Dr. Manuel Chaknis is a native Atlantan and a board-certified ophthalmologist with over 20 years’ experience. He has diverse experiences in group and solo private practices and corporate ophthalmology, encompassing general ophthalmology, cataracts, LASIK, and corneal diseases and surgery.

Dr. Chaknis is an honors graduate of the University of Chicago, attending the College as one of eight academic/athlete scholars in his class. He was elected to Sigma XI scientific society and received research grants for his work at the Eye Research Labs, under the auspices of Drs. Ramesh and Brenda Tripathi. As a graduate student at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Dr. Chaknis completed his M.S. degree while doing ocular research in contact lens infections in conjunction with the Cornea service at Emory University Eye Clinic.

Both medical school and subsequent ophthalmology residency training for Dr. Chaknis were at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He was an honors graduate as well as being a member of the school’s Honor Council and president of his medical school class. In addition to varied ophthalmology research projects as a medical student resident and resident, Dr. Chaknis received grants for his work on retinal vasculature in the lab of Dr. Keith Green and later served as Chief Resident.

Continuing his interest in the fields of LASIK and corneal diseases and surgery, Dr. Chaknis completed his fellowship training at Corneal Consultants of Indiana with Dr. Frank Price, renowned internationally for his cutting-edge LASIK and corneal transplant techniques, including PKP, DSEK, and DMEK. Dr. Chaknis was also one of the first ophthalmologists to have LASIK surgery himself in 1996.

Dr. Chaknis continued his LASIK and corneal surgery research in Indianapolis, presenting at the national ARVO and AAO meetings. He has served multiple years as a surgery labs instructor at the AAO meeting, teaching ophthalmologists LASIK and corneal surgery techniques. He enjoys cooperative learning with other ophthalmologists and optometrists as well as missions work, including two trips to India at the internationally-recognized Agarwal Eye Hospital in Chennai.

Dr. Chaknis spends most of his free time with his wife, children, rescue dogs, and his large local extended family, and he enjoys reading, music, college and Australian rules football, and rugby. He is active in the Atlanta Greek community, their men’s philanthropic group, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.