WILLS EYE HOSPITAL CORNEA CHIEF ELECTED AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY PRESIDENT
PHILADELPHIA, March 13, 2026 – Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, Chief of the Wills Eye Cornea Service, has been named President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) for 2026. Dr. Rapuano will serve as the 130th President of the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons after being elected by a community of over 32,000 ophthalmologists. His involvement with the AAO has spanned many years on committees and the Board of Trustees as well as serving in the role of Senior Secretary for Clinical Education and, most recently, President Elect.
“We at Wills Eye Hospital are immensely proud of our distinguished Cornea Service Chief for his election to this role in such a pivotal specialty organization,” said Julia A. Haller, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at Wills Eye Hospital. “Dr. Rapuano is a master clinician and educator and mentor nonpareil. He will absolutely thrive in the position and make a great impact in helping our field as the voice for American Ophthalmology. All of Wills Eye is cheering him on!”
Dr. Rapuano is well known for a wide array of accomplishments over the course of his career at the forefront of employing new surgical techniques, training residents and fellows, and addressing corneal eye disease. Following his ophthalmologist residency at Wills Eye Hospital and fellowship at the University of Iowa, he joined the Cornea Service at Wills Eye in 1991. A nationally and internationally renowned expert in corneal diseases, he is chief of the service, where he holds the Peter and Ruth Laibson Cornea Service Chief Endowed Chair. Dr. Rapuano is the co-editor of the best-selling textbook in ophthalmology The Wills Eye Manual, as well as several books, numerous book chapters, and more than 250 articles in the peer-reviewed literature on corneal diseases, refractive surgery, and excimer laser PTK surgery. He has consistently been named a Castle Connelly “Top Doctor” for more than a decade and has appeared on The Ophthalmologist’s “Power List” of the top 100 most influential ophthalmologists in the world on numerous occasions.
“It is an honor to be elected to serve as President of the AAO after years of committed service to the organization,” said Rapuano. “One of my main goals during my term is to help improve emergency eye care services across the country. I am proud to represent Wills Eye in this position, assuming leadership between fellow alumni Drs. Repka and Marioneaux.”
The Wills Eye Cornea Service was established in the late 1950s and has grown to see nearly 500 patients each week and completes more than 450 corneal transplants each year. Patient diseases and disorders treated by the world-renowned Cornea Service include dry eye, cataracts, Fuchs dystrophy, keratoconus, near- and far-sightedness, and more. The department’s specialists are dedicated to improving vision with state-of-the-art procedures, preventing corneal and external diseases of the eye, and providing the best patient care available. The Cornea Service trains future generations of sub-specialists, allowing Wills Eye to play an innovative role in the future of cornea care.
To learn more about Dr. Rapuano and the Wills Eye Hospital Cornea Service, please visit https://www.willseye.org/medical-services/subspecialty-services/cornea/.
About Wills Eye Hospital
Wills Eye Hospital is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of vision. As a trusted leader in ophthalmology, the clinical skill and innovative research of top-ranked, compassionate physicians combined with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment procedures make Philadelphia a global destination for eye care. As an independent, specialty hospital, with four regional surgical centers, Wills Eye Hospital serves as a comprehensive center for ophthalmology focused on patient care, research and education. Founded in 1832 through a bequest by Quaker merchant James Wills and registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit, Wills Eye Hospital has consistently earned top national ranking on U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” survey.