More than 400 faculty recognized at the first in-person celebration in three years
There was plenty for Emory Eye Center to celebrate October 13, when the Emory School of Medicine revived its Annual Celebration of Faculty Eminence. But we were not alone.
Altogether, the two-hour event honored 465 School of Medicine faculty, a group that included eight EEC stand-outs: Sachin Kedar, Andrew Hendrick, Nancy Newman, Ghazala O'Keefe, Jacquelyn O'Banion, Nieraj Jain, and Susan Primo.
Taking to the podium at the Emory Student Center for the first in-person ceremony in three years, School of Medicine dean Vikas P. Sukhatme started the evening out by thanking all attendees for supporting the goals of patient satisfaction, superior mentorship, and a compassionate school culture during the worst of the COVID 19 epidemic.
His sentiments were echoed by David S. Stephens, MD, the interim executive vice president for Health Affairs at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, who characterized the COVID-tested mettle of his colleagues by quoting a Japanese proverb:
Fall down seven times. Get up eight.
A hidden gem that's no secret at the Eye Center
Andrew Hendrick In addition to celebrating his recent promotion to the rank of Associate Professor in 2022, it was announced that Dr. Hendrick was named as the 2022 recipient of the Hidden Gem Award for the Department of Ophthalmology. Nominated by Emory Eye Center chair, Dr. Allen Beck, Hendrick was lauded for his tireless commitment to mentoring and his superb surgical skills.
I am proud to work with amazing doctors at Grady like Dr. Andy Hendrick, who has run the retina service here for almost 10 years,
wrote Beck, in his nomination.
He is a most sincere and humble surgeon -someone who has revolutionized retina care at Grady with cutting-edge vitrectomy surgery, intravitreal injections, lasers, and much more. A model of professionalism and kindness, an amazing teacher, with legions of medical students, residents, and fellows who have learned and benefited from him.
Impacting the discipline
Sachin Kedar. Professor Kedar, the vice chair for Education in the Emory Department of Ophthalmology, was recognized for receiving the 2022 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award for Program Director Excellence from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This award recognizes program directors who have fostered innovation and improvement in their residency/fellowship programs and served as exemplary role models for residents and fellows.
Jacquelyn O'Banion Also promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2022, Dr. Jacquelyn O'Banion was recognized by the Emory School of Medicine for receiving the 2021 Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). This annual award recognizes the special contributions made by individuals to the Academy and to ophthalmology in several areas that are generally outside of the scope of traditional AAO awards. The director of Emory Eye Center's Global Ophthalmology Program (GO-E), O'Banion has been a relentless advocate for preventing vision loss through cross-cultural clinical service, research and education. She received the award for her work to promote Global Alliances.
Nancy Newman Already world-renowned in her field after a career that is full of clinical and research triumphs, Nancy Newman was again recognized by the Emory School of Medicine for receiving the Top Science award from the American Academy of Neurology. The AAN's award called out Newman's contributions as the lead investigator in a multinational gene therapy clinical trial. The Phase III REFLECT Trial: Efficacy and Safety of Bilateral Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON.
Newman's was one of three scientific abstracts chosen for the Top Science honor from AAN's Science Committee, which received more than 2,400 submissions.
Susan Primo A recognized specialist in low-vision/visual rehabilitation and the head of Emory Eye Center's Optometric Division, Dr. Primo was named co-chair of the Advisory Committee to Prevent Blindness by the Center for Vision and Population Health. Primo was lauded for employing a strategic public health approach to accomplish her goal of increasing access to primary eye care service in underserved communities.
Promotions for Behshad, O'Keefe, and Jain
Soroosh Behshad, Ghazala O'Keefe, and Nieraj Jain: With a combined 20 years of service as clinicians in the Department of Ophthalmology, Drs. Behshad, O'Keefe, and Jain were each promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.
In addition to his work with the Global Ophthalmology program, Behshad specializes in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery care. He has served as the chief of the Emory Eye Center at St. Joseph's hospital since 2019.
O'Keefe's clinical and research focus on medical retina and uveitis. She is the director of the Medical Retina and Uveitis fellowship and is the Service Director for the Section of Uveitis and Retinal Vasculitis.
Jain's research focuses on the use of advanced retinal imaging modalities to assess disease progression and outcomes from novel treatments. He is actively engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations to broaden the application of novel imaging technologies.
-Kathleen E. Moore