Sophie Bakri

Bakri considers her work in describing the pharmacokinetics of intravitreal therapies as one of her biggest achievements so far, and has hopes that her current work on new pharmacotherapies for retinal vascular diseases, such as AMD and diabetic retinopathy, will result in more convenient and effective ways to treat patients. She believes that if sustained drug delivery of anti-VEGF therapy becomes a reality, it could be a game-changer.

With over 100 peer-reviewed papers and 17 book chapters on retinal disease, she is also editor-in-chief of the book “Mayo Clinic on Vision and Eye Health”, and serves on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Retina, Seminars in Ophthalmology and Clinical and Surgical Ophthalmology.

She is a principal investigator in several multicenter clinical trials on novel drugs for retinal disease, and has received an Achievement Award from the AAO, and an Honor Award from the ASRS. Her advice: “There is no substitute for hard work. And listen carefully to your patients – they will give you the answers as to what the unmet needs are in ophthalmology.”

Part of the Power List 2015

In 2014, we compiled a list of the Top 100 most influential people in ophthalmology – an endeavor that received a significant amount of attention and, it’s fair to say, caused more than a little controversy. For our 2015 Top 40 Under 40 list we’ve taken a different approach, asking: who are the young, up-and-coming individuals set to rise to the top of their field? That’s the question we posed to ourselves – and then to you – ahead of open nominations and a painstaking judging process. Our list this year almost halves the average age of the celebrated individuals, with many of them born in the same year as the iconic Sex Pistols cover – 1977. Though we admit that no list of this type can be definitive, it does clearly show that the future of ophthalmology is very bright indeed. And so, without further ado, we celebrate the movers and shakers aged 40 or under who show what can be achieved with determination, passion and inspiration.

Go to The Power List 2015