University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

10/15/2026

A huge thank you to our wonderful ophthalmology residents who volunteered their time to help teach at the Ophthalmology Interest Group’s Slit Lamp Workshop on September 30th!

Our residents worked with a group of 30 medical students, introducing them to the slit lamp, demonstrating how it is used in the eye clinic, and providing hands-on instruction in the fundamentals of the slit lamp exam. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to gain practical ophthalmology experience directly from our residents.
We are incredibly grateful to these residents for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their knowledge, teach, and support students interested in ophthalmology:

Adetayo Oladele-Ajose, PGY-4
Zachary Richards, PGY-4
Marshall Henrie, PGY-4
Noor-Us-Sabah Ahmad, PGY-3
Nic Heckenlaible, PGY-3
Emma Hartness, PGY-2

Thank you for helping make the workshop such a great learning experience!

10/03/2026

Congratulations to Nasreen Syed, MD, clinical professor and director of the F.C. Blodi Eye Pathology Laboratory, who has been selected as the 2026 Lorenz E. Zimmerman Lecturer at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting!

The named lectureship honors Lorenz E. Zimmerman, MD, a foundational figure in modern ophthalmic pathology, and recognizes distinguished clinicians, scientists, and educators in the field.

Dr. Syed will present “What Happened to All of the Globes?” at AAO 2026 this October in New Orleans.

Congratulations, Dr. Syed, on this outstanding recognition!

10/02/2026

Research is about more than the work—it’s about passing knowledge, mentorship, and opportunity on to the next generation.

Inspired by the research community that helped shape his own career, Andrew Pouw, MD, has built a collaborative research group where University of Iowa medical students learn not only from their faculty mentor, but from one another.

Students gain hands-on experience across the research process, take the lead on their own projects, present at national meetings like ARVO, and, as they gain experience, mentor the students coming up behind them.

It’s a model built on a simple idea: when one student learns, they help the next.

Read how the Pouw Research Group is creating a culture of mentorship, collaboration, and discovery in ophthalmology:
https://eye.medicine.uiowa.edu/news/2026/10/pouw-research-group-passing-it

Years before Andrew Pouw, MD, began mentoring University of Iowa medical students through their first research projects; he was the student looking for someone to show him the way. As a medical student, Pouw joined the research group of Alfredo Sadun, MD, PhD, at the Doheny Eye Institute. What he...

10/01/2026

Congratulations to Corinne Bovee and Gabrielle “Ellie” Garcia, who were recognized for their research at the Carver College of Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Forum!

Bovee received the Hansjoerg E. Kolder Award for Ophthalmology Research for her work exploring how AI-derived measurements may help predict treatment response in diabetic macular edema.

Garcia received the Thomas A. Weingeist Award in Ophthalmology for her research examining the relationship between MMP9 genotype and systemic immune characteristics in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Both students conducted their research through the Carver College of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship. Congratulations to Corinne and Ellie on this well-deserved recognition!

Pictured from left: Srinivas Chava, RA; David Szanto, postdoc; Corinne Bovee; Ellie Garcia; Elliott Sohn, MD, FASRS, FARVO; and Hamza Khan, postdoc.

09/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Glaucoma Clinical Conference and Mansour F. Armaly Lecture!

Hosted by Andrew Pouw, MD, the event welcomed guest speaker Leon Herndon, Jr., MD, of Duke Eye Center, who shared insights from three decades of glaucoma practice and discussed the management of patients with far advanced glaucoma.

The conference also featured case presentations and discussion with our residents and glaucoma fellow, followed by a MIGS Wet Lab that provided residents with hands-on learning and skill development.

We’re grateful to Dr. Herndon for sharing his expertise and to everyone who helped make this year’s conference a success!

09/25/2026

Dr. Binkley's clinical and academic interests include retinal disease, ocular tumors, and vitreoretinal surgery. Only around 19% of practicing vitreoretinal surgeons are women. Through her roles in fellowship education and ocular oncology, she helps advance both specialized patient care and the training of future retina specialists.

09/24/2026

Dr. Boese's clinical and research interests include pediatric and inherited forms of glaucoma, where advances in genetics are helping physicians better understand disease and individualize treatment. Her work ranges from research into genetically guided glaucoma surgery to caring for some of the department's youngest patients—including recently treating an infant born with severe glaucoma who began gaining vision following treatment.

09/23/2026

Dr. De Andrade cares for children and adults with complex eye-alignment disorders. Her role in medical student education also gives learners early exposure to ophthalmology and the impact the specialty can have throughout a patient's life.

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

Caring for children requires a unique approach to both examination and communication, something Dr. Downes says makes earning the trust of children and their families especially rewarding. She also completed her orthoptics training here at Iowa.