Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, Begins Term as 2026 President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology

Newswise — Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, this week begins his one-year term as the 130th president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Rapuano is the chief of cornea service and the Peter and Ruth Laibson cornea service chief chair at Wills Eye Hospital and has been involved in clinical education at the Academy for more than 30 years. He was elected to leadership by the Academy’s community of 32,000 ophthalmologists.

Dr. Rapuano will use his term to jumpstart an effort to improve emergency eye care services provided in hospital emergency rooms to ensure timely treatment for severe eye injuries.

“Reforming emergency rooms nationwide is not an easy task, and I am not under the illusion that we could do it all in one year,” Dr. Rapuano said. “However, I do believe that by educating our members— something the Academy already has a strong background in— providing physicians with the tools they need, and leveraging our partnerships with other organizations, we could do a lot.”

Dr. Rapuano believes many ophthalmologists would like to serve their communities by taking call at their local emergency department, but there are real barriers to doing so including practice logistics, inadequate equipment and staffing, and concerns about managing cases outside your subspecialty area.

His work is already underway, collecting educational content and practical resources to support his colleagues so they can confidently take call, including a section on the Academy website featuring quick, informative videos.

Developing educational content is the backbone of Dr. Rapuano’s career. He co-edited the first edition of the bestselling Wills Eye Manual. To date, nine different editions covering more than 200 different eye conditions have been published, which he continues to facilitate as the senior faculty supervisor.

He also worked on the inaugural Basic and Clinical Science Course™ (BCSC^®) for Refractive Surgery.

Previous roles at the Academy include serving as the senior secretary for Clinical Education and secretary for Lifelong Learning and Assessment, chairing the refractive surgery BCSC book, and chairing the preferred practice pattern guidelines committee. He also oversaw the Committee for Resident Education and the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) committee. 

He earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University and his medical degree from Columbia University.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. A global community of 32,000 medical doctors, we protect sight and empower lives by setting the standards for ophthalmic education and advocating for our patients and the public. We innovate and support research to advance our profession and to ensure the delivery of the highest-quality eye care. Our EyeSmart® program provides the public with the most trusted information about eye health. For more information, visit aao.org.