SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / July 16, 2026 / The Ophthalmology Foundation (OF) is pleased to announce the election of eight distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors: Huban Atilla, MD, FEBO; Essam El Toukhy, MD; Tin Aung, MMed, PhD; Valeria Sánchez Huerta, MD; Gloria Esigbemi Patrick-Ferife, MBBS, MSc, FNMCOphth; Erin Schallhorn Powers, MBA; Kelly Giuffrida, MBA; and Muhammad Moin, MBBS, BSc, FRCS (Edinburgh), MRCOphth, FRCOphth.

Representing academia, clinical practice, research, nonprofit leadership, and the ophthalmic industry, these new members bring decades of international experience spanning education, innovation, public health, health policy, and global eye care. Their collective expertise will strengthen the Foundation's mission to improve ophthalmic education and preserve vision worldwide.

Among the new directors are internationally recognized physician leaders, including Dr. Huban Atilla, Professor and Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Ankara University and President of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society; Dr. Essam El Toukhy, Director of Training for the Arab Board and Vice President of the Arab Board of Ophthalmology; Dr. Tin Aung, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore National Eye Centre and a globally recognized glaucoma researcher; Dr. Valeria Sánchez Huerta, General Director of APEC I.A.P. (Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera en México) and a leading advocate for equitable eye care across Latin America; Dr. Gloria Esigbemi Patrick-Ferife, President of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria and Co-Founder of the Eye Care Health Initiative; and Prof. Muhammad Moin, Pro-Vice Chancellor of King Edward Medical University and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology's Leadership Development Program.

The Board also welcomes two accomplished industry executives: Erin Schallhorn Powers, President of Surgical Vision North America at Johnson & Johnson, whose career spans strategy, medical affairs, and commercial leadership, and Kelly Giuffrida, Vice President of AbbVie Eye Care, where she leads key commercial businesses and pipeline initiatives across glaucoma, retina, and ocular surface disease.

"We are honored to welcome these exceptional leaders and look forward to their guidance as we continue working to preserve and restore vision worldwide," said Jim Mazzo, President of the Ophthalmology Foundation.

About the Ophthalmology Foundation

The Ophthalmology Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports ophthalmic education internationally to preserve and restore vision for people worldwide. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through a host of original educational programs and fellowships designed to improve global eye care and advance scientific ophthalmology, ultimately benefiting the global practice of the specialty and improving the quality of care for patients.

Contact Information:
Christine Graham
Executive Director
cgraham@ophthalmologyfoundation.org
+1 415 651 2723

SOURCE: Ophthalmology Foundation