WinR Mentoring Program
The Women in Retina (WinR) year-round mentoring program for young women retina specialists cultivates and elevates women leaders, and provides both mentors and mentees with the tools they need to excel in roles inside and outside of medicine.
The program consists of several Zoom sessions throughout the year with breakout sessions to allow for intimate and candid discussions.
WinR was founded in 2007 with the help of Genentech, Inc. It has found its niche at the ASRS Annual Meeting where it brings together women members for mentoring, networking, collegiality, and inspiration during the WinR luncheon.
Although the ASRS Annual Meeting is just once a year; there are many more opportunities throughout the year to interact with and inspire young women retina specialists. Be sure to check out the WinR Events for the most up to date details on events. Our long-term goal is to get more women involved in research, presenting at podium, becoming key opinion leaders, and holding prominent positions in organized retina and ophthalmology.
If you're interested in participating, simply complete the WinR Mentoring Program application. New mentor and mentee pairings are made on an annual cycle each spring. The deadline for the 2025 program was Sunday, February 23 at 11:59pm CT. The 2026 application will be available in late 2025 on this page.
To learn more about ASRS's various mentorship programs and to decide which one is right for you, review our mentorship programs overview chart.
Donate to the Foundation of ASRS to support this program (be sure to select "Women in Retina Mentorship Activities" from the Donation Category dropdown box). Your donation to Women in Retina represents an investment in the next generation of women retina specialists at a critical point in their career development. Attending ASRS’s Annual Scientific Meeting or Business of Retina Meeting allows early career women physicians to form invaluable professional relationships, learn about leading-edge developments and technology and add to the diversity of perspectives represented.
WinR Clinical Trials Incubator (CTI): A Pipeline to the Pipeline
The WinR CTI Program is an extension of its mentorship program that aims to increase the participation of women retina specialists as principal investigators (PIs) in clinical trials.
In recognition of the need to foster diversity and inclusion among PIs, study teams and patients in clinical research for the development of new therapies, this mentorship program aims to empower women retina specialists to step into such leadership roles, by offering peer-to-peer coaching as well as scientific guidance and operational support from clinical experts in industry.
WinR leadership will select one-two applicants per program cycle. Industry clinical experts will partner with ASRS WinR leadership throughout the Program, sharing with the Mentee best practices in crucial aspects of clinical trial conduct, such as patient recruitment and retention, adherence to study protocol, and data integrity, among others.
Beginning in October 2023, the CTI Program has also presented webinars offering practical information on clinical trial participation.
Email any questions to Joshua Friedman