Every May, Healthy Vision Month serves as a national reminder of how essential it is to care for our eyes — not just when problems arise, but every single day. In 2025, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends everyone take simple, proactive steps to safeguard their vision and reduce their risk of eye disease. […]
WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences hosted the 36th Annual Ophthalmology Spring Update on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Connor Auditorium in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center on the Medical School Campus. This year’s event brought together distinguished leaders in ophthalmology […]
ST. LOUIS, MO – April 25, 2025 —WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences proudly announces that Sharon Sabapathypillai, MD, MS has been selected as one of the 2025 – 2026 Heed Ophthalmic Fellows. Dr. Sabapathypillai, currently a resident physician at WashU Medicine and incoming glaucoma fellow in the Department […]
The 2025 ARVO Annual Meeting is the premier international forum for the exchange of cutting-edge research and ideas in the field of eye and vision science. Each year, thousands of scientists, clinicians, trainees, and professionals from affiliated disciplines convene to share their latest findings, foster collaborations, and shape the future of vision research. In 2025, […]
St. Louis, MO — April 21, 2025 — Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, was honored with the Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award during a special ceremony recognizing exemplary contributions to the academic community. The 26th annual Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony took place on Monday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. in Steinberg Auditorium on the […]
St. Louis, MO — April 1, 2025 —Researchers from WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences have identified the most effective treatments for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), a condition that can cause blurry vision and vision loss. The study, led by Henok Getahun and Dr. Rajendra Apte, reviewed the […]
Henok Getahun Awarded Prestigious RPB Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship ST. LOUIS, MO – December 4, 2024 — Henok Getahun, WashU Medicine Medical Student, has been honored with the RPB Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship, a distinguished award that supports promising medical students in pursuing innovative research projects in ophthalmology. Getahun’s groundbreaking research focuses on a […]
Haneen Alfauri presented and led a thought-provoking discussion on AVA-Net, a powerful new retinal blood vessel analysis tool. Through her presentation, Haneen demonstrated how AVA-Net enables clearer visualization and differentiation of arteries, veins, and even the tiniest capillaries in OCTA (Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography) images. She emphasized the model’s potential to reveal subtle changes in […]
In 2020, WashU Medicine introduced the Gateway Curriculum, a forward-thinking initiative designed to transform medical education. As part of this new curriculum, Dr. Andrew Lee and Dr. Cynthia Montana had the privilege of developing the ophthalmology content for second-year medical students, aiming to enhance their understanding of this critical field. Dr. Stunkel also played a […]
Sean McCracken, a Neuroscience PhD candidate in the Williams’ Lab, gave his presentation at the Vision Science Journal Club on Retrograde AAV-mediated gene modulation revealing chloride intracellular channel proteins as potent regulators of retinal ganglion cell death. Sean explained that Tapia et al used a special method to label and track viruses in retinal ganglion cells […]
The highly anticipated open house of the new shared multidisciplinary surgical simulation lab took place on September 18th, 2024, offering an exclusive first look at the future of surgical innovation. “The recently launched Multidisciplinary Surgical Simulation Lab is enhancing our training capabilities significantly. Serving ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and neurosurgery, this facility is equipped with advanced technology […]
Celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2024 We would like to recognize and express gratitude to our postdoctoral appointees at Washington University. This week is National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW). It is a time to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Washington University’s more than 950 postdoctoral appointees. Their hard work in research, teaching, and […]
Dr. Brian Clark Awarded Prestigious R01 Grant for Groundbreaking Research on Retinal Development St. Louis, MO – September 11th, 2024 – Washington University School of Medicine is proud to announce that Dr. Brian Clark, PhD, has been awarded his first R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his pioneering research titled “Regulation […]
$75,000 Young Investigator Grant Supports Early Career Development in Vision Research and Ophthalmology St. Louis, MO – August 16th, 2024 – Takeshi Yoshimatsu,PhD, an Assistant Professor in the John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine) has been awarded a $75,000 Young […]
Meet Ameay Naravane, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Glaucoma Fellow 2024-2025 Where are you from? St. Paul, Minnesota Where did you attend Medical School? University of Minnesota Where did you complete your residency? University of Minnesota Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I was first introduced to ophthalmology as a first-year […]
Meet Barbara Smith, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Cornea Fellow 2024-2025 Where are you from? Knoxville, TN Where did you attend Medical School? University of Tennessee Where did you complete your residency? University of Tennessee, Hamilton Eye Institute Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? Because the eyes are the best! But […]
WashU Ophthalmology had a great representation at this year’s Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Retinal Neurobiology & Visual Processing Science Research Conference (SRC). Where leading researchers gathered to share the latest findings and advancements in retinal neurobiology and visual processing. FASEB Retinal Neurobiology & Visual Processing SRC 2024 This year the conference […]
Isabella Gomes, a medical student at Washington University, recently presented at the Vision Science Journal Club. Her presentation focused on severe eye degeneration in a 68-year-old man. Presenter: Isabella Gomes WashU Medical Student – MD Candidate ’25 Email: i.gomes@wustl.edu The study Isabella Gomes presented found a new genetic change (CNV) in the RHO gene that […]
We would like to congratulate Philip Williams, PhD on receiving a grant for his groundbreaking research on the neuromodulatory potential of primary cilia. This grant, funded by The McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, recognizes the innovative nature of Dr. Williams’ work, which aims to unravel the complex signaling mechanisms within primary cilia and […]
Meet Siddharth Bhargava, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Glaucoma Fellow 2024-2025 Where are you from? Cupertino, California Where did you attend Medical School? Albany Medical College Where did you complete your residency? Eastern Virginia Medical School Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? Growing up in Silicon Valley, I have always been […]