In mid-April 2026, UNC Professor of Ophthalmology Dr. Mohammad Soleimani, MD, FICO, represented the department proudly at the 2026 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
At this conference, Dr. Soleimani delivered two invited presentations — Infectious Keratitis Management and Ocular-Surface Regeneration Therapies for Eye Disorders — highlighting areas of growing clinical and translational importance within the field of Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease. Dr. Soleimani’s collaborative scholarly works were also featured in ASCRS oral, poster, and video presentations and reflected UNC Ophthalmology’s active engagement in surgical innovation, ocular surface research, and advanced corneal care. 
A DSAEK surgical technique developed by Dr. Soleimani – Posterior Segment Pressurization in Endothelial Keratoplasty – was selected as one of the Best Pearls in Cornea, in recognition of its practical value for corneal surgeons. Additionally, Dr. Soleimani was honored with the ASCRS 2026 Best Poster Award for Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Keratoconus Treatment, further demonstrating the quality and impact of research emerging from the department.