophthalmics in 2019 to develop a fully accommodating monofocal IOL that would function within the human eye.

Michael J. Malesardi, CPA - Chief Financial Officer

In addition to his role with JelliSee, Mr. Malesardi serves as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Gladstone Companies, Inc., an alternative asset manager, and Gladstone Alternative Income Fund, an interval fund. Mr. Malesardi has served in financial leadership roles of several public and private companies including Presidio Networked Solutions, AES Corporation, OmniSky, PSINet and Watson Wyatt. He also served as SVP of HR and Chief Ethics Officer of NVR. He started his career with Price Waterhouse in Washington, DC and Calgary, Alberta, rising to Audit Senior Manager. He has been involved in two IPOs along with numerous secondary offerings and both buy and sell-side M&A transactions. A CPA licensed in Virginia, Mr. Malesardi is a graduate of Washington and Lee University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting. He is a member of the AICPA and Virginia Society of CPAs, the Tech CFO Network of the Greater Washington Area, Riverbend Capital (an angel investing group) and has served as a chapter president and a regional board member of Financial Executives International.

Yuri McKee MD - Chief Scientific Advisor

Dr. McKee is a Board Certified Ophthalmic Surgeon with fellowship training in Corneal and Refractive Surgery. His clinical and surgical training in corneal disease, complex anterior segment surgery, and refractive surgery was completed at the renowned Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, GA. Dr McKee specializes in advanced corneal transplant techniques, premium cataract surgery, micro-invasive glaucoma surgery, anterior segment reconstruction, and refractive surgery. Dr McKee is a partner at East Valley Ophthalmology and East Valley Outpatient Surgery in Mesa, Arizona. He is the Executive Editor of five books on ophthalmic surgical technique. He is also on the Board of Directors of EyeConnect International. Dr McKee was the Medical Monitor for the first-in-human trials for the JelliSee Accommodating IOL.
Prior to his training in Ophthalmology Dr. McKee served for six years as an active duty US Air Force flight surgeon. He logged over 500 hours in USAF aircraft including the F-15, F-16, and Combat Search and Rescue helicopters. His commitment to service was recognized with numerous military medals and awards, including a Command Flight Surgeon of the Year distinction.
His background includes a BA in Psychology from Minnesota State University, a master’s thesis in developmental neurobiology, and an MD from Loma Linda University in California. Dr. McKee completed his surgical internship at the University of Minnesota. He received the Outstanding Graduating Resident Award at the Louisiana State University/Ochsner Clinic Foundation Ophthalmology Residency where he trained in the clinical and surgical subspecialties of ophthalmology.

Julie Schallhorn MD, MS - Chief Medical Advisor

Dr. Schallhorn is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at UCSF. Dr. Schallhorn received her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from UCLA, and her Master’s degree in Bioengineering from UCSD. She then completed medical training at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and her ophthalmology residency at UCSF. She went on to fellowship training in Uveitis at the F.I. Proctor Foundation at UCSF, and in Cornea at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon. She was on faculty at the University of Southern California’s Roski Eye Institute before returning to San Francisco and UCSF.
Dr. Schallhorn has strong research interests in the study of anterior segment disease and refractive surgery, and is deeply invested in obtaining the best possible results and experiences for her patients. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on visual outcomes, ocular surface disease, and patient satisfaction after refractive surgery. She currently sits on the Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee for Refractive Surgery for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Young Eye Surgeons Committee for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.