Sharon Soloman

Sharon D. Solomon is an American professor, retinal (eye) surgeon and doctor of ophthalmology. Her work has focused on retinal disease and ophthalmology education, research and lectures, while a practicing physician at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Wilmer Eye Institute.

In 2022, Solomon was inducted into the Indispensable Role of Blacks at Johns Hopkins for contributions, given the title of Role Model for Academic Medicine. In 2019, Solomon was promoted to Full Professor at the Wilmer Eye Institute; sources describe her as the first African-American to hold that position. As of its centennial year (2026), Solomon remained the only black full professor at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. For this accomplishment, she was awarded citations on the House and Senate floors at the Maryland State House in Annapolis - one from Gov. Larry Hogan and another from the Maryland General Assembly (2022). Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam introduced Solomon at the ceremony, recognizing her for her work as a professor, surgeon, for chairing international ophthalmology committees, serving on the editorial board of major journals in her field, and presenting and publishing her research internationally. 

Early Life & Education

A first-generation American-born citizen, Solomon was born (March 22, 1970) in Brooklyn, New York to Monica and Edmond Solomon, originally of Grenada (Carribean Islands). She is the eldest of two girls and comes from a 2-parent home. At an early age she said she knew she would be a doctor after being intrigued by a television show called "The Body Human".

After graduating from Morristown-Beard high school in New Jersey as valedictorian (1988), she began college as a Harvard University undergrad majoring in Biochemical Sciences. She graduated in 1992, Cum Laude, and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. Her Medical Education began at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine where she obtained her M.D. in 1996, with honors. After a Residency at the same school, Solomon became board certified in Ophthalmology by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 2001. A year later, she completed a Fellowship in Retina studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2002).

Career

Since 2006, Solomon has worked at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, first as an assistant professor and later as a full professor (2018). She received an endowed chair, the Katherine M. Graham Professorship, as an assistant professor. Wilmer now has a “Rising Chair” program to honor junior faculty nominees.

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Doctor Solomon's speaking engagements include regional, national and international talks. She appeared 10 times in a series "A Woman's Journey", mainly hosted in Baltimore, MD and one in West Palm Beach, FL. Internationally, she has been a speaker at eight conferences since 1999 including organizations in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil, Taiwan and France. She was the keynote speaker for the Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital in 2016 with a topic under the umbrella of diabetic retinopathy.

Solomon served as a panelist at the XIV International Congress of the Argentina Retina Society, in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2018); and for "Retina Case Discussions" at the Congress of Ophthalmology, University São Paulo, in São Paulo, Brazil (2019). In 2021 she was invited back to the International Congress of the Argentine Society of Retina as a speaker for "Interviews with Experts," which was held virtually during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Since 2016, Solomon sits on the Editorial Board for Ophthalmology and the Inaugural Editorial Board for Ophthalmology Retina for the American Academy of Ophthalmology as a contributing editor. She conducts (medical) journal peer reviews for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

She received the Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, three times (2017, 2022, 2024) as an individual contributor; and in 2023 as co-chair of the Task Force on Disparities in Eye Care.

Research & Case Studies

In a research project under the umbrella of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, Solomon conducts a clinical trial under this organization, outside of diabetes. The study, to which Solomon is the Protocol Chair and National Principal Investigator, began in 2020 and is slated to end December 2026, is entitled Vitreous Proteomics In Eyes with a Macular Hole.

Concurrently Solomon participates in another case study, Randomized Trial Comparing Immediate versus Deferred Surgery for Symptomatic Epiretinal Membranes, as a contributing member. This and other case studies and publications involving her work can be found at pubmed online.

Professional Organizations and Memberships

Organization	Role	Year
Alpha Omega Alpha	Member	1995 to present
American Academy of Ophthalmology	Chair, Annual Meeting Program Committee-Retina	1997 to present
Cordes Society, University of California, San Francisco	Member	1997 to present
Society of Heed Fellows	Member	2000 to present
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	Member	2004 to present
American Society of Retina Specialists	Member	2005 to present
Macula Society	Member Executive Committee	2007 to present 2018 to present
Retina Society	Member	2009 to present
Women In Ophthalmology	Member	2010 to present
Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MSEPS)	Member Board of Directors Co-chair, Scientific Program Committee	2013 to present 2013-2017 2013-2017
National Medical Association	Member	2013 to present
Caduceus Club, Johns Hopkins	Member	2024 to present

Features and Published Works

CNN

Solomon was interviewed on CNN (2009) discussing macular degeneration and the retina as its affected by age and diabetes. In this interview she explained there are two types of age-related macular degeneration and that injectable (into the eye) treatments are available to slow and prevent vision loss in patients with this eye disease. She discussed the use of certain vitamins in relation to disease risk and reduction.

WebMD

In a 2023 WebMD article, "An Expert’s Perspective: Geographic Atrophy," she discussed geographic atrophy and its symptoms. Solomon also mentions how to help caretakers and family members understand the illness.

A Woman's journey: Healthy Insights That Matter

During an interview for a Johns Hopkins University podcast, "A Woman's journey: Healthy Insights That Matter" under the topic of The Aging Eye, Solomon discussed age-related eye diseases, diabetes in relation to blindness, and genetic predisposition. She said treatment for the eye has advanced and patients who continue monthly treatments from an ophthalmologist often maintain 20/20 vision.

She answered questioned about eye drops, vitamin supplements, Lasik and other surgical procedures. Solomon then debunked the myth that the eye stays the same size from birth to death - "the eye grows just as the body grows," she said.

The Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes

Episode 27: A Patient Story About Diabetic Retinopathy

An episode of the Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes podcast features a three-way discussion between Solomon, Derrell (a patient), and the interviewing endocrinologist. The interview provides a recorded session of a candid discussion between a diabetic patient and an ophthalmologist.

Solomon also spoke on the science behind diabetes causing blindness; and, how an ophthalmology exam differs from a common eye exam, and the importance of ophthalmology when caring for individuals with diseases.

Journals

Solomon has journal articles in the archives at the American Academy of Ophthalmology. To view much of the articles and journal contributions, one must be a member in good standing. Search results for Sharon Solomon on the site show contributions in the field of retina, however, one of her writings, available free and online, discussed disparities in eye care for minority populations.

According to Johns Hopkins profile on Solomon, she contributed to 50 articles, 10 conferences, 7 chapters, 4 editorials, 4 reviewed articles, 3 letters and 2 debates.

References

This article "Sharon Soloman" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Sharon Soloman. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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