Eichenbaum Acorns: Paying it forward with Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish translation for acorn tree, and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding.

In this episode of Eichenbaum Acorns, Eichenbaum speaks with Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, about her career path, mentorship, education, and evolving clinical research in retina. Weng—professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology, and fellowship program director, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas—reflects on joining Baylor straight out of fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, and building her career there over more than a decade.

Fun fact! Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, is also host of The Retina TL;DR, powered by Modern Retina. Check out these episodes!

Early in the conversation, Eichenbaum notes the uniqueness of her division, recalling that it was “a hundred percent female” when he first encountered it. Weng responds that the gender composition of her group has remained distinct, explaining that “we’ve always had more female retina specialists than male retina specialists,” which she describes as “absolutely an anomaly” in surgical retina.

Mentorship, sponsorship, and career development

A central theme is the role of mentorship and environment in shaping careers. Weng emphasizes that “it’s so important to think about who you're surrounding yourself with,” noting that exposure to strong role models—both in retina and beyond—shapes professional development.

The discussion also distinguishes mentorship from sponsorship. Weng explains mentorship as direct guidance—“if you’ve got any questions, you can call me up anytime”—while sponsorship involves advocacy and opportunity creation: “you’re really actively opening doors for others.” She highlights the importance of both, noting that “it just takes one door that opens, and then you deliver excellence… and suddenly 100 doors are open for you.”

Medical education and evolving learning styles

On education, Weng describes a shift toward more digital and short-form learning, including podcasts that provide “little nuggets… of information.” Eichenbaum adds that while this format supports modern learning styles, it may make it harder to identify highly driven trainees. Weng agrees that the field is moving toward case-based, discussion-driven education.

The episode concludes with Weng discussing her role as protocol chair for the DRCR Retina Network’s Protocol AO study, describing it as “a really, really exciting clinical trial” evaluating home OCT–guided management versus treat-and-extend regimens in wet macular degeneration.