Power List 2020

Congratulations to PHILIP J. ROSENFELD, M.D., PH.D., for once again being named one of the 100 most influential figures in ophthalmology. A professor of ophthalmology and vitreoretinal specialist, Rosenfeld has been at the forefront of clinical research into therapies for age-related macular degeneration, including new drugs and novel imaging techniques. Rosenfeld was named to The Ophthalmologist Power List for the fifth consecutive time, which represents every year it has been announced since it was established in 2014.

Rosenfeld pioneered the off-label use of Avastin (bevacizumab) to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among the elderly. His low cost discovery has saved vision in millions, saved billions of dollars in healthcare costs, and has become the standard of care for retina specialists throughout the world for its effectiveness and safety. Together with Rosenfeld’s additional findings that the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) reduced the need for injections of Avastin and the more expensive anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs to treat patients with AMD, the total cost savings to Medicare alone has exceeded $50 billion since Avastin and OCT-guided therapy were introduced in 2005.

Rosenfeld’s current research focuses on the treatment of dry AMD, which remains the major cause of blindness from AMD. In addition to running clinical trials to test new promising treatments for dry AMD, Rosenfeld is using the next generation OCT technology to identify the underlying cause of AMD and the high-risk biomarkers that predict disease progression. These biomarkers will help Rosenfeld identify those patients at greatest risk for vision loss and give them the highest priority to get involved in clinical trials to slow or stop their disease.

When named to the 2020 Power List, the editorial board of The Ophthalmologist asked Rosenfeld, “What is a piece of advice for your younger self?” Rosenfeld responded, “Trust your ideas, trust your judgment, and seek out people who know what you don’t know.” Certainly, sage advice from one of the world’s most prominent clinician-scientists.

Bascom Palmer’s faculty members have been well-represented on the Power List since its inception in 2014. In addition to Rosenfeld, the 2019 list “The World’s 50 Most influential People in Ophthalmology” featured CAROL KARP, M.D., an expert in the management of ocular surface tumors and anterior segment surgery, and J. WILLIAM HARBOUR, M.D., one of the most highly respected ocular oncologists in the world. EDUARDO C. ALFONSO, M.D., Bascom Palmer’s director and chair was named to the list in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Also named in 2018 were HARRY W. FLYNN, JR., M.D., RICHARD K. PARRISH, II, M.D., and SONIA YOO, M.D. In 2017, RANYA HABASH, M.D., was included in the Power List that featured ophthalmology’s “Top 50 Rising Stars.”