Duke Eye Center

03/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 12th Annual Duke Fellows Advanced Vitreous Surgery (fAVS) Course such a success!

From our faculty and fellows to our sponsors, wet lab partners, and planning team—your energy and collaboration continue to drive innovation in vitreoretinal surgery.

03/30/2026

Happy Doctors’ Day to our outstanding physicians of the Duke Eye Center. We are grateful for all that you do to protect and restore vision!

03/27/2026

Spend the day with us at the 2026 Duke Controversies in Cornea and Cataract Surgery Symposium, a full‑day educational meeting that brought together ophthalmologists, optometrists, and eye care professionals to explore current and emerging topics in anterior segment ophthalmology and beyond!

03/26/2026

We are proud to announce that three Duke Eye Center faculty members, Esen K. Akpek, MD, Sharon Fekrat MD FACS FASRS, and Goldis Malek, PhD, have been named among the Duke University’s 2026 Distinguished Professors, an honor recognizing extraordinary scholarship and contributions to advancing science and improving human health.

Esen Akpek, MD – Stephen & Frances Foster Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology
Sharon Fekrat, MD, FASRS – Robert Machemer, MD, Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology
Goldis Malek, PhD – Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology

We are honored to celebrate their leadership and lasting contributions to ophthalmology and vision science.

Congratulations to the 22 Duke University School of Medicine faculty members named as distinguished professors in the 2026 cohort!

Distinguished professorships are awarded to faculty whose scholarship has made a significant impact on advancing science and improving human health.

🔗 Meet the new distinguished professors from the School of Medicine: https://medschool.duke.edu/news/meet-school-medicines-2026-distinguished-professors?utm_campaign=SoMnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

03/24/2026

Looking to start a career in eye care? 👁️

The Duke Ophthalmic Technician Program offers hands‑on training and clinical experience in just one year.

⏰ Apply by April 30, 2026: https://dukeeyecenter.duke.edu/OpTech

03/23/2026

We’re excited to welcome Jiawen Huo, OD, MS, to Duke Eye Center of Winston‑Salem!

Dr. Huo is an optometrist who treats conditions including glaucoma, dry eye, diabetic eye disease, and other eye conditions. Dr. Huo completed a residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Care at the University of California and earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry, as well as a Master of Science degree from Wenzhou Medical University.

Learn more: https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/jiawen-huo-od-ms

03/20/2026

The countdown is on—the 12th Annual Duke fAVS Course is just one week away!

We’re looking forward to welcoming an incredible group of trainees, faculty, and leaders in vitreoretinal surgery to Durham for two days of cutting-edge insights, collaboration, and innovation.

📍 Washington Duke Inn, Durham | 📅 March 27–28

Let’s make it an unforgettable program!

👉 Explore the full agenda: https://mcpi.cventevents.com/event/favs2026/agenda

03/18/2026

We’re gearing up for the Duke Controversies in Cornea and Cataract Surgery Symposium on Saturday, March 21, and course co‑chair Kourtney Houser, MD is sharing why this year’s program is one you won’t want to miss. With fresh perspectives and lively discussions on some of the field’s most debated topics, it’s shaping up to be a great day of learning and connection—can’t wait to see you there!

Register: https://web.cvent.com/event/dcc6aff2-792e-4712-afc0-8da2ecc9173d/summary

03/10/2026

Get ready for an exceptional day of learning on April 25 at Vision Quest 2026!

Hear from our course director and past attendees in the video below and see why this program continues to elevate skills, confidence, and patient care.

Register: https://rsvp.duke.edu/event/a30965fe-c5dc-4e6b-ba03-a8dab81a4cd4/summary

03/09/2026

We’re proud to share breakthrough glaucoma research from Katy Liu, MD, PhD, along with mentors Dan Stamer, PhD, Daniel Saban, PhD, and colleagues, uncovering how specialized immune cells help regulate eye pressure. This discovery moves the field closer to treatments that target the root cause of glaucoma and protect vision for millions.

Glaucoma can quietly take away vision, often before people even notice.

New breakthrough research, led by scientists at the Duke Eye Center, could pave the way for the development of a treatment to target the root cause of glaucoma.

Researcher Katy Liu, M.D., Ph.D., (pictured here) and mentors Daniel Saban, Ph.D., and W. Daniel Stamer, Ph.D., as well as colleagues, discovered how a specialized set of immune cells play a key role in regulating eye pressure, which is linked to glaucoma.

“The only way we can treat glaucoma is by lowering the eye pressure, yet we still have patients who go blind despite current treatments,” Liu said. “This research helps us understand the role of the immune system in regulating eye pressure.”

Find out how this research is changing the game to address a vision problem that impacts millions: https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/immune-cells-play-key-role-regulating-eye-pressure-linked-glaucoma

Duke Eye Center | Duke University School of Medicine | |

03/06/2026

traveled to Roatán, Honduras, from February 15–20 to provide essential eye care services in partnership with Clinica Esperanza, completing 24 cataract surgeries, 8 pterygium surgeries, and 92 eye exams.

The team included Anupama Horne, MD, Melissa Daluvoy, MD, Todd Carey, RN, Valerie Honeycutt, COT, Chablis Love, COA, Cherylyn Huggans, COA, and Mayra Rosas Avalos, COA, with additional OR support from Susan Barnett of Health in Sight. Their work helped expand access to high‑quality ophthalmic care for patients in the Roatán community.