Dr. Adesina receives the 2024 AAO Academic Achievement Award
Ore-ofe O. Adesina, MD, associate professor in the Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science and John P. McGovern Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, recently received the 2024 Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. While he concedes it’s nice to be recognized, it’s his outreach to underserved communities that keeps him inspired — and busy.
Last May, after receiving the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center’s 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award for Ophthalmology, Dr. Adesina delivered a resonant keynote address at the center’s Resident Research Day. In it, he emphasized the critical necessity of building trust in the health care system, particularly in minority communities, where misconceptions and mistrust abound. He underscored the point with a personal story.
After dismissing flashing lights in his own right medial upper vision for a couple of years, Dr. Adesina finally went to the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic at UTHealth Houston, where he practices, for tests. Initial imaging suggested retinal detachment, which could lead to blindness. Fortunately, the condition was ultimately diagnosed as senile retinoschisis, benign and non-progressive.
“Here I was, a well-educated ophthalmologist, waiting this long to get my diagnosis,” he said. “Imagine the folks out there who don’t have the benefit of my background, avoiding treatment because they lack the resources or distrust the system. Often, it’s because they can’t relate culturally to those providing the care.”
To address such challenges, Dr. Adesina has been involved in numerous initiatives, including the National Medical Association’s (NMA) Ophthalmology Section for which he serves as a board member and its councilor to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He was also a principal developer of the INTREPID program, which stands for INvesting, TRaining, Equipping, and Promoting Individuals for Distinction in ophthalmology. The program is a collaboration between the NMA and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) with a mission to recruit, educate, and support underrepresented in medicine academic ophthalmology faculty for the benefit of patients, trainees, and communities everywhere. He is also participating in the AUPO’s Leadership Development Program, which identifies individuals with interest and potential for leadership in academic ophthalmology.
In addition to his roles as an academic leader, community advocate, neuro-ophthalmologist, and director of hospital operations, Dr. Adesina produces two podcasts. Sight for Sore Eyes and Out of the Blindspot reflect his commitment to improving care for underserved communities and the promotion of his specialty of neuro-ophthalmology.