The Ophthalmology Foundation proudly announces the election of new members to the Board of Directors: Mr. Brent Saunders, Dr. Susan MacDonald, and Dr. Justine Smith and new officers: Dr. Peter McDonnell and Dr. Julia Haller. These esteemed individuals bring a wealth of experience and expertise from various sectors within the ophthalmology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare fields, further strengthening the Ophthalmology Foundation’s mission of improving eye care and advancing the preservation and restoration of vision for all.
Previous officers continue to serve in new roles: Jim Mazzo as President, David Pyott as Vice-President, and Bruce Spivey as Vice President and OF representative to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Peter McDonnell, MD, is the Secretary–Treasurer, Director, and William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. McDonnell has a demonstrated passion and research interest in surgical correction of refractive error, dry eye disease, ocular infection, and the use of nanotechnological solutions to improve drug delivery to the eye.
Julia Haller, MD, is the Vice President and ophthalmologist–in–chief at Wills Eye Hospital. She has published over 400 scholarly papers and book chapters and served as President of several health organizations. She is a trailblazing retina surgeon-scientist and leader who has innovated translational advances against blindness.
Brent Saunders is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bausch + Lomb. He joins the Board with over 25 years of experience and leadership roles within global pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations.
Susan MacDonald, MD – CEO & Executive Director, Eye Corps, Associate Clinical Professor at Tufts School of Medicine. As a co-founder of Eye Corps, a nonprofit in sub-Saharan Africa, she has led the organization’s growth from a small idea to a well-respected model with three sites in regional hospitals in Kilimanjaro, Lindi, and Ruvuma regions of Tanzania.
Justine Smith, FRANZCO, PhD – Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor at Flinders University and a Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist at Flinders Medical Centre, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Professors, and Chair XIII of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis.
Commenting on the appointments, the newly elected Vice President Julia Haller stated, “I am honored to lead the Ophthalmology Foundation alongside such esteemed colleagues. Together, we are committed to advancing ophthalmic education and ensuring access to quality eye care for underserved communities worldwide.”
Please join us in welcoming Brent, Susan, and Justin to the Ophthalmology Foundation Board and Peter and Julia as new officers!