Dr. Stephen Tait specializes in the comprehensive surgical and medical treatment of diseases of the eye. Dr. Tait enjoys spending time with patients to ensure that they understand their medical condition and the pros and cons of the various available treatment options. Dr. Tait’s specialties include cataracts, refractive surgeries (e.g., LASIK, LASEK, epi-LASIK, iLASIK), macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic eye care, as well as functional eyelid surgery. Over two decades, Dr. Tait has performed tens of thousands of procedures using advanced surgical techniques. During this time, he has established a reputation as a skilled and trusted physician who brings warmth and expertise to his practice and delivers superior surgical results for his patients.
A lifelong Michigander, Dr. Tait received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan in 1989, a PhD in physiology from the Michigan State University Department of Surgery in 1995, and a medical degree (MD) from Michigan State College of Human Medicine in 1999. Dr. Tait’s PhD research focused on the precursors of drugs currently used to treat wet macular degeneration. This research earned him the Young Investigator’s Award from a leading international research society and multiple publications in the American Journal of Physiology. During medical school, Dr. Tait was awarded the Paul C. Linnell, M.D. Scholarship for his demonstrated capacity to achieve educational and professional goals.
After completing his MD/PhD, Dr. Tait completed his residency in Ophthalmology at William Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak, learning the advanced cataract and LASIK techniques under the guidance of Dr. Clark. In addition, he studied breakthrough medical retina treatments with the world’s leading retina specialists. After residency, he received additional subspecialty refractive training from Dr. Bradley C. Black of Eye Associates in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Tait is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He has been recognized with the distinctive Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor in Ophthalmology for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Dr. Stephen Tait has unmatched regional expertise in treating macular degeneration, with decades of experience administering intravitreal injections. His award-winning research in the 1990s on cytokines, the cell-to-cell signals responsible for wet macular degeneration, was published internationally and widely recognized in the field. This groundbreaking work led to his role in the FDA trials that established the efficacy and safety of intravitreal injections. As a leader in this treatment for decades, no one in the region has more experience in treating macular degeneration than Dr. Tait.
Dr. Tait has also taken an active role in philanthropic activities. He has participated in humanitarian trips; most recently to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he performed nearly 100 free cataract surgeries to underserved patients with Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International. He is a member of the Beaumont Health Foundation, an organization that exists exclusively for the purpose of providing funding and high quality health care to patients.
In his spare time, Dr. Tait loves spending time with his wife Emily and his five kids, Christopher, Cameron, Paige, Connor, and Cy. He enjoys cheering on the Detroit Lions, skiing, tennis, cooking, motorcycle trips, and spending time “Up North” on the water. He is an Eagle Scout and an Ironman, and he brings that level of excellence to the care of his patients.