Duke Eye Center

Duke Eye Center faculty were featured speakers at the Duke-SNEC Advanced Vitreous Surgery Course in Singapore, joining international experts to deliver education on advanced retinal surgery techniques, complex retinal diseases, and surgical innovation.

The program reflects the enduring partnership between Duke Eye Center and the Singapore National Eye Centre and their shared commitment to advancing retina education worldwide.

https://dukeeyecenter.duke.edu/news/duke-faculty-featured-duke-snec-advanced-vitreous-surgery-course-singapore

Samantha Southard, OD, and S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, MPH, recently presented at the 2026 National Association of Vision Professionals (NAVP) Conference in Durham, North Carolina, joining fellow Duke Eye Center speakers Michael Fliotsos, MD, Omar Mohiuddin OTRL, MSOT, MPH, CLVT, and Qiaohui Wei White, OD, MS, FAAO.

The annual conference brought together vision professionals from across the country to share knowledge, discuss best practices, and explore advances in eye care, vision rehabilitation, and patient services.

https://dukeeyecenter.duke.edu/news/duke-faculty-and-trainees-share-expertise-2026-navp-conference Duke Health Duke University School of Medicine

Congratulations to the Duke Ophthalmic Technician Program Class of 2026!

Congratulations to the Duke retina faculty who received national recognition today at ASRS 2026. Glenn Jaffe, MD, received the Retina Research Foundation’s Gertrude D. Pyron Award, one of the field’s highest honors for vision scientists. Lejla Vajzovic, MD, was honored with the Women in Retina Champion Award, and retina fellow Angela Li, MD, received the Gilbert Grand ASRS Fellowship Award.

Several Duke-trained alumni were also recognized during the meeting.

Welcome to Duke Eye Center, Class of 2030! We’re excited to have these new ophthalmology residents join our team and look forward to supporting their training, growth, and success in the years ahead.

Cynthia Toth, MD, was recently featured in Modern Retina, discussing research that suggests the retina may provide an early window into brain development in preterm infants.

Findings from the NIH-funded BabySTEPS study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, show that retinal measurements obtained with bedside OCT imaging were associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2, highlighting the potential for earlier identification of infants who may be at risk.

Read the article and watch the video from Ophthalmology Times:

Using OCT to predict neurodevelopmental risk in preterm infants: Cynthia Toth, MD | Eye Care Network - Modern Retina Bedside OCT in preterm infants links retinal thickness to motor, cognition, and autism risk at age 2, hinting at earlier brain screening.

We’re proud to share another story from our 2026 VISION magazine - a landmark moment in retinal care.

Duke became the first U.S. academic medical center to implant Encelto, a newly FDA‑approved cell‑based therapy for macular telangiectasia type 2. Led by Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS, the procedure offers new hope for patients facing progressive central vision loss.

This milestone reflects years of Duke‑driven research, including the discovery of ellipsoid zone loss as an FDA‑recognized endpoint by Glenn Jaffe, MD, Eleonora (Nora) Lad, MD, PhD, and Sina Farsiu, PhD. Their work, along with advances in AI‑powered retinal analysis, helped bring the first MacTel treatment from concept to clinic.

Read: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0fa2e7615b.html /21

We’re excited to help advance this national effort to grow the vision rehabilitation workforce and strengthen independence and quality of life for patients!

Vision loss can deeply impact independence—but the workforce trained to help remains critically small.

Duke University School of Medicine is addressing this challenge head-on through a new partnership with the Duke Eye Center and the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (Duke OTD) program. Together, they’ve created a first-of-its-kind training pipeline for vision rehabilitation specialists.

With hands-on clinical experience, interdisciplinary training, and a new fellowship launching in 2026, students are learning to support patients in meaningful, life-changing ways—improving mobility, safety, and quality of life.

As demand for these services continues to grow, this innovative model is helping shape both the future workforce and the future of patient care.

🔗 Read more at the link in our comments.

Sharing highlights from the 2026 Duke Eye Center Trainee Graduation Banquet! It’s always an honor to celebrate our residents and fellows and recognize their achievements across research, education, innovation, and clinical care.

Congratulations to all award recipients and to the entire Class of 2026 as they take their next steps in ophthalmology.

https://dukeeyecenter.duke.edu/news/celebrating-duke-ophthalmology-class-2026

We are excited to share that Dr. SriniVas Sadda will join Duke Health as Chair of Ophthalmology this November!

A world-renowned physician-scientist, Dr. Sadda has led groundbreaking work in retinal imaging and brings a passion for innovation, education, and patient care. His leadership will help continue Duke Ophthalmology’s tradition of excellence while expanding access to care and advancing new discoveries.

We also thank Dr. Edward G. Buckley for his outstanding leadership and dedication over the past decade, his impact on Duke Ophthalmology has been extraordinary.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sadda to our Duke community!
Duke University School of Medicine

https://medschool.duke.edu/news/srinivas-sadda-join-duke-chair-department-ophthalmology