Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Nik Hopkins, M.D., comprehensive ophthalmologist at UAB Callahan Eye, discusses what patients can expect during an eye exam.

Mark Johnson, M.D., and Katharine Weintraub, M.D., have been named chief residents for the 2026–2027 academic year. Chosen by their peers, they will serve in this leadership role during their final year of residency training.

Six faculty and staff members from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences will be recognized in the 2026 UAB Service Awards Program, representing a combined 85 years of service to the university.

Sight Savers America has named Alston Callahan, M.D., FACS, and Michael A. Callahan, M.D., FACS, as the 2026 Hall W. Thompson Heroes for Sight, recognizing two generations whose leadership and dedication have shaped the future of eye care in Alabama and beyond.

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has named Ellen Konadu Antwi-Adjei, OD, MPH, a Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Lyne Racette, Ph.D., at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as a recipient of its 2026 Emerging Advocate Award.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences will host its 27th Annual Research Symposium on Friday, June 12, 2026, in the UAB Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (ALGEN).

Maria Grant, M.D., and Seth D. Fortmann, M.D., Ph.D., have been recognized with a Featured Discovery award for identifying a key immune cell population that helps protect against age-related macular degeneration. Their findings reveal a potential new therapeutic target to preserve choroidal health and prevent vision loss.

Brook Gibson, O.D., low vision specialist at UAB Callahan Eye, discusses what patients should know recognizing and managing symptoms of low vision.

Wade Joiner, M.D., glaucoma specialist at UAB Callahan Eye, discusses what patients should know about glaucoma, its symptoms and the importance of early detection.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences celebrated the opening of The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Surgical Skills Laboratory with an open house on Dec. 10 at UAB Hospital-Callahan Eye.

Rafael Grytz, Ph.D., has been named the Dennis Endowed Professor in Glaucoma Research, an appointment approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama in April 2024.

On Thursday, Nov. 20., the Heersink School of Medicine honored 20 faculty members at the Fall 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception. This event recognizes Heersink faculty who have made major contributions to research, education, and clinical care.

As a glaucoma fellow at UAB Callahan Eye, Tim Johnson, M.D., came to Birmingham with a clear sense of purpose.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) honored 33 graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2025 Cohort 4 during a ceremony held on Thursday, Nov. 12. The cohort completed a multi-session program designed to strengthen leadership capability for emerging leaders across the enterprise.

Olivia Railey, RN, BSN, CIC, Nursing Services Program Manager, has been elected to serve as the 2026 president-elect of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Alabama chapter.

It was the mid-1980s when two young vision scientists found themselves on converging paths that would reshape how the world understands age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disorder of the retina that is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

Our first-year residents are well underway in their integrated intern year, building the medical foundation that will shape them as future ophthalmologists. They share why they chose UAB Callahan Eye, what they’ve learned so far, and what they’re looking forward to in the years ahead.

At a Starbucks inside UAB Hospital, J. Crawford Downs, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science at UAB, met with Marshall Holland, M.D., M.S., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery. Holland led with a vexing question: “Is it possible to wirelessly monitor pressure within the brain in patients before they get to the hospital?”

Tylor Lewis, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, is a cell and developmental biologist whose research centers on the mechanisms that drive inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).

Marcela Frazier, O.D., MPH, FAAO, will receive the 2025 Harry I. Zeltzer Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity International (VOSH/International), for her steadfast commitment to improving the accessibility of comprehensive vision care.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and UAB Callahan Eye are excited to welcome six outstanding clinicians to the practice this year. Their clinical expertise, research interests, and dedication to compassionate, patient-centered care continue to further strengthen the Department’s mission to lead in eye care, education, and discovery.

On August 7, 1997, Jennifer Creswell and her sister were driving when they were hit by a large truck, flipping their vehicle five times.

Can indigo light help protect children’s vision? That’s one of the questions guiding the work of Rafael Grytz, Ph.D., Dennis Endowed Professor of Glaucoma Research in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

Dry eye, a symptomatic eye condition characterized by poor tear production, affects nearly 16 million adults in the United States

UAB Callahan Eyewear offers stylish, high-quality frames and expert optical services from Alabama’s most trusted name in eye care.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences gathered with faculty, family, and colleagues on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at The Fennec to celebrate the graduation of its 2025 class of residents and fellows.

The UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership, the flagship program of the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, recently celebrated the graduation of its 10th cohort.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences recently hosted its 26th Annual Research Symposium at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, bringing together leading voices in vision science for a full day of education, discussion and innovation.

On June 10, 2025, Sight Savers America (SSA) honored Jeffery L. Haddox as the recipient of the 2025 Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital alongside the installation of this year’s Hero For Sight Tribute Wall art piece. 

  The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and UAB Callahan Eye are saddened to share the passing of Harold W. Skalka, M.D., on April 27 at the age of 83.

Fourteen UAB chief residents recently completed the Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, was held on May 9, 2025.

Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D., FARVO, and Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., MSPH, FARVO, were jointly awarded the prestigious 2025 Proctor Medal by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

Maria Grant, M.D., FARVO, professor and Eivor and Alston Callahan, M.D., Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, continues to shape the future of retinal disease research through her pioneering contributions to stem cell-based therapies and targeted approaches to vascular repair.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.

Morghan Sahawneh, M.D., and John Stoffer, M.D., have been chosen by their peers to lead the UAB Ophthalmology Residency Program in their final year of training.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences welcomed Oliver Gramlich, Ph.D., as an associate professor in April 2025, further strengthening the department’s growing research enterprise.

November 2024 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (EMBI) at UAB. The institute was made possible by a generous gift from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF), matched by the university, to support research in cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. Ronald Lazar, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been director of the institute since 2017.

Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., MSPH, professor and Nathan E. Miles Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in recognition of her pioneering work transforming clinical approaches to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

In Fall 2024, UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the winners of the 2024 Dale J. Benos Medical Student Research Day (MSRD). All medical students were invited to present the results of their research projects and submit posters for judging.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) celebrated its annual Innovation Awards on October 11, 2024, recognizing outstanding innovators and entrepreneurial achievements. Anath Shalev, M.D., director of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and founder of TIXiMED, was awarded the 2024 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, the institute’s highest honor. Shalev's start-up, TIXiMED, recently advanced toward clinical trials after receiving FDA clearance for its novel Type 1 diabetes treatment, TIX100.

The Heersink School of Medicine honored the achievements of eight esteemed faculty members during the Fall 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception, held Oct. 29 at the Wallace Tumor Institute. Families, faculty, and leaders of the Heersink School of Medicine joined the honorees to celebrate their outstanding contributions to medical education and research. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, opened the event by welcoming guests and recognizing the significance of these prestigious appointments.

Cassandra Newsom, Psy.D., director of the Translational Research Core in Autism and Neurodevelopment of Civitan International Research Center, has completed participation in Phase 2 Clinical Trials of a new drug, NNZ-2591, that shows promising results for a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder called Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS).

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recognized 13 individuals in its third cohort of Momentum Leaders in Medicine at UAB during a graduation ceremony on May 7, 2024.

Congratulations to all the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Medicine, UAB Health System, and Health Service Foundation leaders who were recognized on the Who’s Who in Healthcare list!

Momentum in Medicine's third cohort includes an impressive list of 15 women leaders from a variety of roles, departments, and backgrounds within UAB Medicine.

Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, effective Oct. 1.

In the last several years, UAB Medicine and Heersink School of Medicine have worked to bring leadership development to faculty and staff through the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership and Momentum in Medicine programs.

UAB holds its administrative professionals in the highest regard. April 26, 2023, is Administrative Professionals Day – allowing us to recognize and celebrate our administrative professionals while also highlighting the administrative resources offered by UAB. Most recently, the Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program was established to offer development opportunities for current administrative professionals through training experiences and networking, to assist administration with their career paths and plans of advancing within UAB and UAB Medicine.

Maria Grant, M.D., FARVO, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and her colleagues have published a study that provides hope in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Medical Student Research Day celebrates the research accomplishments of medical students and provides them with the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students and faculty.