Management Team
Nadia K. Waheed, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Waheed brings almost 20 years of experience in ophthalmology and leadership to Ocular through her work as a retinal surgeon, scientist, clinical researcher and Board Member in academic and research settings. She has a proven track record in clinical development and as a CMO, with experience in all phases of development including clinical trial design and analysis and regulatory interactions.
Most recently, Dr Waheed served as Chief Medical and Development Officer at Beacon Therapeutics, focused on serious diseases of the eye that cause vision loss and blindness. Prior to her time at Beacon, Dr. Waheed served as Chief Medical Officer, Head of Clinical Development at Gyroscope Therapeutics and played an instrumental role in the company’s acquisition by Novartis AG. Previously, Dr. Waheed was Director of the Boston Image Reading Center and Consultant at the New England Eye Center, Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. Dr. Waheed is currently Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University Medical School and is maintaining her appointment at the New England Eye Center, one day per week.
Dr. Waheed serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Boston Image Reading Center, including work on two board committees, as well as the boards of iOlyx Pharmaceuticals and Bionic Sight LLC. Before joining industry, Dr. Waheed held academic appointments in Ophthalmology at leading institutions including the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Shifa College of Medicine and Tufts University Medical School and New England Eye Center at Tufts Medical Center.
Dr. Waheed has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored and edited three books in Ophthalmology and contributed to several more. She has participated as a principal investigator or co-investigator in many clinical trials and laboratory investigations. Her research interests include diseases of the retina, including wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy, ocular imaging, as well as clinical trial design and analysis.
Dr. Waheed received her medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical School, Pakistan, summa cum Laude, a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She trained at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Program in Ophthalmology and completed a fellowship in retina at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. Over the course of her academic career, Dr. Waheed also established the Retina Unit at the Shifa Hospital. She has received numerous awards including the Young Investigator Award from the Macula Society in 2020, the Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2016, and the Teaching Fellow of the Year Award from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 2006.