Lauren Kiryakoza, MD
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, FL
Hailey Robles-Holmes, MD
Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center, Columbia, MD
Prashant Tailor, MD
Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA
VBS Mentorship Award: Celebrating Dr. Nina Berrocal
One of the most memorable moments of VBS was honoring Dr. Nina Berrocal with the Mentorship Award. It is difficult to describe the energy in the room during her interview with Drs. Rachitskaya and Kitchens. Dr. Berrocal began, as usual, by celebrating others. She reflected on her childhood and her close relationship with her family.
She described her father as a fun, creative retina specialist who trained at Bascom Palmer with Dr. Edward Norton. Her mother, now 90, is a multi-talented woman who mastered everything from medical office finances to ophthalmic photography. Her parents instilled values of education, perseverance, and even a little competitiveness, as evidenced by her sibling’s competitive chess playing. Dr. Berrocal then described her late older brother, an intelligent man who went on to become a lawyer. He positively influenced her by encouraging her to apply to strong universities when college came around. Dr. Berrocal was the quintessential little sister to Dr. Maria Berrocal, her older sister and also a world-renowned retinal specialist. She looked to her for life advice and relied on her to sign school forms she knew mother wouldn’t approve of. Dr. Maria Berrocal has a profoundly positive influence on both her personal and professional life. The two sisters share a passion for their patients and Dr. Berrocal describes frequently calling each other to discuss the latest retina topics. Knowing Dr. Berrocal is not complete until you meet the family of her own. She met her husband during medical school rotations, and they raised three children. Her oldest daughter studied at the Cordon Bleu and is pursuing graduate education. Her son and youngest daughter are in college, each forging their own unique paths. She smiles when she talks about them.
Dr. Berrocal’s professional journey is remarkable. One look at her CV will confirm this. From her melanoma research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear to residency at Tufts, each experience and mentor profoundly impacted her career. Her fellowship at Bascom Palmer, under Dr. Tim Murray’s mentorship, sparked her pediatric retina and ROP journey. She would go on to lead the Jackson Memorial Hospital NICU for decades. It is not uncommon to see her now-adult patients requesting a photo with her in clinic, recreating a pose from when they were children. She is a worldwide leader in ROP, having participated in the evolution of its diagnosis and management, from cryotherapy to anti-VEGF. She has authored seminal works, including research on widefield imaging in pediatric retinal vascular disease.
Perhaps most importantly, however, Dr. Berrocal’s commitment to mentorship defines her legacy. She has trained countless surgical fellows at Bascom Palmer and supported numerous international and national research fellows and students. She is known for offering wisdom that extends beyond retina. Her influence is felt widely, and we look forward to what’s next in her astounding career. Congratulations!
