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 of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, is among a select group of recipients honored with this nationally competitive award.
Established in 1945 by Thomas Heed, the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation has awarded more than 1,100 fellowships and provided over $11 million in funding to support postgraduate studies in ophthalmology. Each Heed Fellow receives a $10,000 Merit Award in recognition of their exceptional potential and dedication to the field.
The Heed Foundation is committed to advancing education and research in ophthalmology by supporting young physicians who will go on to make lasting contributions in academic medicine, patient care, and scientific discovery.
Dr. Sabapathypillai’s selection underscores her outstanding contributions to ophthalmic medicine and her potential as a future leader in glaucoma research and care.
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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.