We are proud to announce that Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD, has been awarded the 2025 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), recognizing his extraordinary commitment to curing blindness and expanding access to eye care around the world.
Williams currently serves as associate professor of ophthalmology, director of Duke Global Ophthalmology, and affiliate of Duke Global Health Institute.
Devoted to global ophthalmology since 2008, he performs hundreds of cataract surgeries and corneal transplants annually in underserved regions across Africa, Central America, Indonesia, and beyond. In 2021, Williams performed Sierra Leone’s first-ever corneal transplant, a milestone in the country’s medical history.
Understanding that sustainable change requires local empowerment, Williams has mentored and trained numerous international ophthalmologists, residents, and fellows. His work in Indonesia led to the successful training of local surgeons in eye banking and corneal transplantation. In 2024, this initiative resulted in approximately 50 corneal transplants and the establishment of an eye bank at Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta. It also helped catalyze a national policy shift toward hospital-based eye banking.
In South Sudan, Williams collaborates with the Cure Blindness Project and is working with local ophthalmologists to develop an educational program that trains ophthalmologists and ophthalmic nurses across the region, expanding the country’s capacity to deliver eye care.
His work with the Health in Sight Mission in Honduras has served more than 150,000 residents of Roatán and inspired other Duke ophthalmologists to provide the island’s only eye care services.
In July 2025, the Duke Global Ophthalmology Fellowship launched with the inaugural fellow. This dual cornea and global ophthalmology fellowship prepares trainees for careers that will contribute to curing blindness worldwide.
Williams, is a sought-after cornea expert and speaker, having delivered lectures at international conferences including the Asia Cornea Society, the National Congress of the Indonesian Ophthalmologist Association, and the Caribbean College of Family Physicians.
Thank you to Sharon Fekrat, MD, professor of ophthalmology and Bonnie Sklar, MD, former Duke cornea fellow, for the nomination for this well-deserved award. The AAO will present the Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award to Dr. Williams on October 18, 2025, during the opening session of AAO 2025 in Orlando, Florida. The award honors Academy members who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to humanitarian service, both in the U.S. and abroad.