We are delighted to announce Dr Hashem Abu Serhan as a touchOPHTHALMOLOGY Future Leader 2026, selected by peers as one of the ophthalmologists changing the future of eye care.
Dr Hashem Abu Serhan works in the Department of Ophthalmology at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar. He serves as a peer reviewer for more than 20 international journals and is an Associate Editor for three journals, including Eye Open. With over 200 peer-reviewed publications, he is deeply committed to advancing ophthalmic research and education, and also runs a dedicated YouTube channel focused on training and research in ophthalmology.
In this Future Leaders interview, Dr Abu Serhan shares the inspirations behind his career, reflects on the mentors who influenced his path and discusses what excites him most about the future of the specialty.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in ophthalmology?
I was drawn to ophthalmology for the way it brings together science, surgical precision, and the very real impact of helping someone see better. Moments in this field where we witness meaningful improvement in a patient’s vision through either surgery or timely medical care, continue to feel extraordinary.
Within ophthalmology, the retina captured my curiosity and passion early in training. The depth of diagnostic thinking, the beauty of retinal imaging, and the rapidly changing treatment landscape fascinated me. Managing chronic retinal diseases also creates a unique continuity of care, allowing us to walk with the patients throughout their visual journeys rather than meeting them only in brief clinical moments.
Ophthalmology constantly challenges you to grow, adapt, and keep learning, and this sense of ongoing evolution continues to motivate me every day- in clinic, in surgery, in teaching, and in research.
“The potential to combine human expertise with robotic assistance opens entirely new possibilities for safer, more consistent, and minimally invasive interventions, and I hope my work helps lay the foundation for the future of ophthalmic robotics.”
Q: Who has been the most significant mentor or role model for you, and what did you learn from them?
I have been fortunate to learn from incredible mentors who have shaped both my career and my approach to ophthalmology. Dr Huda Almahdi, the program director of ophthalmology at Hamad Medical Corporation, was a guiding force during my residency. She treated us like her own family, offering unwavering support, continuous teaching, and standing firmly behind us in every challenge. Her mentorship instilled in me the importance of compassion, dedication, and leading by example.
Dr Uday Devgan, founder of CataractCoach.com, taught me the power of passionate, lifelong learning and resilience. His words: ‘Luck is not just a chance; luck is created. The harder you work, the luckier you get,’ and ‘It’s the horse, not the track, that wins the race. Compete with yourself, not with others’, have become guiding principles in my career. Inspired by his dedication to education, I authored the CataractCoach book and had the honor of being featured on his platform, which continues to motivate me to share knowledge and mentor others.
Finally, Dr Robert H Osher has profoundly influenced my thinking by challenging traditional beliefs and encouraging innovative approaches. Through his guidance and his book: The Real ABCs—Achievement, Balance, Contentment, I learned to pursue excellence while maintaining balance and perspective, and to embrace new concepts that advance both patient care and the field of ophthalmology.
Q: What current innovations in ophthalmology excite you the most?
What excites me most in ophthalmology today is the integration of robotics into eye surgery. I was fortunate to publish the first-ever book on this topic, Robotic-Assisted Eye Surgery: Advances, Challenges, and Breakthroughs, with the global publisher Taylor & Francis. Robotics represent a transformative step forward; they enhance surgical precision, improve procedural quality, and increase efficiency. The potential to combine human expertise with robotic assistance opens entirely new possibilities for safer, more consistent, and minimally invasive interventions, and I hope my work helps lay the foundation for the future of ophthalmic robotics.
Disclosures: This short article was prepared by touchOPHTHALMOLOGY in collaboration with Dr Abu Serhan. No fees or funding were associated with its publication.
Citation: Dr Hashem Abu Serhan on Shaping the Robotic Future of Ophthalmology: touchOPHTHALMOLOGY Future Leaders 2026. touchOPHTHALMOLOGY. 11 March 2026.
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