WILLS EYE PHYSICIANS RECOGNIZED ON THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST 2026 POWER LIST
Three Wills Eye physicians ranked on this year’s list of ophthalmology changemakers
PHILADELPHIA, April 3, 2026 –Wills Eye Hospital physicians have once again been recognized for driving progress in eye care through inclusion on the 2026 Power List by The Ophthalmologist, an industry magazine based in the United Kingdom.
The Wills Eye physicians on this year’s Power List are:
- Carl D. Regillo, MD – Retina Service Chief, Wills Eye Hospital
- Christopher J. Rapuano, MD – Cornea Service Chief and Peter and Ruth Laibson Cornea Service Chief Endowed Chair, Wills Eye Hospital
- Sadeer B. Hannush, MD – Cornea Specialist, Wills Eye Hospital
Nomination criteria for the 2026 Power List included key achievements made in innovation, research, teaching and mentoring progressing practice, communication and advocacy, and humanitarianism over the last calendar year.
Those key achievements of the Wills Eye physicians included on this year’s Power List are outlined below:
- Regillo’s clinical research has focused on developing sustained drug delivery systems for common retail conditions and considerable strides were made with FDA approval of a port delivery system. Substantial progress was also made in advancing tyrosine kinase inhibitor small molecules incorporated into injectable bioerodible inserts to give six or more months of an anti-VEGF-like therapeutic effect and with anti-VEGF gene therapy for sustained delivery with both intravitreal and subretinal delivered products in phase 3 clinical trials.
- Rapuano directed publication of the 9th edition of the Wills Eye Manual, known to be best-selling source of authoritative guidance on treating ocular disorders, as a co-author. He and his team also expanded the footprint of Wills Eye Hospital’s cornea service by more than 50 percent, allowing the number of specialists on the service to grow by 20 percent. Additionally, Dr. Rapuano began his one-year term as President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology on January 1.
- Hannush completed his sixth mission trip to Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya, building on more than a decade of commitment that began with the launch of a corneal transplant program, and served as lead author on a major study, “Middle segment surgery: indications, techniques, and future directions”, published in Current Opinion in Ophthalmology.
“Congratulations to my Wills Eye peers on this amazing recognition. Your hard work and achievements this past year are well-deserved of this honor,” said Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at Wills Eye Hospital. “Our community is enormously proud our physicians and the advancements they continue to make in the ophthalmology field.”
Power List awardees are nominated by colleagues, peers, and readers of The Ophthalmologist. Along with the Power List, The Ophthalmologist highlights an ongoing Hall of Fame, which has had three inductees from Wills Eye since its creation in 2023: Dr. Haller, Carol L. Shields, MD, and George L. Spaeth, MD. .
To view the 2026 Power List, please visit: https://theophthalmologist.com/power-list/2026/.
About Wills Eye Hospital:
Established in 1832 as the nation's first hospital specializing in eye care, Wills Eye Hospital is a global leader in ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Wills Eye as one of America's top ophthalmology hospitals since the survey began. Wills Eye has the most nationally ranked ophthalmologists in the country and is one of the top academic residency training programs in the USA, as voted by physicians. Wills Eye’s resident and sub-specialty training programs are among the most competitive in the country. The Vickie and Jack Farber Vision Research Center at Wills harnesses the core strengths of Wills, the close connection between innovative research and advanced patient care, to discover therapeutic breakthroughs. Wills provides the full range of primary and subspecialty eye care for improving and preserving sight, including comprehensive ophthalmology, cataract, cornea, retina, emergency care, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology, oculoplastics, pathology, pediatric ophthalmology and ocular genetics, and refractive surgery. Ocular Services include the Wills Laser Correction Center and Diagnostic Center. Its 24/7 Emergency Service is the only one of its kind in the region. Wills Eye also has a network of seven multi-specialty, ambulatory surgery centers throughout the tristate area.