It is with heavy hearts that we announce that alumna Alice McPherson, MD, passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on January 16, 2023. A Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. McPherson was the first full-time woman vitreoretinal surgeon in the world and a towering figure in the field of retina.
Dr. McPherson achieved a remarkable career, although she was incredibly humble about her many accomplishments. She will be remembered as an extraordinary physician, teacher, scholar, leader, and philanthropist.
Retina Pioneer and Trailblazer for Women
Dr. McPherson played an instrumental role in not only advancing the field of retina, but also serving as an advocate and inspiration for women in ophthalmology. Born in Canada, she earned her medical degree and completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Wisconsin. She then became the first woman to complete a retina fellowship and did so under the mentorship of Charles L. Schepens, MD— the “Father of Modern Retinal Surgery”—at Mass Eye and Ear. Upon completing her fellowship in 1959, Dr. McPherson founded the first retina service in Texas at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and became the first full-time female retina specialist in the world.
Dr. McPherson made innumerable contributions to the study and treatment of retinal disease, particularly retinal detachment. She pioneered several procedures that are now accepted as standard treatment for retinal disease, including scleral buckling procedures, cryotherapy, xenon arc, and laser photocoagulation; and she was a thought leader in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.
World Authority in Retina
As a testament to Dr. McPherson’s excellence in patient care and research, she was honored with many awards. In the 1960s, she was the first American woman to be accepted into the European Club Jules Gonin, and in 2014, she reached another pinnacle in her career when she became the first woman to receive the Jules Gonin Medal—one of the most prestigious medals in ophthalmology. In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Ophthalmology Society, and in 2019, she received the inaugural Retina Hall of Fame Award for her extraordinary contributions to the retina field.
Dr. McPherson applied her knowledge and leadership acumen to many professional organizations, including as the first female president of the Retina Society, the first female chair of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology Foundation, and the second Vice President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Visionary Leader and Philanthropist 
Dr. McPherson was an outstanding leader and generous philanthropist. She founded several institutions that have helped advance retina research, including the Retina Research Foundation, the McPherson Eye Research Institute, and the Schepens International Society.
Under her leadership, the Retina Research Foundation awarded over $40 million to retina research, established Research Chairs and Professorships, sponsored international fellowships and travel grants, and made it possible for junior scientists to advance their careers. The Foundation has also established several major ophthalmology awards, including the Charles L. Schepens MD/American Academy of Ophthalmology Award, the Award of Merit Lecture (presented by the Retina Society), the Mills and Margaret Cox Award of the Macula Society, the Paul Kayser International Award in Retina Research (presented by the International Society for Eye Research), the Gonin Lecture (presented by Club Jules Gonin), the Gonin Medalist (presented by the International Council of Ophthalmology at the World Ophthalmology Congress), and the Gertrude D. Pyron Award (presented by the American Society of Retina Specialists).
Dr. McPherson firmly believed in the power of education, innovation, and giving back. It was these qualities in her own mentor, Dr. Schepens, that were instrumental in shaping her career. More than a mentor, Dr. Schepens was her trusted colleague and dear friend for more than five decades, and as the first woman retina fellow, she was forever grateful for his willingness to teach her. In 2012, to honor his incredible life and legacy, Dr. McPherson generously funded the Charles L. Schepens Chair at Harvard Medical School, which is currently held by Dr. Patricia D’Amore.
Like her mentor, Dr. McPherson has established an enduring legacy that will be a driving force for progress in the field of retina for years to come. She will live on in the hearts and minds of all whom she touched.