Nathaniel Roybal is a native New Mexican. He grew up in Mora and graduated from Mosquero High School. He also graduated from New Mexico State University, where he studied Animal and Range Sciences. He was an ACES College Ambassador and was the outstanding graduating senior of his class. Dr. Roybal was a part of the first graduating class of the combined MD and PhD at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Roybal completed the EyeSTAR post-doctoral fellowship and ophthalmology residency at the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. His post-doctoral studies focused on gene and stem cell therapies for age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. During his vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Iowa, he pioneered the use of proteomics for the diagnosis and personalized treatment of retinal diseases. In 2020, Dr. Roybal founded Retina Consultants of New Mexico to provide New Mexicans access to world-class retina care.