MORE THAN A DOZEN WILLS EYE HOSPITAL FACULTY AND ALUMNI NAMED ON ANNUAL GLOBAL POWER LIST OF TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTUAL OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

Philadelphia, PA – April 9, 2020 – The 2020 Power List is out and six Wills Eye Hospital faculty Ophthalmologists are named among the most influential figures in the field based on their scope of knowledge and professional achievements. Director of the Wills Eye Ocular Oncology Service Carol L. Shields, MD was listed the #1 most influential ophthalmologist in the world and the only female physician to make the top 10. Leaders were selected based on nominations from readers of the U.K.-based news magazine, The Ophthalmologist that publishes the list. The final top 100 list was released in March 2020. 

The following Wills Eye Physicians are listed: Julia A. Haller, MD; Carol L. Shields, MD; Jose Pulido; MD, George S. Spaeth, MD; Carl D. Regillo, MD; and Allen C. Ho, MD.  In addition to the current Wills Eye roster, many Wills Eye alumni also made the list. They are: Caroline Baumal, MD; David Steven Friedman, MD; Douglas J. Rhee, MD; Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD; Harminder Dua, MD; Reza Dana, MD, M.Sc, MPH; Robert H. Osher, MD and Terry Kim, MD. 

“Bravissima to my colleague Carol Shields, truly a franchise player, for well-deserved recognition as the #1 physician listed and incidentally the only female in the Top Ten group! She follows in the footsteps of another Wills Great, George Spaeth, who was #1 in the world the first time The Ophthalmologist published the list. It’s a real privilege to take care of patients, train the next generation of eye care leadership, and push forward innovative research initiatives with this team of Heisman Trophy-level ophthalmological all-stars,” said Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief, and William Tasman Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. 

Here is a brief bio of each Wills Eye leader named:

• Julia A. Haller, MD is Ophthalmologist-in-Chief and William Tasman Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Haller is one of the world’s most renowned retina surgeons in the field and has published over 300 scientific articles and book chapters. Her particular research interests are retinal pharmacology, macular surgery, retinal venous occlusive disease, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, the repair of complicated retinal detachments and health care disparities. Dr. Haller currently serves as principal investigator on $9 million in government grant-funded projects. 

• Carol L. Shields, MD is Director of the Wills Eye Ocular Oncology Service and Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Shields has authored or co-authored more than a dozen textbooks, over 1800 articles in major journals, presented more than 800 lectureships, is a member of numerous ocular oncology, pathology and retina societies and serves on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals. She has received numerous prestigious awards; many of which are lifetime or Hall of Fame achievement awards. Each year, the Wills Eye Ocular Oncology Service manages approximately 500 patients from around the world who seek diagnoses, second opinions and life and vision-saving treatment for uveal melanoma, retinoblastoma and other intraocular, orbital and conjunctival tumors. 

• Jose Pulido, MD, MS, MBA, MPH is an internationally-respected retina and ocular oncology clinician-scientist. Dr. Pulido holds the Larry A. Donoso Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital and is Director of the Henry and Corrine Bower Memorial Laboratories for Translational Medicine, Vickie and Jack Farber Vision Research Center at Wills Eye. Dr. Pulido’s research has focused on vitreoretinal infectious and inflammatory diseases, retinal degeneration, stem cells, genetics, checkpoint inhibitors, and immunotherapies. His trailblazing pathway includes the first eye injections of antiviral therapy for AIDS-associated CMV retinitis, seminal contributions in ocular cancer, immunotherapy, establishing the link between inflammatory disease of the eye and multiple sclerosis, clarifying anti-VEGF pharmacokinetics in the eye and discovering a biomarker for vitreoretinal lymphoma. 

• George S. Spaeth, MD, voted #1 when the power rankings began, has been included in the list ever since that time. Dr. Spaeth was the first Director of the Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye and Esposito Research Professor at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. The first President of the American Glaucoma Society, where he is the Chair of their FDA Advisory Committee, he collaborates with many of his present and prior trainees, great ambassadors for Wills in 32 countries worldwide. Frequently asked to present named Lectureships, he stresses the importance of connecting powerfully with each unique patient by listening well, avoiding unnecessary and often expensive tests, observing meticulously – often using grading systems he developed – to obtain valid, relevant data that allow each person to heal himself or herself as well as possible. 

• Carl D. Regillo, MD is Chief of the Wills Eye Hospital Retina Service and Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. Renown worldwide in retina, he has made a major impact in the field as an investigator in numerous clinical research trials exploring new forms of treatment for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and a variety of other vision-threatening retinal conditions. He has authored hundreds of scientific peer-reviewed papers, lectured nationally and internationally and has published eight major textbooks in the field. Frequently named on many “Best Of” and “Top Doctors” lists, Dr. Regillo has been voted onto the power list by his peers in previous years. 

• Allen C. Ho, MD is an internationally recognized retina surgeon, clinician researcher and educator. He is Director of Retina Research at Wills Eye Hospital, Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University and a member of Mid Atlantic Retina. He serves as President of the Retina Society and is a leader in collaborative translational research development of new medical and surgical treatments for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and a broad array of retinal diseases. He has authored hundreds of peer reviewed scientific publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of two ophthalmic publications. He is a repeat Power List recipient and has been recognized annually by his peers in other top listings. 

“This honorable award represents the work of many – the entire Wills family in the hospital, in the community, and even widespread nationally and internationally. And this also signifies an incredible triumph for ALL women in ophthalmology,” said Carol L. Shields, MD.  

“We are so very proud of all the members of our outstanding medical staff and alumni from Wills Eye. Whether they were named on this list or honored in other ways, they all represent the very best in the medical field,” said Joseph P. Bilson, Chief Executive Officer, Wills Eye Hospital. 

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