The WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is proud to announce that 30 faculty physicians have been recognized as 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors, an honor that reflects excellence in patient care and professional achievement. The recognition is based on peer nominations and a rigorous physician-led selection process that identifies outstanding clinicians across the country.
This recognition highlights the department’s commitment to delivering exceptional, compassionate eye care while advancing the field of ophthalmology through innovative research, education, and clinical excellence. Faculty provide comprehensive care across every ophthalmic subspecialty, including retina, cornea, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology, refractive surgery, and more.
For 2026, WashU Medicine physicians was recognized by Castle Connolly as the #1 physician practice in the nation, with more Top Doctors than any other physician practice in the United States. This distinction reflects the exceptional expertise and dedication of physicians across the institution.
Congratulations to our 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
Rajendra S Apte, MD, PhD
Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Vice Chair of Innovation and International Affairs
- Email: apte@wustl.edu
- Retina
- Lab Website
- Research Profile
-
Steven Couch, MD, FACS
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director of Quality and Safety
- Email: couchS@wustl.edu
George Harocopos, MD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Pathology and Immunology; Director of Ophthalmic Pathology
- Email: harocopos@wustl.edu
Aaron Y Lee, MD, MSCI
Arthur W. Stickle Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Email: leeay@wustl.edu
Andrew R Lee, MD
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Chief, Pediatric Ophthalmology; Director, Medical Student Education for Ophthalmology
- Email: arlee@wustl.edu
Cecilia Lee, MD, MS
Jane Hardesty Poole Distinguished Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Science
- Email: cslee@wustl.edu
James Liu, MD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director of Surgical Training and Skills Lab
Congratulations to our faculty members on this well-deserved recognition and for their continued commitment to improving vision and changing lives through outstanding patient care.
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.