ASRS Awards
The American Society of Retina Specialists presents several awards each year to recognize excellence and innovation in the field of retina. Congratulations to this year's recipients!
2026 Recipients
Gertrude D. Pyron Award and Lecture
The Retina Research Foundation’s Gertrude D. Pyron Award is being presented to Glenn J. Jaffe, MD, FASRS, of Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Jaffe is the Robert Machemer Professor of Ophthalmology and chief of the Retina Division at Duke University Eye Center. He is a member of the vitreoretinal faculty, as well as the founder and director of the Duke Reading Center, the largest center of its type in the world.
The Pyron Award was created by the Retina Research Foundation of Houston, Texas—founded by the late Alice McPherson, MD—to recognize outstanding vision scientists whose work contributes to knowledge about vitreoretinal disease.
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ASRS Founders Award
Carl C. Awh, MD, FASRS, president of Tennessee Retina in Nashville, Tennessee, is the recipient of the 2026 ASRS Founders Award. Dr. Awh, the 2020-2021 ASRS president and 2021-2022 president of the Foundation of the ASRS, is receiving the award for his major contributions to the advancement of vitreoretinal surgery, treatment, research, and patient care.
The Founders Award was first presented in 1997 to honor the efforts of the Society’s founders, Drs. Jerald A. Bovino, Roy A. Levit, and Allen Z. Verne, for their foresight, dedication, and leadership in establishing the Society as an open, democratic, worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement of vitreoretinal surgery and the study of vitreoretinal diseases.
Dr. Awh has been an active investigator in over 130 clinical trials, serving as principal investigator in more than 50. He has developed dozens of commercially successful surgical devices and has 28 issued or pending US patents for vitreoretinal surgical devices and treatments. Dr. Awh has been an invited lecturer in over 30 countries and on nearly every continent.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Awh and the Founders Award.
The Packo Service Award
Joel A. Pearlman, MD, PhD, FASRS, managing partner at Retinal Consultants Medical Group (RCMG) in Sacramento, California, is the winner of the 2026 Packo Award in recognition of his exceptional service to the Society. The Packo Award is named in honor of its first recipient, ASRS 2001-2002 President Kirk H. Packo, MD, FACS, FASRS, whose dynamic leadership and strategic innovations helped shape and advance the Society for more than 30 years.
Dr. Pearlman became the editor in chief of Retina Times after co-editing the Retina Genetics section and being a Retina Times Annual Meeting reporter for many years. As editor in chief, he inspires the editorial team through his gift for words, inimitable wit, resourcefulness, and ability to make every contributor feel genuinely appreciated.
He is a member of the Society’s Communications Committee as well as the board of the Foundation of the ASRS and previously served on the Research and Safety in Therapeutics (ReST) Committee. Dr. Pearlman has been an ASRS member since 2002.
Click to learn more about Dr. Pearlman and the Packo Award.
ASRS Presidents’ Young Investigator Award
The Foundation has selected Yoshihiro Yonekawa, MD, FASRS, as the winner of the 13th annual ASRS Presidents’ Young Investigator Award. Dr. Yonekawa is a pediatric and adult retina surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital/Mid Atlantic Retina in Philadelphia, associate professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University, and a visiting faculty member of Kyorin Eye Center in Tokyo.
The ASRS Presidents’ Young Investigator Award is given by the Foundation to honor past presidents of our Society by nurturing the development of next-generation retina leaders. It recognizes an ASRS member age 50 years or younger who has made substantial contributions to retina that will potentially improve our patients’ lives.
Dr. Yonekawa and his colleagues at Wills Eye Hospital lead multiple research programs, with a focus on pediatric and adult vitreoretinal surgical techniques and outcomes. His research activities also include organizing numerous multicenter studies and big-data analyses, and serving as principal investigator in clinical trials.
Click to learn more about Dr. Yonekawa and the Young Investigator Award.
Early Career Section Crystal Apple Award
The ASRS Early Career Section (ECS) has selected H. Culver Boldt, MD, as the winner of the 2026 Crystal Apple Award for excellence in teaching and mentorship. The Crystal Apple Award is a special recognition presented to an ASRS member who has gone to great lengths to advance the education and professional development of young vitreoretinal specialists.
Dr. Boldt is the Marion and Frederick Fuerste Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa.
He is fellowship trained in surgical retina, medical retina, and ophthalmic echography, and has mentored more than 80 retina fellows. Dr. Boldt served as the director of the University of Iowa’s vitreoretinal fellowships for over 20 years. He previously directed the Vitreotretinal Service, and currently directs the Ocular Echography Service and co-directs the Ocular Oncology Service.
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Women in Retina WinR Champion Award
The ASRS Women in Retina Section (WinR) has selected Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS, as the winner of the 2026 WinR Champion Award.
Dr. Vajzovic is being recognized for her exceptional mentorship, advocacy, and leadership in supporting women in retina. She has consistently created opportunities for female trainees and early-career specialists through hands-on guidance, research mentorship, leadership development, and ongoing professional support, while also fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture within her teams.
In addition to mentoring countless women who have gone on to successful careers in academic retina, her broader leadership in organizations such as Women in Ophthalmology has helped strengthen mentorship networks and advance the visibility and success of women across the specialty.
Click to learn more about the WinR Champion Award.
Retina Image Bank Image of the Year
Joseph D. Boss, MD and Korey Starkey, OCT-C are the winners of the 2026 Retina Image Bank Image of the Year for their image Retinal Detachment with Macular Hole.
Retina Atlas Chapter of the Year
Nita Valikodath, MD, MS and Iman Barre, MD are the winners of the 2026 Retina Atlas Chapter of the Year for their chapter "Pediatric Retinal Surgery: Retinopathy of Prematurity and Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy".