Congratulations! Thomas Ferguson, PhD Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, on receiving a new four year R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Immune Privilege, Müller cells, and Autophagy.” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for the health-related research and development based on the […]
Congratulations! Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Vice Chair for Innovation and Translation, on being selected as the 2022 Bárány Prize by the Ernst H. Bárány Prize Committee of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER), for his outstanding contributions toward research that has increased he understanding […]
On his recent continuing education course presentation entitled “Managing Ocular Disease on the Post-LASIK Patient” at the St. Louis Optometric Society Meeting on August 9th to a group of 40-50 optometrists
Where are you from? Washington Crossing, PA Where did you attend Medical School? Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Where did you complete your residency? Wills Eye Hospital Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I chose ophthalmology because I loved the combination of medicine and surgery within the specialty. I am passionate […]
Where are you from? Connecticut Where did you attend Medical School? Weill Cornell Medicine Where did you complete your residency? University of Utah Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I chose ophthalmology and then glaucoma because my patients and I have an opportunity together to change the course of the disease before, during, […]
Where are you from? Pensacola, Florida Where did you attend Medical School? Stanford University Favorite memory of Medical School? Surgical skills training with my mentors, spending time in the operating room, and seeing pediatric ophthalmology patients in the children’s hospital and clinic. Favorite memory of your intern residency year? Everything from our early exposure to […]
Congratulations! Rithwick Rajagopal, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director of Clinical COVID Preparedness, on receiving a new five year R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Modulating Retinal Lipid Biogenesis in Diabetes for Therapeutic Effects.” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. […]
Where are you from? I was born and grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and went to college at the University of Iowa. Where did you attend Medical School? Washington University in St. Louis Favorite memory of Medical School? Directing the annual Medical School Musical. Favorite memory of your intern residency year? Putting down my […]
Where are you from? Arcadia, California Where did you attend Medical School? University of Illinois Where did you complete your residency? University of Florida Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I picked ophthalmology because it is an incredibly gratifying field. Vision is such an important part of a person’s quality of life. It […]
Dr. Mark Rallo, OD, on becoming the new Director of Pediatric Optometry! This a new role for our department and will be a wonderful addition to our leadership team. Dr. Rallo will continue to offer guidance and support for our growing team of Optometrists. His years of service, love of mentorship and clinical expertise made […]
Where are you from? Cape Girardeau, MO Where did you attend Medical School? University of Missouri-Kansas City Favorite memory of Medical School? Coffee shop study sessions with friends Favorite memory of your intern residency year? The delicious lunches provided during our inpatient rotations Why did you choose Ophthalmology? Ophthalmology was the only specialty that gave […]
Welcome! Ashley Ahlbrand, OD, our very first Resident of Optometry. Dr. Ahlbrand graduated with her Doctor of Optometry from Midwestern University-Chicago College of Optometry in May of 2022. She will complete a one-year residency program with DOVS focusing on Ocular Disease and Specialty Contact Lenses. As a resident optometrist, she will see patients with the […]
Congratulations to our 2022 Graduates! We wish you the best of luck!
Matt Santos completed his residency in Ophthalmology at WashU this year and I am absolutely delighted that he will be serving as the Chief of Ophthalmic Trauma for the 2022-2023 academic year. I am not alone in this sentiment- our faculty, staff, his colleagues and junior residents have all been overwhelmingly supportive, and for good […]
On his recent contributions in Thailand: June 29- Panelists for a lecture entitled “Herpes Corneal and Anterior Segment Infection” (Case-based presentation) at the 47th RCOPT Scientific Meeting, sponsored by the Cornea & Refractive Surgery Society of Thailand (CORST) July 5-Keynote Speaker at The Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University Lecture Series entitled […]
What are your future plans? I will be joining the University of Chicago and act as a Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment specialists. Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? Ophthalmology offers a unique opportunity to help people see and live better. Connecting with patients in the clinic and treating them surgically in the […]
On her following contributions to Ophthalmology: June 8-9- Keynote Speaker at Canadian Resident Ethics Symposium (Halifax, NS) June 10-12-Keynote Speaker at Canadian Ophthalmological Society Meeting (Halifax, NS) June 29-Bettman Ethics Lecture-University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston, TX)
Congratulations to all of our awards recipients!
WashU Visionaries Congratulations! to the WashU Visionaries, headed by Philip Ruzycki, PhD and Liam McCoy (research tech, DOVS) on their very first entry into the 2022 MindsEye Ultimate BeepBall Tournament, that was held in Fenton Park on June 25, 2022. BeepBall is a spin on baseball where everyone is blindfolded except the pitcher and catcher. […]
What are your future plans? Part-time Glaucoma Faculty at Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska, and private practice with my father at Omaha Eye Institute. Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I chose ophthalmology because preserving vision gives our patients the opportunity to remain productive members of society and providers for their families […]
On his upcoming contribution as a keynote speaker at the 2022 Georgia Society of Ophthalmology (GSO) Annual Meeting on July 15-17, at the Cloister at Sea Island in Sea Island, Georgia. Dr. Apte will be presenting the keynote speech entitled “Retina Considerations for the Cataract Surgeon”, as well as the Aaberg Lecture on “Age-related Macular […]
What are your future plans? Glaucoma fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital next year. Why did you choose Ophthalmology/WashU? The kindness and closeness of everyone, residents, faculty and staff. I felt it my first time at WashU, which was for residency interviews four years ago. I left that day knowing that this program cares about its […]
Congratulations! Philip Williams, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences on receiving his first R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Resilient Identifying and Leveraging Strategies of Inherently Resilient Retinal Neurons to Treat Degeneration” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support […]
What are your future plans? Sticking around as the Chief of Ophthalmic Trauma for 2022-2023 Why did you choose Ophthalmology/WashU? My interview at WashU was my first ever trip to St. Louis. Having no prior connection to the city or university, what drew me to the program was the people and the tremendous opportunities for […]
Unrestricted Grant Award Recipient! The Washington University School of Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has been granted a prestigious Unrestricted Grant by Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) to support eye research. This funding, has been awarded based on a thorough review of criteria, including the department’s research activities, laboratory […]
What are your future plans? Vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah for the next two years. After that I’m not 100% sure, but it’s going to be a great adventure! Why did you choose Ophthalmology/WashU? My wife and I knew leaving San Diego after medical school for residency […]
Congratulations! Lynn Hassman, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences on receiving a K08 Grant from NEI for her research entitled “Resolution of Ocular Inflammation: The Role of Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cells.” The K08 is a special award for individuals who have a clinical doctoral degree to provide support and protected time to […]
Congratulations to Chas Pfeifer, research trainee in the Apte Lab, on receiving the “2022 Cora Verhagen Award” for best poster or paper presented by a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow in an immunology-sponsored session at the ARVO annual meeting. Both Chas and Dr. Apte will be attending the 2023 ARVO conference next year in New […]
ARVO Travel Grant Recipient Mary-Grace Reeves, MD, MBA, incoming DOVS resident on being awarded an ARVO Travel Grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation for her oral presentation in the Health Policy and Health Economics Category. on “State-level differences in duties permitted to be performed by medical assistants in delivery of eye care.“ The presentation […]
2022 Kelley Mullen Clinical Service Award Recipient Kathrine (Kat) Earney, Clinical Supervisor at the University Eye Center (UES) on receiving the 2022 Kelley Mullen Clinical Service Award . The Kelley Mullen Clinical Service Award recognizes a clinical support staff member who consistently demonstrates ongoing acts of caring that go beyond the normally expected levels of […]
The 2022 RPB Career Development Award Recipient Philip Ruzycki, PhD has been granted the prestigious Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award to support eye research. The RPB Career Development Award was established in 1960 and is given to support the independent pursuits of promising early career scientists or clinician scientists in their research […]
Washington University in St. Louis professors Mae Gordon, PhD, and Michael Kass, MD, received the 2022 Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research yesterday. The annual prize, presented by BrightFocus Foundation and the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education, honors scientific discovery and excellence and is chosen by an independent awards committee. “Glaucoma progressively and permanently destroys peripheral vision. […]
Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Kerschensteiner, who has received the Cogan Award of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). The annual award recognizes a researcher age 45 or younger who has made important research contributions in ophthalmology and visual science that are directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, […]
We are excited to announce that we are now scheduling consultations at Washington University LASIK Surgery Center!
Clinical Care–Medical Team Distinguished Service Teaching Award Andrew Lee, MD, has been selected by the Washington University School of Medicine Class of 2022 to receive the “Clinical Care–Medical Team Distinguished Service Teaching Award” for teaching in Academic Year 2020-2021. Dr. Lee along with other selected teaching faculty will be formally recognized by medical school students […]
Mary-Grace Reeves, MD, MBA, incoming DOVS resident on being named Inpatient Intern of the Month, for her work on the VA MICU service This doctor rotated through our ICU here at the VA in January right in the middle of the Omicron surge that both led to short staffed situations and an exceptionally high census […]
Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Daniel Kerschensteiner, MD has been appointed the new Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. This scholarship is in acknowledgement for the outstanding leadership he has brought to our department as well as to the fields of neuroscience and the visual sciences
We would like to welcome Dr. Wexler to our clinical faculty! Dr. Wexler will be the director of our new LASIK & Refractive Surgery Center opening in spring 2022. Dr. Stephen Wexler has been performing refractive surgery since 1991. He is one of the most experienced surgeons in the country, having performed more than 70,000 […]
Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology Shiming Chen, PhD has been awarded the Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Endowment for Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology. This endowment, is in acknowledgement for her outstanding work in the field of Ophthalmology, especially in the area of the Molecular Basis of Retinal Gene Expression.
Grace Nelson Lacy Distinguished Professorship Steven Bassnett, PhD has been appointed the Inaugural Grace Nelson Lacy Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology. This Scholarship is in acknowledgement of the outstanding work that Dr. Bassnett has contributed to the field of Ophthalmology, and most recently in the field of glaucoma over the past 30 years. This endowment was […]
Andrea Santeford, MS, Research Laboratory Supervisor in the Dr. Apte’s Lab, has led the effort on a paper published in eLife on August 23, 2021. The paper is supported by an NIH grant awarded to the Apte Lab. Age-related inflammation, also known as inflammaging, is a leading driver of multiple aging-related diseases. Andrea Santeford and […]
Check out our very own Dr. Lynn Hassman’s discussion in the Summer 2021 issue of the Washington University’s Physicians Newsletter
Joseph Lin, MSTP MD/PhD student in Dr. Apte’s Lab has been awarded a F30 grant for his project entitled “Role of Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 2 in Macrophage-mediated Antimicrobal Immunity”
Where are you from? Detroit, Michagan Where did you attend Medical School? Wayne State University Where did you complete your residency? Indiana University Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? Ophthalmology is a great combination of medicine, surgery, physics, and technology. It’s absolutely fascinating and offers many opportunities to make clear and immediate improvements […]
Where are you from? Taipei, Taiwan Where did you attend Medical School? Texas A & M Favorite memory of Medical School? All the new things, friends, mentors, and opportunities that came along while being a medical student; including graduating on Zoom and the virtual party after the ceremony. Favorite memory of your intern residency year? […]
Where are you from? Cincinnati, OH Where did you attend Medical School? Emory University School of Medicine Where did you complete your residency? Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I selected Ophthalmology because I can establish bonds with my patients in the clinic and be a part of microsurgical […]
Where are you from? Omaha, NE Where Where did you attend Medical School? St. Louis University Where did you complete your residency? St. Louis University Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty? I chose ophthalmology after working with an eye surgeon in a Tibetan province of China for 7 weeks when I was 20 […]