From our workforce and clinical trials to mentoring the next generation of ophthalmologists and retina specialists, it is imperative that we continue to foster diversity within our field. Our challenges include diversifying our workforce, recruiting more representative patient populations for clinical trials, and addressing the gender, ethnic, and financial disparities that exist.1-4

While this may be a difficult time to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in ophthalmology and retina in the wake of recent Presidential Executive Orders in the United States, this is exactly the time when DEI discussions are the most needed. We have a growing number of women in retina,5,6 and physicians who are underrepresented in medicine are increasing with each class of residents and retina fellows. There is increasing focus on recruiting more diverse patient populations for clinical trials, and we even have our first clinical trials underway dedicated fully to minority populations.7

Our retina community is stronger than ever, and through our work we can continue to identify barriers to care and train retina specialists who reflect our patient populations—and we know that diversity within health care teams leads to better problem-solving and improved health outcomes for underserved populations.2

This issue highlights all the hard work researchers and clinicians are putting in to understand the hurdles to DEI in our field and overcome them. The flagship article, You Belong: The Value of Mentorship in Retina, provides a discussion of mentoring in ophthalmology—not only how important it is, but also which organizations are making it a priority, who it is supporting, and how you can get involved. Another article, The Reality of Women in Retina, gives voice to the female leaders in our field who are blazing the trail for others to follow. Because so much work is underway to quantitatively understand the disparities in eye care, we thought it fitting to share a DEI Literature Review to pull together some of the research on DEI that has been published in the last year. Other articles focus on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and care in ophthalmology, DEI efforts in clinical trial enrollment, and discrimination within the ophthalmology workforce.

We have made a lot of progress, and focusing on the positives is what will get us through what feels like an insurmountable leap backward. Keep your chin up, support your colleagues and patients wherever you can, and remember that vision is a universal right for everyone.

– Avni P. Finn, MD, MBA, and Courtney Crawford, MD, FACS, FASRS

1. Montazeri F, Wang M, Atkuru A, Estrada MM, Liu YA, Emami-Naeini P. Racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in United States ophthalmology clinical trials. Ophthalmol Sci. 2023;4(1):100402.

2. Woreta FA, Gordon LK, Knight OJ, Randolph JD, Zebardast N, Pérez-González CE. Enhancing diversity in the ophthalmology workforce. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(10):e127-e136.

3. Maru JA, Wang J, Knight OJ, et al. Barriers in ophthalmology residency applications for students identifying as underrepresented in medicine: a San Francisco Match analysis. J Surg Educ. 2023;80(7):971-980.

4. Ali M, Menard M, Zafar S, Williams BK Jr, Knight OJ, Woreta FA. Sex and racial and ethnic diversity among ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship applicants. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023;141(10):948-954.

5. Nahar A, Mahmoudzadeh R, Rama M, et al. Authorship trends of women in retina: a 25-year analysis. Ophthalmol Retina. 2023;7(2):164-170.

6. Reeves MR, Pasricha MV, Ludwig CA, et al. Trends in leadership and award recognition among women in the American Society of Retina Specialists. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2021;6(5):374-380.

7. A study to investigate Faricimab treatment response in treatment-naive, underrepresented patients with diabetic macular edema (ELEVATUM). Accessed February 24, 2025. clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05224102