Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD

Shlomit Schaal, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is a clinician-scientist specializing in the cutting-edge medical and surgical treatment of complex vitreoretinal diseases. She earned her undergraduate, medical and doctoral degrees from Technion Institute of Technology in Israel, graduating as the valedictorian of both her undergraduate and medical school classes, before going on to an ophthalmology residency at Israel’s Rambam Medical Center and fellowships in Vitreoretinal Research and Vitreoretinal Surgery at the University of Louisville.  She served on the faculty of the University of Louisville as the Director of Retina, and the Director of Vitreo-Retinal Fellowship, before being appointed as the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Massachusetts. Her research focuses on visionary translational projects in collaboration with bioengineers. She is the inventor of several US patents, of which some have been licensed and commercialized. Recently, her team developed a novel automatic algorithm for the early detection of subtle changes in the retina of diabetic patients.
Dr. Schaal has published extensively in the area of vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery. She serves on the editorial board of the journal “Retina”. Dr. Schaal is dedicated to enhancing the teaching and education of the next generation of ophthalmologists-clinician-scientists, and therefore actively serves on the Program Committees of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS), and the Translational Science Working Group (ARVO). Dr. Schaal also currently serves as the Chair of the Professional Development and Education Committee for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and as the Inaugural Chair of the Website & Communication Committee of the Retina Society. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, book chapters, and served as the editor of the textbook “Cystoid Macular Edema – Medical and Surgical Management” (Springer). Dr. Schaal has received numerous awards for academic excellence, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, The American Society of Retina Specialists Senior Honor Award, the MOSAIC Award, The American Medical Association (AMA) Inspirational Physician Award, and the ARVO/Alcon Clinician-Scientist Research Award. 
Dr. Schaal is a competitive swimmer, and enjoys hiking, biking, running, theatre, poetry, and reading. She is married and is a mother of four.