Awards Committee

The Awards Committee (AWD) solicits and reviews nominations annually for ARVO awards. AWD consists of one member from each Scientific Section to ensure there is adequate coverage of all relevant research fields. Committee members are past awardees, past Board members, or members distinguished in their field and include at least one former Cogan Award recipient and at least two former Proctor/Friedenwald Award recipients.

Review and rank nominations.
Evaluate the awards program to ensure that new trends in the field are addressed.
Chair reports to the Board of Trustees on the Committee's recommendations of top candidates for the awards at one of the two board meetings held during the ARVO Annual Meeting.

The Committee as a whole meets during the ARVO Annual Meeting and conducts business via ARVOConnect, e-mail and, if needed, by conference call during the year.

The 2025 application period will open Dec. 2

To be considered for membership on the Committee, please submit an online application consisting of an application statement, plus details of past ARVO service and/or experience. It is recommended that individuals:

Invest time in their application
Make sure their member information is updated and accurate in ARVOConnect

(Ex officio AWD members do not participate in the evaluation of the nominees or in voting). The ARVO President-elect will make appointments in February/March for the term beginning in May 2026. Length of committee service is four years.

Chair
Jacob Pe'er, MD, FARVO

Section: Anatomy and Pathology/Oncology
Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center
Jerusalem, Israel
Term: 05/07/2020 - 05/31/2026

PH Representative
Haiyan Gong, MD, PhD

Section: Physiology and Pharmacology
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston, Mass.
Term: 05/05/2022 - 05/05/2026

CO Representative
Dimitrios Karamichos, MSc, PhD

Section: Cornea
Ophthalmology, OUHSC UNTHSC
Dallas, Tx.
Term: 05/05/2022 - 05/05/2026

RE Representative
De-Ann Pillers, MD, PhD

Section: Retina
University of Illinois
Chicago, Ill.
Term: 05/05/2022 - 05/05/2026

RC Representative
Sarah Zhang, MD

Section: Retinal Cell Biology
SUNY/ University at Buffalo
Buffalo, N.Y.
Term: 05/05/2022 - 05/05/2026

EY Representative
Vallabh Das, PhD

Section: Eye Movements/Strabismus/Amblyopia/Neuro-Ophthalmology
University of Houston, College of Optometry
Houston, Tex.
Term: 04/27/2023 - 05/06/2027

GL Representative
David F. Garway-Heath, MD, FARVO

Section: Glaucoma
University College London
London, U.K.
Term: 04/27/2023 - 05/06/2027

CDP (formerly CL) Representative
Van Lansingh, MD, PhD, FARVO

Section: Clinical and Epidemiologic Research
HelpMeSee
Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
Term: 05/05/2022 - 05/05/2026

BI Representative
Patricia Becerra, PhD

Section: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
National Eye Institute
Bethesda, Md.
Term: 05/09/2024 - 05/04/2028

LE Representative
Paul J. Donaldson, PhD

Section: Lens
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Term: 05/09/2024 - 05/04/2028

VI Representative
Antonio Filipe Macedo, PhD

Section: Visual Psychophysics/Physiological Optics
Linnaeus University
Kalmar, Sweden
Term: 5/8/2025 - 5/31/2029

VN Representative
Anna Matynia, PhD

Section: Visual Neuroscience
University of Houston College of Optometry
Houston, Tex.
Term: 5/8/2025 - 5/31/2029

Ex Officio
Sophie Xiaohui Deng, MD, PhD, FARVO

Section: Cornea
Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
Los Angeles, Calif.
Term: 05/05/2021 - 05/08/2026

Executive Vice President
J. Mark Petrash, PhD, FARVO

Section: Lens
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colo.
Term: 05/20/2022 - 05/31/2027

IM Representative
Andrew Taylor, PhD, FARVO

Section: Immunology/Microbiology
BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Boston, Mass.
Term: 5/8/2025 - 5/31/2029

Ex Officio
Iris M. Rush, CAE

ARVO
Executive Director

Staff Liaison
Kerin Miller, MSGH

ARVO
Director, Program Administration