Department members earn leadership grants, keynote honors, and abstract awards at neuro-ophthalmology annual meeting.
The WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences was well-represented at the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS) 2026 Annual Meeting, with a contingent of nine faculty members, residents, and medical students contributing to the scientific program.
The group included Department Chairperson Aaron Lee, MD, MSCI; neuro-ophthalmology attendings Gregory Van Stavern, MD, Leanne Stunkel, MD, and Yunshuo (Caroline) Tang, MD, PhD; optometry attending Mark Kahrhoff, OD; ophthalmology resident Sowmya Yennam, MD; and three WashU medical students. The meeting also provided an opportunity to reconnect with alumni of the neuro-ophthalmology fellowship currently practicing at Saint Louis University, the University of Kansas, and Yale University.
Leanne Stunkel, MD, was awarded the Dr. Ivy Dreizin Leadership Development Grant. Bestowed by the NANOS Board of Directors and selected by the Women in Neuro-Ophthalmology Steering Committee, this honor is given to only one practicing neuro-ophthalmologist per year. Stunkel also contributed to the educational program as co-director for a symposium on negotiation skills and as a moderator for a session on recently recognized clinical conditions.
Research from the department also earned competitive recognition. A platform presentation by medical student Sofia John, with Van Stavern serving as senior author, was named a finalist for the Best Abstract Award. Additionally, the group presented five scientific posters, including work by Yennam.
Highlighting the intersection of technology and clinical care, Chairperson Aaron Lee, MD, delivered a keynote address titled “Getting Ophthalmic Imaging AI in the Clinic,” discussing the implementation of artificial intelligence in ophthalmic diagnostics.
