News

Linus (Liangbo) Shen, MD, vitreoretinal surgery fellow at Duke Eye Center, has been awarded a Clinical Research Fellowship Award from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The highly competitive award provides $65,000 in research support and is given to only three recipients each year.

Duke Ophthalmology hosted the 2026 Trainee Day Scientific Sessions on June 5 at the AERI Auditorium, bringing together residents, fellows, and research trainees to present new discoveries and clinical insights across the field. The event featured a full afternoon of podium presentations and an extensive poster session, highlighting trainee-led research aimed at advancing patient care.

Our Duke Ophthalmic Technician students presented an impressive series of research talks last Friday, June 5, 2026.

In a new study published June 4 in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers from Duke University School of Medicine found that specific features in the developing retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, are closely linked to cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes at age 2. The findings suggest that the eye could serve as an early biomarker for brain development in vulnerable infants.

A recent Modern Retina feature spotlighted insights from Sharon Fekrat, MD, FACS, FASRS, who discussed emerging evidence linking dopamine signaling to age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) during her presentation at Retina World Congress 2026. Dr. Fekrat explained that dopamine released by amacrine cells decreases with age, which may contribute to retinal changes seen in AMD. She noted that dopamine receptors are present in both the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium, offering multiple potential pathways for influence.

Duke Eye Center is proud to announce that Edward G. Buckley, MD, James Pitzer Gills III, MD, and Joy Gills Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, has been named President of the American Ophthalmic Society (AOS), one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious professional organizations dedicated to advancing the science and practice of ophthalmology.

In a recent episode of Evidence Based Retina from Eyes On Eyecare, Duke’s Sharon Fekrat, MD, FACS, FASRS joined Rishi P. Singh, MD, FASRS to discuss how multimodal retinal imaging and artificial intelligence are reshaping the early detection of neurocognitive disease.

Duke Eye Center will launch its first organized, institution-wide implementation of AI-powered diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening in May 2026, marking a major milestone in the integration of artificial intelligence into routine clinical care. Supported by The Robert M. Sinskey, M.D. Foundation, the initiative brings advanced retinal screening directly into endocrinology clinics, where many patients with diabetes already receive care.

Duke Eye Center is delighted to announce that W. Daniel Stamer, PhD, FARVO, Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering, has been elected the next Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). His five‑year term will begin at the 2027 ARVO Annual Meeting and continue through May 2032.

Duke Eye Center had a strong presence at the 2026 ARVO Annual Meeting, held May 3–7 in Denver, Colorado, with more than 70 Duke‑led presentations, including lectures, minisymposia, posters, papers, symposia, and collaborative sessions. Faculty, trainees, and research teams represented Duke across the full spectrum of vision science, from basic discovery to clinical innovation.