Four Women Selected for Endowed Chairs at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami

The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami has recently selected 12 faculty members for endowed chairs. Four of these endowed positions were awarded to women.

Audina M. Berrocal has been named to the Johnstone Horvitz Chair in Ophthalmology. A pediatric retina specialist, she holds a secondary appointment in the department of pediatrics. Her work focuses on the medical and surgical management of retinopathy or prematurity and pediatric vitreoretinal disorders.

A graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Berrocal earned her medical degree from Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Kendall E. Donaldson has been named to the Rodgers Clark Chair in Ophthalmology. She has served as medical director of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at Plantation for the past two decades. As a cornea specialist, she conducts research on laser-assisted cataract surgery and severe ocular surface disease.

Dr. Donaldson holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and biology, a master’s degree, and a medical degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Ninel Z. Gregori has been named to the Lois Pope Endowed Chair for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research. She is the chief of ophthalmology at Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. An expert on retina and vitreous diseases, she has served as a leading surgeon for multiple gene therapy and retinal prostheses clinical trials.

Dr. Gregori received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and her medical degree from the University of Utah.

Sonia H. Yoo has been named to the Greentree Pruett Hickman Chair in Ophthalmology. She currently holds a joint appointment in biomedical engineering and serves as the associate medical director for the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Her clinical and research interests center around cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery.

Dr. Yoo holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in California and a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.