Emily Y. Chew
The Power List 2019 – Mentors
Emily Y. Chew
Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.
Who have been your mentors?
I have had many mentors, including my parents, my colleagues, and specifically, Brenda Gallie from University of Toronto, who impressed upon me during my medical school years the importance of research, and Arnall Patz (former chair of Wilmer Eye Institute), who demonstrated great generosity and provided such enthusiastic support and encouragement for his trainees. I have a special group of friends whom I met during my training and my early career: Julia Haller, Mary Lynch, Anne Hanneken, and Patricia Smith, who make up the Women of Wilmer (WOW). They have mentored and supported me through my entire career.
What was your luckiest break?
It has been the opportunity to work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where I have had numerous opportunities to learn and to conduct meaningful clinical research. Rick Ferris, my colleague who spent 44 years at NIH was instrumental in teaching me a great deal about clinical trials.
What’s the best part of being an ophthalmologist?
It is the inspiration I get from my patients; I value the long-term relationships that we have developed. I still follow patients who participated in our early trials that started in 1992. I am inspired by the altruism of the participants of our research studies. They have great trust in their physicians to guide them through their medical journey. We need to respect that trust and to guide the patients with integrity and the highest ethical behavior.
