# 2026 Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion Highlights June 24, 2026 Harvard Ophthalmology hosted its 2026 Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion on June 11–12. The two-day event featured exciting and informative faculty and alumni lectures, a reception celebrating the appointment of [Rishi P. Singh, MD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/people/rishi-singh-md), as Chair of Ophthalmology at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School (HMS), four award lectures, a poster contest, and a gala dinner. The event was co-chaired by Dr. Singh, and faculty members [Joseph B. Ciolino, MD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/josephciolino); [Eric Gaier, MD, PhD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/ericgaier); [Rachel Huckfeldt, MD, PhD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/rachelhuckfeldt), and [Joseph F. Rizzo III, MD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/josephrizzo). ![AMAR 2026 Group Photo](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/meei_Alumni2026-08627.jpg) **Marianna Dieste Mead Humanistic Leadership in Medicine Award** Faculty member [John H. Kempen, MD, MPH, PhD, MHS](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/johnkempen), was the inaugural recipient of the Marianna Dieste Mead Humanistic Leadership in Medicine Award. As founder and president of Sight for Souls, he has devoted his career to expanding global access to eye care through clinical care, education, and public health initiatives, with a particular focus on combating trachoma in Ethiopia. This award was created to honor the memory of Dr. Mariana Dieste Mead, a distinguished ophthalmologist who trained and worked at Harvard Ophthalmology and Mass Eye and Ear before her passing in 2002. **Faculty Presentations and Mentoring Awards** The Annual Meeting portion of the event featured a special Lightening Resident Grand Rounds session and 11 faculty lectures and presentations on a range of topics, including the role of omics in AMD, a synaptic plasticity-driven amblyopia treatment, and oculofacial injuries associated with skiing and snowboarding. [Silas Wang, MD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/silaswang), Co-Director of the Harvard Ophthalmology Research Scholars Program, provided an update on the summer program, which offers rising second- and third-year medical students an immersive eight-week experience in ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear. Kevin Lopez, a program alumnus and student at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, then shared how the program has shaped his career path. We were also pleased to welcome several current and former Research Scholars to the Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion. [Dean Eliott, MD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/deaneliott), gave a special lecture on the career of his mentor and colleague, Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD, in recognition of Dr. Gragoudas’ retirement last month after more than 50 years with the department. [David Hunter, MD, PhD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/davidhunter), Director of our award-winning Mentoring Program, shared an update on the program and presented the 2026 faculty mentoring award. Congratulations to our 2026 Mentoring Award honorees, [Eric A. Pierce, MD, PhD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/ericpierce), who received the Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award, and [Dong Feng Chen, PhD](https://eye.hms.harvard.edu/dongfengchen), who received the Excellence in Mentoring Award. The Annual Meeting program finished with a special reception at Mass Eye and Ear to celebrate Dr. Singh's appointment to Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham. ![AMAR 2026 Annual Meeting](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026%20%284%29.png) ![Rishi P. Singh Reception](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026%20%283%29.png) **Alumni Reunion and Achievement Award Lectures** The Alumni Reunion program on Friday brought together generations of Harvard Ophthalmology alumni for a memorable day of learning, connection, and celebration. Attendees enjoyed engaging Alumni Reunion lectures from representatives of 10 graduating classes spanning five decades—from 1976 to 2021—along with three Achievement Award lectures. Alumnus José-Alain Sahel, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, presented the 2026 Distinguished Innovation Award Lecture. An internationally recognized leader in vision restoration, Dr. Sahel has pioneered advances in gene and cell therapies, artificial retinas, neuroprotection, and optogenetics for vision loss. Alumnus Joel S. Schuman, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and the Kenneth L. Roper, MD Endowed Chair at Thomas Jefferson University, delivered the 2026 Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award Lecture. A pioneering glaucoma specialist, Dr. Schuman helped identify the first molecular marker for human glaucoma and was part of the team that developed OCT, transforming the diagnosis and management of eye disease. Alumna Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, the Michael F. Marmor, MD Professor in Retinal Science and Diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine, presented the 2026 Distinguished Research Achievement Award Lecture. A world-renowned clinician-scientist, Dr. Hartnett has advanced our understanding of retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, and authored the first academic textbook dedicated to pediatric retina. Dr. Singh also presented an inspiring Department Update, sharing his exciting vision for the future of Harvard Ophthalmology. ![AMAR 2026 Alumni Reunion 1](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026%20%285%29.png) ![2026 AMAR Alumni Reunion 2](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026%20%286%29.png) **Trainee Poster Contest** On Friday evening, attendees gathered at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for our annual Trainee Poster Contest, reception, and gala dinner. Thank you to Poster Contest judges Inas Aboobakar, MD; Patricia D'Amore, PhD, MBA; Levi Kanu, MD; Mohammad Eslami, PhD; Magdalena Krzystolik, MD; Ines Lains, MD, PhD; Shrinivas Pundlik, PhD; Ayellet Segrè, PhD, MSc; Nurhan Torun, MD; and Menglu Yang, MD, PhD, and thank you to all our trainees for your participation. ![2026 AMAR Poster Contest Winners](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/MEEI_Alumni2026-09175.jpg) Dr. Huckfeldt announced the Poster Contest winners. Congratulations to: - Helia Ashourizadeh, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *Association of Deep-Learning-Based Reticular Pseudodrusen Burden and Dark Adaptation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration* - Maria Anna Bantounou, MB, ChB, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Cumulative Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Exposure, and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration* - Brenna Bullock, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *Belt Loop Versus Sutured Scleral Buckle Fixation in Combined Scleral Buckle/Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Primary Retinal Detachment Repair* - Celine Chaaya, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *Long-Term Systemic and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates Treated for Retinopathy of Prematurity: Anti-VEGF vs. Laser* - Seonggyu Choe, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Schepens Eye Research Institute Mass Eye and Ear, for his poster, *Preserved Time-To-Contact Estimation in Central Vision Loss Despite Less Stable Gaze* - Grace Coyne, BS, a research lab technician at Schepens Eye Research Institute Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *A Path to Biomarkers: Extracellular Vesicle DNA in Sjögren’s Disease* - Asahi Fujita, MD, a former postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear and current Instructor in Ophthalmology, for her poster, *Development of Perimetric Glaucoma and Outcomes of Interventions in Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome with and Without Ocular Hypertension* - Mark Krauthammer, MD, MBA, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for his poster, *Natural Killer Cells May Promote Corneal Transplant Failure Through Direct Corneal Fibroblast Killing in a Murine Model of Pediatric Penetrating Keratoplasty* - Maryam Shayan, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mass Eye and Ear, for her poster, *Suppression of Chronic Autoimmune Uveitis by Vitamin D Supplementation in a Preclinical Model* - Anil Upreti, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Schepens Eye Research Institute Mass Eye and Ear, for his poster, *Single-Cell Transcriptomic Atlas of the Demyelinating Optic Nerve Reveals Divergent Glial Responses Across Oligodendrocyte Loss, Complement Deficiency, and Microglial Depletion Models* ![2026 AMAR Gala Dinner and Poster Contest 1](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026%20%282%29.png) ![2026 AMAR Gala Dinner and Poster Contest 2](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-06/AMAR%202026.png) **Save the Date for 2027** Thank you to all of our organizers, speakers, honorees, alumni, and attendees for making this year’s Annual Meeting & Alumni Reunion such a tremendous success. Please save the date for our 2027 Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion on Thursday and Friday, June 24–25, 2027. See also:- [ Harvard Ophthalmology Mentoring Award ](/news-categories/harvard-ophthalmology-mentoring-award) - [ Awards ](/category/awards) - [ Events ](/news-categories/events) - [ Faculty ](/news-categories/faculty) - [ Dong Feng Chen, PhD ](/news-categories/dongfengchen) - [ John H. Kempen, MD, MPH, MHS, PhD ](/news-categories/johnkempen) - [ Eric Pierce, MD, PhD ](/news-categories/ericpierce) - [ Trainees ](/news-categories/trainees) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)