Heed-Gutman Award Recipient Announced for 2025

The 2025 Heed-Gutman Award was presented on October 18, 2025 to Dr. Jennifer I. Lim.

2025 Heed-Gutman Award - Jennifer I. Lim, MD

Dr. Jennifer I. Lim serves as the Marion H Schenk Esq. Chair in Ophthalmology for Research in the Aging Eye at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where she is a UIC Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Chair for Diversity & Inclusion and Director of the Retina Service. She received her MD with Distinction from Northwestern University (Six-Years Honors Program in Medical Education), where she was AOA and received the Dean’s AOA Student Research Award and the Julius Conn Memorial Award. She completed residency at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, receiving the Resident Research Award and the American College of Surgeons Resident Competition Chicago Chapter Keeshin Prize. She completed medical and surgical retina fellowships at Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital as a Heed Fellow and Heed Knapp Fellow. She then joined the faculty of Emory University as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and was later recruited to Doheny Eye Institute of University of Southern California (USC) as an Associate Professor. She was tenured and then promoted to Professor of Ophthalmolgy. In 2007, she was recruited to UIC.

Her research interests include clinical trials (all phases), translational research, AI and retinal imaging for which she has a R01 NIH grant (Co-PI on "Differential artery-vein analysis in OCT angiography for objective classification of diabetic retinopathy".)  She has received research funding from the National Eye Institute, Macula Society Research Fund, American Cancer Society, and numerous industry grants (clinical trials and Investigator Initiated Studies). She has been principal investigator in more than 60 clinical trials. She has served and currently served on Planning/Executive Committees, Steering Committees as well as Data and Monitoring Committees.

Currently, her leadership positions include President of The Retina Society, Associate Editor for JAMA Ophthalmology, EyeWiki Deputy Editor-in-Chief and will become the Editor-in-Chief in 2026, IOVS Editorial Board member and AOA UIC Medical School Councilor. She is a former President of several ophthalmic organizations, including Women in Ophthalmology (WIO), Chinese American Ophthalmology Society (CAOS) and Chicago Ophthalmological Society. She is a former Chair of Women in Retina (WinR) and former UIC Faculty Senator. She co-founded Women in Retina.

Dr. Lim has received the AAO Life Achievement Honor Award, AAO Secretariat Award, ASRS Senior Honor Award, Women in Ophthalmology (WIO) Suzanne-Veronneau Troutman Award, ARVO Silver & Gold Fellow Awards, the Paul Henkind Memorial Award from Macula Society, Women in Ophthalmology (WIO) Scientific Contribution Award, Chinese American Ophthalmology Pioneer Award and Service awards, NEOS Taylor Smith Medal, Donald M. Gass MD Beacon of Sight Award, USC teaching awards, ASRS Retina Hall of Fame, UIC Departmental Faculty of the Year Award, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts HS Hall of Honor Award, inaugural UIC Distinguished Sweeney Lecturer, Chicago Super Docs, Best Doctors, & Top Doctors. She has authored over 375 articles, 30 book chapters and several books including Age-Related Macular Degeneration (now in the Third Edition) and Case Studies in Medical Retina: A Diagnostic Approach (2024). 

She enjoys caring for patients, research, teaching and mentoring students, residents and fellows. In her spare time, she enjoys music (piano and recently started violin lessons), spending time with family & friends, photography (creates photo books), reading (founded her book club in 2014) and running.