Dr. Mohamad Jaafar Named First Weinstein Professor of Ophthalmology

On June 30, Dr. Mohamad Jaafar was installed as the Dorothy, Jay, Kara, and Mark Weinstein Professor of Ophthalmology, which will allow him to build on his groundbreaking work to advance children's eye health locally, nationally, and internationally.

In accepting the honor, Dr. Jaafar said, "I offer my whole-hearted thanks to Dorothy, Jay, Kara, and Mark Weinstein. Your generosity, foresight, and deep commitment to improving pediatric eye care in our region have made this endowed Ophthalmology professorship, the first of its kind in Washington, DC, a reality. Through this professorship, I will uphold Children's National's status as the world leader in pediatric ophthalmology, continuing medical education, and resident and fellowship training."

Dr. Jaafar is chief of the Division of Ophthalmology at Children's National, which is considered the birthplace of pediatric ophthalmology and one of the top training programs in the country. He is a sought-after clinician, teacher, and speaker and an internationally recognized authority in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. He is the author of numerous scientific papers, abstracts, editorials, and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of a number of ophthalmology peer-reviewed journals. 

In 1983, as the first pediatric ophthalmologist to practice in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Jaafar established the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Service at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. He joined the Division of Ophthalmology at Children’s National in 1986 and has overseen it for 30 years. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus among memberships in many other national and international professional societies and associations. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and the Children’s Eye Foundation. 

Professorships allow Children's National to attract and retain top minds and advance their groundbreaking work in pediatrics. The Weinstein Professorship is the 25^th professorship to be dedicated at Children’s National.