Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Kalla Gervasio, MD

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 […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Ariana Levin, MD

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, […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Mary-Grace Reeves, MD

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 […]

R01 Grant Recipient

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. […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Gregory Bligard, MD

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 […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Jessica Yang Walia, MD

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 […]

Congratulations! Dr. Rallo

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 […]

Residents & Fellows in Spotlight: Sharon Sabapathypillai, MD, MS

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 […]

New Optometry Resident

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 […]

Residents & Fellows in the Spotlight: Matthew Santos, MD

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 […]

Congratulations! Dr. Margolis

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 […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: C. Maxwell Medert, MD

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 […]

Congratulations Dr. Carla Siegfried

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)

2022 Ultimate BeepBall Tournament

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. […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Jessica Liu, MD

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 […]

Congratulations! Dr. Apte

Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD

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 […]

Residents & Fellows Spotlight: Tina Xia, MD

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 […]

R01 Grant Recipient

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 […]