Her Vision, Her Legacy: Ophthalmologist Dr. Julia Haller

The Life and Leadership of a Luminary in Eye Care

In observation of this summer’s Cataract Awareness Month, we shine a spotlight on Dr. Julia A. Haller, MD, President of the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation from 2016-2022, and current Chief Executive Officer and Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at Wills Eye Hospital. As the first female chief resident at Johns Hopkins’s Wilmer Eye Institute and later the inaugural William Tasman Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital, Dr. Haller has transformed ophthalmology through her research, clinical excellence, and leadership. (The Ophthalmologist, 2024) Under her stewardship, the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation expanded its mission—establishing a digital “Hub of Knowledge” and capturing oral histories of trailblazing women in medicine.  Among the highlights of her presidency are the honors bestowed on the recipients of the Alma Dea Morani (ADM) Award the Foundation’s highest recognition. Among the winners are Jennifer Doudna, PhD, Nobel Prize-winning co-inventor of CRISPR gene-editing technology; and Margaret Hamburg, MD, former FDA commissioner. WIMLF is grateful for Dr. Haller’s leadership, vision and commitment to ensuring that women’s stories continue to educate and inspire future generations.

A Legacy comes into Focus

Dr. Julia Haller was born on November 10, 1954, to Alex and Emily Haller, both medical doctors. Hailing from a long line of health professionals, medicine was baked into her upbringing. Many of her forebearers were dentists, initially practicing in rural areas of Virginia. Her father, Dr. Alex Haller, after experiencing a frightening illness in childhood, was inspired to take a different path to become a medical doctor.  Leaving his rural Virginia town to attend Vanderbilt University, he got a deferral from the draft during WWII to attend medical school. (Haller, 2008) Julia’s mother, Dr. Emily Simms Haller, grew up in Huntsville, Alabama.  Showing early academic potential, she was admitted to Vanderbilt as one of the few female pre-med students at that time, entering after her junior year in high school.  Finishing her pre-med degree in less than 2 years in an accelerated wartime program, she went on to Vanderbilt medical school, graduating in 1947.  With a shared interest in Obstetrics, both of her parents became increasingly fascinated by the current research in fetal development and fetal pathology (Haller, 2008).

Despite skepticism in the larger surgical community that pediatric surgery would ever emerge as a distinct discipline (Haller, 2003), Dr. Alex Haller went on to become a pioneer in that nascent field and served as the Children's Surgeon-in-Charge at Johns Hopkins Hospital for over 30 years from 1964 to 1997, specializing in congenital chest wall deformities, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, and trauma care systems. He pioneered the nation’s first regional pediatric trauma center and launched one of the earliest U.S. pediatric surgery training programs at Hopkins (JHU Hub, 2018).  During his career, he worked closely with trailblazing women in pediatric surgery: Dr. Schnaufer and Dr. Taussig. (Haller, Ehrhart, 2006).  Dr. Julia Haller remembers her father, who died in 2018, as “brilliant and innovative, a supremely skilled cardiac surgeon, and a wonderful educator, mentor and parent,” (The Ophthalmologist, 2024).

Haller’s mother, despite taking every opportunity to further her medical career, was nonetheless subject to the systems, attitudes, and restrictions placed on women, and particularly mothers, at the time.  The minimal support women in medicine receive today was completely absent in the early 1950s, as her husband, Dr. Alex Haller recalled, she “…had already made up her mind that she was not going to practice anymore as long as the children were small. She said, ‘I can’t do two such important jobs well at the same time.’ I was very surprised, but she was right, and she was a great mother for those kids, growing up there, and totally supportive of me and my work” (Haller, 2008).  After 21 years of managing the home and family and being the primary caregiver for their 4 children, Dr. Emily Haller returned to John’s Hopkins as an intern and resident, eventually building a very successful high risk ObGyn practice.  In a 1979 New York Times newspaper article exposing the challenges women face in the medical profession, Julia’s mother recalls the changes that occurred at home when she returned to work, “‘My husband learned to operate the vacuum cleaner, clean horse stalls and write checks,” she said, smiling, “and we got acquainted with Wendy's and Shakey's and other fast‐food places on the way home.’” (Klemesrud, J., 1979).

The First Glimpse

Julia, the oldest child with 3 siblings close to her in age, spent the majority of her childhood in Maryland.  She attended the all-girls Bryn Mawr School, excelling in academics, spending her weekends riding her horse, attending Sunday church services with her family, and enjoying her summers at a girls’ camp in North Carolina. Although she occasionally accompanied her father on his medical rounds, she did not feel she was destined to become a doctor (Dribben, 2015).  Her parents, however, displayed the joy and sense of accomplishment that they experienced from helping patients and working with colleagues who became friends, which would leave a lasting positive impression of the medical profession on young Julia (Wills Eye Hospital, n.d.).   As her high school years came to a close, inspired by her parents’ pioneering spirit, Julia enrolled at Princeton University the first year that all four classes included female students admitted as freshmen. (Ophthalmology Times, 2008) Gravitating toward French, Greek and Latin, Dr. Haller wrote for the college newspaper, played field hockey and lacrosse, and majored in Philosophy (Dribben, 2015), earning an A.B degree magna cum laude.

She continued on to Harvard Medical School, with a subsequent residency and retina fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John’s Hopkins. Through perseverance and dedication, Haller would go on to become the first female chief resident at the Wilmer Eye Institute in 1986 and later the first woman appointed as Ophthalmologist-in-Chief and William Tasman, MD Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital (Wills Eye Hospital, n.d.) in 2007, and later Chief Executive Officer in 2025.

Seeing Beyond Barriers

As her marriage to her college sweetheart was ending, Dr. Haller, then a parent to a 2-year-old, met Dr. John Gottsch, a cornea specialist with two children.  Together they would raise 5 children, experiencing the challenges of parenting while simultaneously managing very successful careers.   Dr. Haller recognizes the challenges women face in the medical field, pointing to mentors, family members, spouses and parents who have provided essential support. Julia also credits a hospital culture of supporting families which has allowed her to manage these challenges (Dribben, 2015).  Acknowledging the challenges of self-care and work-life balance, Dr Haller offers:

“We have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of our families and our patients. So, build time for sleep and exercise. Make friends and put time into keeping them. And above all, don't take yourself too seriously and keep your sense of humor — laughing loud and long with friends is the best antidote to burnout!” (Mott, 2018)

Part of a multi-generational line of women doctors, Dr. Haller has observed and experienced firsthand the progress, and remaining obstacles, to true equality for women in the medical field.  Believing in the necessity of diversity in leadership and the true loss to organizations in its absence, Dr Haller points out, 

“Although there are more women in ophthalmology, we are still not well represented in leadership roles...It is important for women involved in our field to mentor other women and perhaps address some of the subtle discouragements that may keep women from seeking leadership roles.” (Boyer, 2008). 

“My best mentors have been my colleagues....They pushed me to take jobs and assume roles that allowed me to flourish and advance” (Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation, 2017).

Dr. Haller also notes, “...there seem to be cultural factors that keep women from clearly expressing their interest in leadership opportunities and going after them aggressively...We have a lot of cultural "reprogramming" that we need to do, among our other challenges.” (Boyer, 2008).

“When I was at Hopkins there was a leadership role that I was interested in, and I learned a great lesson from the process of not getting it. I learned my typically female approach to advancement—of working hard, being modest, and waiting for someone to notice it—was not effective. I had to raise my hand and be recognized—and I didn’t do it. The next time I had an opportunity, I was proactive. I went after it.” (Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation, 2017)

A Vision Fully Realized

One of the world’s most renowned retina surgeons, Dr. Haller has received innumerable awards, published over 400 scientific articles and book chapters, with research interests in retinal pharmacology, macular surgery, venous occlusive disease, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, complicated retinal detachments, health care disparities, and gender equity. (Wills Eye Hospital, n.d.) In 2019, Dr Haller was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, it recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. (Wills Eye Hospital, n.d.). She went on to chair Section 6 of the National Academy of Medicine.

An outstanding leader, researcher, and physician, Dr. Julia Haller has dedicated her career to the well-being of those threatened with one of the most disabling conditions—the loss of sight. As we observe Cataract Awareness Month this summer, we not only underscore the importance of preserving vision but also honor the physicians, like Dr. Haller, whose unwavering commitment has advanced eye health and laid the foundation for safeguarding one of our most vital senses.

References and for further reading:

Boyer, D. (2008, May). 5 questions with Julia Haller, MD. Retina Today. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://retinatoday.com/articles/2008-may/0508_22-php

Dribben, M. (2015, May 24). Changing the optics of success. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.inquirer.com/news/inq/changing-optics-success-20150701.html

Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine, College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Haller, J., & Mindy Ehrhart. (2006, October 19). J. Alex Haller, Jr. full oral history transcript, Louise Schnaufer Oral History Project [Document]. Retrieved from https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/13409

Haller J. A., Jr (2003). Why pediatric surgery? A personal journey through the first 50 years. Annals of surgery, 237(5), 597–606. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.SLA.0000064563.41539.B2

Haller, J. A. Jr. (2008, April 3). Pediatric History Center Oral History Project [Interview by K. Newman]. American Academy of Pediatrics.  https://web.archive.org/web/20180627144405/https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/Pediatric-History-Center/Documents/Haller.pdf

Haller Gottsch ’76 Profile – Julia A. Haller. (2009). Princeton University. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.princeton.edu/~alco/CTNAT/2009/gottsch.html

Johns Hopkins University. (2018, June 18). Alex Haller, pioneer of pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins, dies at 91. JHU Hub. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://hub.jhu.edu/2018/06/18/alex-haller-pediatric-surgery-obituary/

Klemesrud, J. (1979, October 12). Female doctors assess the problems of their profession. The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/12/archives/female-doctors-assess-the-problems-of-their-profession-a-sign-of.html

Mott, M. (2018, December 6). 4 career‑boosting tips from 2018 EnergEYES awardee Julia A. Haller, MD. American Academy of Ophthalmology: Young Ophthalmologists Info. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.aao.org/young-ophthalmologists/yo-info/article/4-career-boosting-tips-from-julia-haller

Ophthalmology Times. (2008, January 1). Dr. Haller new leader at Wills Eye, Jefferson. Ophthalmology Times. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/dr-haller-new-leader-wills-eye-jefferson

Retina Round Up team. (2022, March 27). VBS 2022 – Dr. Julia Haller – Lifetime Mentorship Award. Retina Round Up. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://retinaroundup.com/2022/03/27/vbs-2022-dr-julia-haller-lifetime-mentorship-award/

The Ophthalmologist. (2024). Julia A. Haller. In Power List Hall of Fame. The Ophthalmologist. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://powerlist.theophthalmologist.com/julia-a-hallerjul

Wills Eye Hospital. (n.d.). Julia A. Haller, MD – Ophthalmologist‑in‑Chief. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.willseye.org/doctor/julia-haller-md/

Wills Eye Hospital. (2025, July 17). Julia A. Haller, MD, named CEO of Wills Eye Hospital [Press release]. Wills Eye Hospital. https://www.willseye.org/press-release/julia-a-haller-md-named-ceo-of-wills-eye-hospital/

Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. (2017, October 3). 20 years, 20 leaders: Dr. Julia Haller. Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. Retrieved July 9, 2025, from https://www.wimlf.org/blog/20-years-20-leaders-dr-julia-haller

Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. (2018, June 18). Taking a calm and informal approach to leadership. https://www.wimlf.org/blog/taking-a-calm-and-informal-approach-to-leadership.

Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. (2020, March 17). Helen B. Taussig, MD: A pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease. The Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.wimlf.org/blog/helen-b-taussig-md