Women Professors of Ophthalmology (WPO)

5:00-6:30 PM PT / 6:00-7:30 PM MT / 7:00-8:30 PM CT / 8:00-9:30 PM ET

• Sep. 18, 2025 - Developmental Network Kick off (open to all full professor affiliates - meet WPO cohort 5 and learn about WPO-Net)
• Oct. 9, 2025 - Mentee presentations of developmental network maps (with prior cohorts)
• Nov. 20, 2025 - "Next steps" (with prior cohorts)
• Jan. 15, 2026 - CV Review & Biosketches - Led by Christina Flaxel, MD and Kim Winges, MD
• Feb. 26, 2026 - Leadership - Led by Misha Syed, MD, MEHP
• Apr. 2, 2026 - Research - Led by ME Hartnett, MD and Sharon Fekrat, MD
• May 14, 2026 - Reflections and Reciprocity Exercise

Season 1

Episode 1: Welcome to the "WPO Journey into Academia" podcast series. In this inaugural episode, our WPO co-hosts, Thasarat and Cat, interviewed WPO co-founders Dr. Rukhsana Mirza and Dr. Misha Syed. Our guests shared their personal and professional journeys and how they collaborated to create WPO as a way to ensure that current and future colleagues could reach their highest potential in their academic careers, no matter the pathway or the phase of one’s journey.
S1, E1: Drs. Rukhsana Mirza and Misha Syed, Co-founders of WPO – Our Journey

Episode 2: Our WPO co-hosts, Thasarat and Cat, had the privilege of interviewing two distinguished women professors, Lynn K. Gordon, MD, PhD, and Sandra Kazahn Masur, PhD. Our guests shared their journeys, how they overcame the unique challenges they faced and the aspects they have enjoyed the most about being women in academia. As distinguished scientists, they also shared insightful strategies on how to establish successful and fulfilling research careers, while navigating work-life balance as a woman in a demanding profession. Enjoy our highlight video and/or watch the entire interview via the below link.
S1, E2: Drs. Lynn K. Gordon and Sandra Kazahn Masur

Episode 3: Trailblazing Women in Ophthalmology: The Leadership Journeys of Drs. Jane Edmond and Tamara Fountain. Both guests have significantly impacted clinical practice and academia, breaking barriers and setting exemplary standards for medical education and leadership. In this episode, Dr. Edmond and Dr. Fountain share their unique academic journeys, the challenges they faced, and their motivations that kept them in academia despite the demanding roles.
S3, E3: Drs. Jane Edmond and Tamara Fountain

Episode 4: The Retina Research Balance with Dr. Carol L. Shields and Dr. Jennifer Lim. Delve into topics such as work-life balance, overcoming the imposter syndrome, and the importance of mentorship. 
S1, E4: Drs. Jennifer Lim and Carol Shields

Episode 5: The Chairs: How Women Are Shaping Future Leaders in Medicine with Dr. Kathryn Colby and Dr. Jacque Duncan. This conversation provides insights into the balance of personal motivation and professional growth, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and self-awareness in achieving success in academia and medical research.
S1, E5: Drs. Kathryn Colby and Jacque Duncan

Episode 6: The Firsts: Female Icons in Ophthalmology with Dr. Susan Day and Dr. Joan Miller. These pioneering women have paved the way for future generations through their exceptional careers in medical education and research, breaking barriers and creating new opportunities for women in the field.
S1, E6: Drs. Susan Day and Joan Miller

Episode 7:The Strategic Planners with Dr. Saras Ramanathan and Dr. Jennifer Thorne. Hear more about the importance of empathy in education, balancing academic and personal life, and the significance of long-term career planning by writing goals down to maintain focus.
S1, E7: Drs. Saras Ramanathan and Jennifer Thorne

Episode 8: The Inclusivity Advocates: Fostering Diversity in Academic Medicine with Dr. Gloria Fleming and Dr. Terri Young. This enlightening discussion emphasizes the importance of mentorship, resilience, and self-awareness in overcoming challenges and driving meaningful change to advocate for innovation in ophthalmology.
S1, E8: Drs. Gloria Fleming and Terri Young

Season 2

Episode 1: Redefining Success with Dr. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett and Dr. Christina Flaxel. In this episode, they delve into the evolving definitions of success with two distinguished guests, both accomplished leaders in academic ophthalmology. With insightful conversations around their unique journeys into academia, listeners are offered an engaging exploration of how personal success can transform over time.
S2, E1: Drs. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett and Christina Flaxel

We are pleased to announce our current 2025-2026 WPO-net Mentee Cohort:

• Michelle Abou-Jaoude, MD - University of Kentucky
• Karen Allison, MD, MBA - University of Rochester
• Aya Barzelay Wollman, MD, PhD - University of California, Los Angeles
• Jennifer Borromeo, MD - University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 
• Eileen Bowden, MD - University of Texas at Austin
• Jinghua Chen, MD, PhD - University of Florida
• Clara Colon Garcia-Moliner, MD - Wayne State University
• Qi Cui, MD, PhD - University of Pennsylvania
• Talisa de Carlo Forest, MD - University of Colorado
• Karine Duarte Bojikian, MD, PhD - University of Washington
• Larissa Gouvea, MD, PhD - Medical University of South Carolina
• Monica Khitri, MD - University of California, Los Angeles
• Christine Law, MD - Queen's University
• Snehaa Maripudi, MD - UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Camille Palma, MD - Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• Roma Pegany, MD  - Oregon Health & Science University 
• Vivian Qin, MD - University of California, Los Angeles
• Mary Qiu, MD - Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic 
• Victoria Tseng, MD, PhD - University of California, Los Angeles
• Nita Valikodath, MD, MS - University of Michigan
• Lauren Yeager, MD - Columbia University
• Alice Zhang, MD - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Victoria Addis, MD - University of Pennsylvania
• Touka Banaee, MD - University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
• Elizabeth Cretara, MD - University of New Mexico
• Julia Dalia, MD - University of Michigan
• Maura DiNicola, MD - University of Miami
• Laura Gadzala, MD - Dartmouth-Hitchcock
• Lauren Hock, MD - Wills Eye Hospital
• Maanasa Indaram, MD - University of California, San Francisco
• Alcina Lidder, MD - Northwestern University
• Charlotte Marous, MD - Wills Eye Hospital
• Niloofar Piri, MD - Saint Louis University
• Christina Prescott, MD, PhD - New York University
• Nikisha Richards, MD - Virginia Commonwealth
• Lisa Schocket, MD - University of Maryland
• Thamolwan Surakiatchanukul, MD - Dartmouth-Hitchcock
• Zeba Syed, MD - Wills Eye Hospital
• Tak ye tania (Tania) Tai, MD - New York Eye & Ear Infirmary
• Arthi Venkat, MD - University of Virginia
• Rachel Wozniak, MD, PhD - University of Rochester

• Jessica Chang, MD - University of Southern California
• Shu Feng, MD - University of Washington
• Shruthi Harish, MD - Wills Eye Hospital
• Eliesa Ing, MD - Oregon Health Sciences University
• Minjy Kang, MD, MA - Northwestern University
• Yin Allison Liu, MD, PhD - University of California, Davis
• Lilian Nguyen, MD - University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
• Sally Ong, MD - Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
• Shameema Sikder, MD - Johns Hopkins
• Nurhan Torun, MD - Harvard Medical School
• Melanie Truong-Le, DO - UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Qing Wang, MD, PhD - Columbia University
• Alexis Warren, MD - University of Chicago
• Amy Zhang, MD - University of Michigan

• Mary Champion, MD - The University of Kansas Medical Center
• Mary Daly, MD - BUSM
• Amanda Henderson, MD - Wilmer/Johns Hopkins
• Sangeeta Khanna, MD - University of Michigan
• Afshan Nanji, MD, MPH - OHSU Casey Eye Institute
• Tahira Scholle, MD - Baylor College of Medicine
• Christine Shieh, MD - Vanderbilt Eye Institute
• Grace Sun, MD - Weill Cornell Med
• Merina Thomas, MD - OHSU Casey Eye Institute
• Annie Wishna, MD - University of Kansas

• Meghan Berkenstock, MD - Johns Hopkins
• Nisha Chadha, MD - New York Eye & Ear Infirmary
• Jennifer Lindsey, MD - Vanderbilt
• Jessica Randolph, MD - Virginia Commonwealth
• Ujwala Saboo, MD - University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
• Lucy Shen, MD - Mass Eye and Ear
• Aakriti Shukla, MD - Columbia
• Divya Srikumaran, MD - Johns Hopkins
• Kim Winges, MD - Oregon Health & Sciences University