World's Most Influential People in Ophthalmology

Fifteen Bascom Palmer doctors named to Power List 2024

MIAMI, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen Bascom Palmer Eye Institute physicians were selected for the 2024 Power List, a prestigious selection of the world's 100 most influential people shaping the future of eye care, as published by The Ophthalmologist magazine. Drs. Eduardo C. Alfonso, Kendall Donaldson, Hilda Capó, Janet Davis, Harry Flynn, Anat Galor, Steven Gedde, Ranya Habash, Carol Karp, Jaclyn Kovach, Byron Lam, Felipe Medeiros, Richard Parrish, Philip Rosenfeld, and Sonia Yoo were named to the 2024 Power List. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is the Department of Ophthalmology for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and UHealth – University of Miami Health System.

"Congratulations to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute physicians for receiving this exceptional honor," said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Miller School. "We are extremely honored that 15 Bascom Palmer doctors were selected for their exceptional contributions and influence in the field. From cutting-edge treatments to groundbreaking research, these doctors are pushing boundaries and setting new standards in ophthalmology."

Bascom Palmer's 2024 Power List Recipients

Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert on ocular infectious diseases and is recognized globally as a leader in healthcare administration. Alfonso has been the director of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute since 2007. Each year under his leadership, the Institute has been ranked the number one eye hospital in the United States. Alfonso, the holder of the Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser Chair in Ophthalmology, was also named to the Ophthalmologist Power Lists 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2023.

Holder of the John T. Flynn Chair in Ophthalmology, Hilda Capó, M.D., specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus. She is world-renowned for her expertise in strabismus and adjustable sutures. She is a pioneer in identifying the anesthetic agent's role in the onset of double vision after cataract surgery. She has trained over 175 residents and fellows, reaffirming her academician, educator, and surgeon abilities. Capó was also named to the Power Lists 2021 and 2023.

Janet L. Davis, M.D., M.A., is an internationally recognized expert in uveitis and a medical retina and vitreoretinal specialist. Holder of the Leach Chair in Ophthalmology, her expertise includes infectious and inflammatory eye diseases. For the last seven years, she has led the Bascom Palmer surgical team that has performed more than 100 subretinal gene therapy procedures for inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and choroideremia. Davis was also named to the Power Lists 2021 and 2023.

Kendall E. Donaldson, M.D., M.S., holder of the Kolokotrones Chair in Ophthalmology, is a cornea specialist whose primary research interests are in the areas of advancement in cataract surgery, particularly laser-assisted cataract surgery, and severe ocular surface disease. Each year, she presents over 100 local, national, and international lectures and has authored various peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She was also named to the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Power Lists. 

Harry W. Flynn Jr., M.D., has a long and distinguished career in academic medicine through teaching, research, and patient care. A specialist in the medical and surgical treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous, he has trained more than 600 residents, fellows, and visiting physicians over the past 40 years: Flynn, holder of the J. Donald M. Gass Chair in Ophthalmology, is unmatched as an advocate or communicator in the field of ophthalmology. He was also named to the Power Lists 2018, 2022, and 2023.

Anat Galor, M.D., M.S.P.H., is an expert on ocular surface pain and dry eye and its relationship with neuropathic ocular pain. She is also an expert in the epidemiology and treatment of persistent pain after LASIK. Galor has evaluated the efficacy of several therapies in treating neuropathic ocular pain and has focused on how ocular surface symptoms affect quality of life. Galor was also named to the Power Lists 2021, 2022 and 2023. 

Steven J. Gedde, M.D., Bascom Palmer's vice chair of education and holder of the John G. Clarkson Chair in Ophthalmology, is an outstanding physician, researcher, and educator. During his 21-year leadership as Bascom Palmer's residency program director, the Institute's training program was continually recognized as one of the best in the nation. He is a glaucoma expert whose research has focused on improving patient care through clinical trials. Gedde was also named to the Power List 2022.

Ranya Habash, M.D., a refractive cataract surgeon and comprehensive ophthalmologist, is a voluntary assistant professor of ophthalmology. She is a digital health serial entrepreneur with a unique background in medicine's clinical, technical, and business sides. As the former medical director of technology at Bascom Palmer and part of the FDA's Digital Health Network of Experts, she drives future technologies in health care. She was also named to the Power Lists 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Carol L. Karp, M.D., holder of the Richard K. Forster Chair in Ophthalmology and Dr. Ronald and Alicia Lepke Endowed Professorship in Corneal and External Diseases, is an expert in managing ocular surface oncology and anterior segment surgery. In the late 1990s, she pioneered the use of interferon to treat ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Her work has helped to change the standard of care for these lesions. Karp was also named to the Power Lists 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Jaclyn Kovach, M.D., a professor of clinical ophthalmology, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of retina. An accomplished clinician and educator, she has presented her impactful research on the genetics of age-related macular degeneration and retinal imaging in lectures worldwide. She created Luminaries: Profiles of Women in Academic Medicine, a book of autobiographical vignettes written by 24 colleagues to inspire the next generation of women physicians/scientists. 

For over a decade, Byron Lam, M.D., has been at the forefront of gene therapy, contributing to research studies and leading clinical trials to stabilize or restore vision in adults and pediatric patients. Holder of the Dr. Mark J. Daily Chair in Ophthalmology, Lam's broad background in neuro-ophthalmology and hereditary retinal degenerations has enabled him to collaborate with basic and clinical scientists, resulting in many successful translational projects. He is the medical director of the Institute's clinical research, encompassing its extensive gene therapy program, which includes ophthalmologists and research scientists studying various inherited eye diseases.

Felipe A. Medeiros, M.D., Ph.D., the Rodgers Research Chair in Ophthalmology, is a renowned glaucoma researcher with broad experience in bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and vision-enhancing technology. He was ranked among the Top 3 Glaucoma experts worldwide by Expertscape, an independent organization that evaluates publications and citations from over 40,000 glaucoma specialists and researchers. Medeiros is at the forefront of identifying new clinical endpoints for clinical trials, a critical step in understanding the potential effectiveness of new glaucoma therapies.

Richard K. Parrish II, M.D., is a glaucoma specialist whose research interests have focused on improving patient care through clinical trials in glaucoma. Holder of the Edward W.D. Norton Chair in Ophthalmology, Parrish is a widely published author, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and a skilled editorialist who has contributed to the national narrative on innovative glaucoma surgical procedures and glaucoma screening. He edited the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute's Atlas of Ophthalmology, the comprehensive ophthalmic text that set a standard for ophthalmic education. Parrish was also named to the Power List 2018.

Philip J. Rosenfeld, M.D., Ph.D., played a pivotal role in developing anti-VEGF therapies for neovascular and exudative eye diseases and revolutionized the treatment of these diseases. By pioneering intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab) therapy, his work has contributed to the prevention of blindness worldwide and saved billions of dollars in healthcare expenses. Rosenfeld was also named to the Ophthalmologist Power Lists 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

Sonia Yoo, M.D., an expert in vision correction surgery, is recognized as one of the world's most skilled cornea, cataract, and refractive surgeons, with exceptional experience and knowledge of the field. Medical director of Bascom Palmer and holder of the Greentree Hickman Chair in Ophthalmology, Yoo is interested in developing and evaluating new diagnostic and surgical technologies and laser applications. She was also named to the Power Lists 2018, 2021, and 2023.

Bascom Palmer's faculty members have been well-represented on the Power List since its inception in 2014. Other honorees have included Audina M. Berrocal, M.D. (2021), and Zelia M. Correa, M.D., Ph.D. (2022).

About Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is ranked the nation's best in ophthalmology by U.S. News & World Report, an honor it has received 22 times since the rankings began in 1990. Directed by Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., Bascom Palmer is the largest ophthalmic care, research, and educational facility in the southeastern United States. More than 290,000 patients with nearly every ophthalmic condition are treated yearly, and 21,000 surgeries are performed. Part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, Bascom Palmer has five patient care facilities in Florida (Miami, Palm Beach Gardens, Naples, Plantation, and Coral Gables). Bascom Palmer faculty members also staff the Miami and West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, Jackson Memorial Hospital, and Nicklaus Children's Hospital. For more information on the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, contact Natali Latorre at [email protected] or visit www.bascompalmer.org. 

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