The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences' 26th Annual Research Symposium will take place on Friday, June 13, 2024, at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Garden Center. This full-day event will showcase cutting-edge research and clinical advancements in ophthalmology, featuring distinguished guest speakers from across the country. In addition to expert lectures, the symposium will highlight research presentations and posters from UAB Ophthalmology residents and fellows, offering a platform for emerging leaders in the field. Attendees will also engage in specialty-focused panel discussions and roundtable conversations covering key areas such as retina, uveitis, and glaucoma. This symposium provides a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and celebrate innovation in vision science.
Guest Speakers
Charles J. Burnham, M.D., Endowed Distinguished Lectureship in Ophthalmology
Nisha Acharya, M.D., M.S.
Elizabeth C. Proctor Distinguished Professor
Director, Uveitis and Ocular Inflammatory Disease Service
Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Mentorship
Departments of Ophthalmology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Associate Director, Francis I. Proctor Foundation
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Nisha Acharya is the Elizabeth C. Proctor Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco and Director of the Uveitis and Ocular Inflammatory Disease Service at the F.I. Proctor Foundation. She is also the Associate Director of the Proctor Foundation and Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Mentorship in the Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Acharya obtained her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Stanford University, followed by medical school at UCSF. She was an intern at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and completed her ophthalmology residency at Harvard at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. She returned to UCSF for fellowship. Dr. Acharya is a clinician-scientist with a clinical focus on uveitis and ocular inflammatory diseases. She has an NIH-funded research program that focuses on the design and implementation of international clinical trials and data analytics research on ocular inflammatory diseases. She is a past president of the American Uveitis Society and has received a Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She has also been recognized for her mentorship of medical students with a UCSF Dean’s Mentor Award.
Alumni Association Sponsored Lecturer
Ruth Williams, M.D.
Glaucoma Specialist, Wheaton Eye Clinic
Chief Medical Editor, EyeNet Magazine
Wheaton, IL
Dr. Ruth Williams has been an esteemed thought leader and advocate in ophthalmology for over three decades. She is honored to be a member of this community of data-driven, innovative specialists committed to improving the quality of people’s lives around the world. She has been described as an inspired, optimistic and forward-thinking leader with the highest integrity.
Dr. Williams is a glaucoma consultant and partner at the Wheaton Eye Clinic. As president and chief executive officer for 9 years, she led the clinic through an accelerated growth phase that positioned the clinic as one of the largest and most well-respected ophthalmology groups in the Midwest. This practice provides superb subspecialty eye care through its 6 full-service locations and an ambulatory surgery center, and the expertise of 36 ophthalmologists and 14 optometrists.
In 2012, Dr. Williams served as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Prior Academy appointments include Trustee-at-Large and Secretary for Member Services. As Secretary, she expanded Young Ophthalmologist programming and advocated for increased representation of young ophthalmologists, a strategy for developing new leadership that is now modelled by ophthalmology organizations globally. Other creative initiatives implemented during her tenure in Member Services include the EyeWiki, the Advocacy Award, and the EnergEyes Award. She is currently the Chief Medical Editor of EyeNet Magazine and each month writes pithy and widely-read columns about issues important to ophthalmologists.
Holding leadership positions on multiple professional boards, she is currently the Vice-Chair of Glaucoma Research Foundation. She led the Ophthalmology Section Council of the AMA for nearly a decade and chaired the Surgical and Specialty Section of the AMA. Beginning in January 2025, she will chair the AAO Foundation Advisory Board.
An Alpha Omega Alpha Honors graduate of Rush Medical College, Dr. Williams completed an ophthalmology residency at California Pacific Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in glaucoma at University of San Francisco, California and Shaffer Associates.
Helen Keller Lecturer
Yoshihiro Yonekawa, M.D.
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Visiting Professor, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo
Retina Specialist, Wills Eye Hospital
Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Yoshihiro Yonekawa is an adult and pediatric retina specialist. He received his MD with honors from Weill Cornell Medical College, where he was recognized with the Edward Norton Award in Ophthalmology and grants from Fight for Sight and the National Eye Institute. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Harvard Medical School and received many awards for his clinical and research expertise, including those from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Dr. Yonekawa subsequently underwent specialized fellowship training in adult and pediatric retina surgery at Associated Retinal Consultants/William Beaumont Hospital. He received prestigious national awards during his fellowship, including those from the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation, Ronald G. Michels Foundation, and the Retina Society.
Prior to joining Wills Eye Hospital, Dr. Yonekawa was Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Pediatric Retina Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Yonekawa and his family then moved to Philadelphia to join the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital. He also maintains an ongoing visiting faculty position with Kyorin University in Tokyo, Japan.
Dr. Yonekawa is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University. He is an incoming board member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), where he serves on multiple committees. He is president-elect and serves on the Board and Executive Committee for the Vit Buckle Society. He is an active member of AAO, Retina Society, Macula Society, Vail Vitrectomy, and the Association of Pediatric Retina Specialists. He has received numerous recognitions for his expertise, including the AAO Achievement Award, ASRS Presidential Honor Award, The Ophthalmologist Power List of Rising Stars, Pennsylvania Medical Society Top Physicians Under 40, Philadelphia Magazine top doctor, and Castle Connolly top doctor.
Dr. Yonekawa has contributed over 400 original papers, editorials, and textbook chapters to help advance the field. He serves as assistant editor for RETINA, section editor for Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases (JVRD), and associate editor for Ophthalmic Surgery Lasers and Imaging Retina (OSLI Retina), Graefe's Archives for Experimental and Clinical Ophthalmology, and Review of Ophthalmology. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (JAAPOS) and Retina Today, is Editor in Chief of Retina Roundup, and section editor for several textbooks.