Insights From the 2026 Cogan Award Lecture at ARVO

Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, and Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, discussed how large data sets and artificial intelligence are reshaping precision health and ophthalmic research.

Cecilia S. Lee Aaron Y. Lee Cecilia S. Lee Aaron Y. Lee

Retinal Physician May 8, 2026

5 Key Takeaways

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Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, and Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, presented the Cogan Award Lecture at the 2026 ARVO meeting.
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The Cogan Award honors young researchers for significant contributions to ophthalmology and visual science.
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The speakers highlighted the transition from paper charts to digital data and AI in ophthalmic research.
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Their journey included working with large data sets, including the IRIS Registry and AI-READI.
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The lecture emphasized gratitude towards mentors who influenced their careers in ophthalmology.

Cecilia S. Lee

Jane Hardesty Poole Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Affiliations: Washington University in St. Louis

Specialties: Ophthalmology and visual science

Bio: Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, is the Jane Hardesty Poole Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her work focuses on ophthalmology, visual science, and the use of large data sets and artificial intelligence in precision health and ophthalmic research. At ARVO 2026, Dr. Lee co-presented the Cogan Award Lecture with Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, discussing the evolution of data science in ophthalmology and the shift from paper-based clinical records to digital-era research enabled by artificial intelligence.

Aaron Y. Lee

Specialties: Ophthalmology; diabetic eye research and artificial intelligence

Bio: Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, writes on ophthalmology research at the intersection of retinal imaging, type 2 diabetes, and artificial intelligence. His Retinal Physician article discusses the AI-READI project, an NIH-supported Bridge2AI effort to develop a multimodal, artificial intelligence-ready dataset for diabetes research.

Cecilia S. Lee

Jane Hardesty Poole Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

Affiliations: Washington University in St. Louis

Specialties: Ophthalmology and visual science

Bio: Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, is the Jane Hardesty Poole Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her work focuses on ophthalmology and vision science, including the use of large data sets and artificial intelligence to advance precision health and ophthalmic research. At ARVO 2026, Dr. Lee and Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, presented the Cogan Award Lecture, discussing the evolution of data science in ophthalmology and the transition from paper-based clinical records to modern digital research approaches.

Aaron Y. Lee

Department Chair, Department of Ophthalmology

Affiliations: Washington University in St. Louis

Specialties: Ophthalmology

Bio: Aaron Y. Lee, MD, MSCI, is the department chair for the Department of Ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis. His work and commentary focus on ophthalmology and vision science, including the role of large data sets, data science, artificial intelligence, and precision health in ophthalmic research. At ARVO 2026, he and Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, discussed the evolution of research in ophthalmology, highlighting the field’s transition from paper-chart-based studies to a digital era shaped by artificial intelligence and large-scale clinical data.

PentaVision

Retinal Physician

Insights From the 2026 Cogan Award Lecture at ARVO

5 Key Takeaways

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