Clinical Associate Professor
Clinical Focus
Special Interests
- Intraocular tumors, including uveal nevus, melanoma, retinoblastoma, metastatic tumors, lymphoma, retinal vascular tumors, rare tumors, and simulating lesions (e.g. Coats disease, FEVR).
- Ocular surface tumors, including conjunctival melanoma, squamous neoplasia, lymphoma, and others.
- Specific training in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of intraocular tumors, plaque radiotherapy, transpupillary thermotherapy, laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, cryotherapy, and intravitreal chemotherapy injection.
- Ophthalmic pathology, including gross and microscopic evaluation and special stains.
- Cataract and intraocular lens implant surgery, including radiation-related cataract.
Education
- BA: Oklahoma Baptist University (magna cum Laude, with honors), Shawnee, OK – 2004
- MD: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK – 2008
- Preliminary Internal Medicine: Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX – 2008-2009
- Ophthalmology Residency: Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX – 2009-2012
- Ocular Oncology Fellowship: Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA – 2012-2013
- Ocular Pathology Fellowship: Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA – 2013
Bio
Dr. Firestone is the only fellowship-trained ocular oncologist and pathologist in Oklahoma. He has specific interest and expertise in caring for patients with tumors in or around the eye and also performs microscopic evaluation of eye-related biopsies and tissue. He sees adults with a wide variety of lesions ranging from small “freckles” and other benign tumors to melanoma and other cancers. He also sees children with retinoblastoma, Coats’ disease, and other lesions. Dr. Firestone’s team works with other cancer specialists at OU Medical Center to provide the most comprehensive and high-quality treatment for eye cancer available in the state.
Dr. Firestone is a native of southern Oklahoma and received his undergraduate education at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he received the William Neptune Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. He received his medical training at the University of Oklahoma. He served as chief resident during his ophthalmology residency at the Scott and White Eye Institute at Texas A&M University. He served as clinical fellow on the oncology service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the largest eye cancer center in the United States under the direction of Jerry A. Shields, MD and Carol L. Shields, MD. Dr. Firestone then served as a fellow in the ocular pathology department at Wills Eye Hospital under the direction of Ralph C. Eagle, Jr., MD. The pathology department processes one of the largest volumes of ophthalmic specimens in the world.
He joined the Dean McGee Eye Institute/University of Oklahoma Department of Ophthalmology in 2014. Dr. Firestone has delivered invited lectures and produced numerous publications on topics related to ocular oncology and pathology. His team participates in several multicenter clinical trials with the nation’s leading ocular oncology centers.
Dr. Firestone and his wife, Jessica, have four children.
Memberships
- American Association of Ophthalmic Oncologists and Pathologists (AAOOP)
- International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO)
- American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO)
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- Oklahoma Academy of Ophthalmology (OAO)
- American Medical Society (AMA)
Honors and Awards
- 1999 – Academic All-State Scholar | Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence
Top 100 senior in an Oklahoma public high school - 2006 – Finalist, Vernino-Vannatta Award | OU College of Medicine
Given to the sophomore medical student most able to demonstrate academic achievement, empathic understanding, and caring for others - 2012 – Chief Resident | Scott & White Eye Institute
- 2012 – Finalist, Scott & White Hospital Outstanding Resident Award
Given to the most outstanding resident physician in the entire Scott & White Memorial Hospital/Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center system - 2014 – William Neptune Distinguished Alumni Award | Oklahoma Baptist University
Given to a single OBU alumnus for distinguished career achievement - 2017 – Edward & Thelma Gaylord Faculty Honor Award | Dean A. McGee Eye Institute
Faculty award selected by resident physicians for most outstanding teacher - 2017 – Dewayne Andrews, MD Excellence in Teaching Award | U. of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Outstanding resident teaching award from OU-COM Academy of Teaching Scholars - 2018 – Nominee, Aesculapian Award | OU College of Medicine, Class of 2019
One of three nominees for outstanding medical student education in clinical sciences - 2018 – Member, Oklahoma Gazette “Forty Under 40”
Program recognizing individuals in Central Oklahoma under 40 who have “achieved exceptional results and status in the business, creative, nonprofit, and governmental sectors of our community”
Publications
- Schefler A, Skalet A, Oliver S, Mason J, Daniels A, Alsina KM, Plasseraud KM, Monzon FA, Firestone B. “Prospective evaluation of risk-appropriate management of uveal melanoma patients informed by gene expression profiling”. Melanoma Management. In press.
- Muller L, Henson C, Firestone B, Ahmad S, Herman T, de la Fuente T. “Radiation Treatment to a Post-Resection Primary Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC) of the Conjunctiva with Positive Margins at the Tenon’s Fascia”. Medical Dosimetry. 2018;S0958-3947(18)30105-5. PMID 30366619.
- Firestone BK, Arias JD, Shields CL, Shields JA. “Bilateral Combined Hamartomas of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium as the Presenting Feature of Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (Wishart type)”. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus. 2014;51. PMID 25922868.
- Moreno Paramo D, Firestone B, Mahajan A, Gombos D. “Chapter 17: External Beam Radiation Therapy” Retinoblastoma. Editors: Ramasubramanian A., Shields C. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, 2012.
- Firestone BK, Mold JW, Scheid DC, Hamm RM. “Type 2 diabetes: Which interventions best reduce absolute risks of adverse events?” The Journal of Family Practice (Vol. 58, No. 6). Published online: June 2009.
- Stray SJ, Johnson JM, Kopek BG, Zlotnick A. “An in vitro fluorescence screen to identify antivirals that disrupt hepatitis B virus capsid assembly.” Nature Biotechnology 24, 358-362. Published online: 12 February 2006.
