Established in 2021 by AUPO members Dr. Rukhsana Mirza and Dr. Misha Syed, WPO’s mission is to foster the professional growth and advancement of women through the creation of a peer mentoring network open to all Professors and supporters in the field, with the goal of enhancing the professional development of women in academic ophthalmology during all phases of their careers.
The WPO initiative is intended to help academic ophthalmologists and vision scientists connect and build relationships to guide and advance their careers in academia through a variety of platforms, including a peer mentorship program, podcasts, webinars, and live networking events.
Please check back regularly for updates!
Rukhsana Mirza - Founder & Co-Chair
Misha Syed - Founder & Co-Chair
Sharon Fekrat - Sub-Chair, WPO-net
Thasarat Vajaranant - Sub-Chair, Media/Podcast
Kimberly Winges - Sub-Chair, Webinar/Live Events
Christina Flaxel - Member-at-Large
Divya Srikumaran - Member-at-Large
Sonal Tuli - Board Liaison
Thursdays at 5:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET for 90 minutes:
- Sept 17, 2026 – Developmental Network Kick-off - Led by Rukhsana Mirza, MD, MS
- Oct 22, 2026 – Mentee Presentations of Developmental Network Maps (with prior cohorts)
- Nov 19, 2026 – "Next Steps" (with prior cohorts)
- Jan 14, 2027 – CV Review & Biosketches - Led by Christina Flaxel, MD and Kim Winges, MD
- Feb 25, 2027 – Research - Led by ME Hartnett, MD and Sharon Fekrat, MD
- April 15, 2027 – Leadership - Led by Misha Syed, MD, MEHP
- May 13, 2027 – Reflections and Reciprocity Exercise
Attendance of 80% for the seven sessions above is required for successful completion. Please consider applying for another year if your current schedule is not clear for the noted dates and times.
- September 23, 2026 – Webinar – Beyond Balance: Life-Work Integration (open to all, register here)
- October 9, 2026 – Reception at AAO Annual Meeting, Westin New Orleans, New Orleans, LA (invitations will be sent out)
- January 28, 2027 – Reception at AUPO Annual Meeting, Grand Hyatt Indian Wells, Indian Wells, CA
Season 2
Episode 7: Bridging Vision: Building Global Research Partnerships
Dr. Shannath Merbs shares her extraordinary two-decade journey leading international research partnerships to combat trachoma, the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. What began with a simple knock on her office door evolved into groundbreaking surgical innovation, NIH-funded clinical trials in Tanzania, and collaborations spanning ministries of health, NGOs, epidemiologists, and global health organizations.
Episode 6: Amplifying Impact: How to Harness Social Media and Virtual Platforms
Drs. Sharon Fekrat and Rukhsana Mirza, two nationally recognized leaders in ophthalmology, share how platforms like LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram are helping physicians and educators extend their reach far beyond traditional academic spaces.
S2, E6: Drs. Sharon Fekrat and Rukhsana Mirza
Episode 5: Vision to Venture: Turning Academic Discovery into Real-World Eye Care Innovation
Dr. Lama Al-Aswad shares how frustration with late-stage glaucoma diagnoses sparked a mission to transform how eye care is delivered. Through mobile screening programs, telemedicine initiatives, and eye care technology startups, she has worked to expand access and improve early detection of vision-threatening diseases. The conversation explores how clinicians can turn scientific discovery into scalable solutions that improve patient outcomes worldwide.
Episode 4: In Good Company: The Power of Academic Mentorship
Drs. Heather Moss and Kimberly Winges explore the profound impact of mentorship in academic medicine, particularly in neuro-ophthalmology. Their conversation traces the evolution of their mentor-mentee relationship and examines why trust, visibility, and connection are essential to cultivating meaningful professional partnerships.
S2, E4: Drs. Heather Moss and Kimberly Winges
Episode 3: From Vision to Impact
Drs. Bonnie Henderson and Barbara Blodi share how passion, mentorship, and teamwork can transform ideas into programs with lasting influence. From empowering women in eye care to advancing global retinal clinical trials and imaging innovation, their stories offer meaningful wisdom for anyone seeking to make an impact in academic medicine.
S2, E3: Drs. Bonnie Henderson and Barbara Blodi
Episode 2: Lean In
Drs. Sonal Tuli and Carla Siegfried share their personal journeys, the challenges they faced, and how they built networks of mentorship and support in academic ophthalmology. Their conversation highlights how relationships evolve over time and why showing up for colleagues during difficult moments matters as much as any professional milestone.
S2, E2: Drs. Sonal Tuli and Carla Siegfried
Episode 1: Redefining Success
Drs. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett and Christina Flaxel explore how personal definitions of success shift and evolve over the course of an academic career. Their conversation offers an honest and inspiring look at what achievement can mean at different stages of life and leadership.
S2, E1: Drs. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett and Christina Flaxel
Season 1
Episode 8: The Inclusivity Advocates: Fostering Diversity in Academic Medicine
Drs. Gloria Fleming and Terri Young explore the critical role of mentorship, resilience, and self-awareness in overcoming barriers and driving meaningful change in ophthalmology. Their conversation is a call to action for anyone committed to building a more inclusive academic community.
S1, E8: Drs. Gloria Fleming and Terri Young
Episode 7: The Strategic Planners
Drs. Saras Ramanathan and Jennifer Thorne discuss the importance of empathy in education, the realities of balancing academic and personal life, and why intentional long-term career planning is one of the most powerful tools available to women in academic medicine.
S1, E7: Drs. Saras Ramanathan and Jennifer Thorne
Episode 6: Female Icons in Ophthalmology
Drs. Susan Day and Joan Miller reflect on pioneering careers that have opened doors for generations of women in ophthalmology. Their stories offer a compelling look at what it means to break barriers, create opportunity, and lead with purpose in academic medicine.
S1, E6: Drs. Susan Day and Joan Miller
Episode 5: How Women Are Shaping Future Leaders in Medicine
Drs. Kathryn Colby and Jacque Duncan offer insights into personal motivation, professional growth, and what it takes to lead at the highest levels of academic medicine. Their conversation emphasizes self-awareness and the transformative power of mentorship in shaping the next generation.
S1, E5: Drs. Kathryn Colby and Jacque Duncan
Episode 4: The Retina Research Balance
Drs. Carol L. Shields and Jennifer Lim discuss the realities of building a research career in academic ophthalmology, including work-life balance, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the essential role mentorship plays in long-term success.
S1, E4: Drs. Jennifer Lim and Carol Shields
Episode 3: Trailblazing Women in Ophthalmology
Drs. Jane Edmond and Tamara Fountain reflect on their academic journeys, the barriers they broke, and the motivations that kept them in academia despite the challenges of demanding leadership roles. Both have left a lasting mark on clinical practice, medical education, and the field at large.
S1, E3: Drs. Jane Edmond and Tamara Fountain
Episode 2: Women Professors on Thriving in Academia
Drs. Lynn K. Gordon and Sandra Kazahn Masur share their journeys into academia, the unique challenges they faced as women in science, and the strategies that helped them build successful and fulfilling research careers while navigating the demands of professional and personal life.
S1, E2: Drs. Lynn K. Gordon and Sandra Kazahn Masur
Episode 1: Our Journey
WPO co-founders Drs. Rukhsana Mirza and Misha Syed share their personal and professional journeys and how they collaborated to build WPO as a community where current and future colleagues can reach their highest potential in academic ophthalmology, at any stage and along any path.
WPO-Net Cohorts
- 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
- 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
