Meet the Team | Woodward Lab
Meet Dr. Woodward
The Woodward Lab aims to dramatically extend high-quality, affordable eye care to underserved communities nationally and globally.
Maria Anneke Woodward, MD, MS
Alan Sugar M.D. Research Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Section Head, Cornea, Medical School
Dr. Maria (Mia) Woodward is a cornea specialist and a tenured Professor at the University of Michigan. She is the section lead for the Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive service at the University of Michigan. She is on the board of The Cornea Society, leads the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Task Force on Ophthalmology and Community Health Centers and the AAO Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Grant Award committee and serves on the AAO’s Health Policy Committee and the Cornea Society board. She leads a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, engineers, and data scientists. Her group has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and been awarded grants for her research applying low-cost technologies and novel care models to address problems of the anterior eye to improve patient outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations.
August 2025
2022
Dr. Woodward (second from the left) being recognized in 2022 by the AAO for her completion of the Leadership Development Program.
Honors and Awards
2022-23, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Deputy Section Lead
2022, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Senior Achievement Award
2020-22, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Leadership Development Program
2021, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Secretariat Award
2018 & 2021, Token of Appreciation from Medical Students (TAMS) Award
2019-20, Health Policy Leadership Development Fellowship recipient, Cornea Society
2017-18, ARVO Leadership Development Program for Women, mentor Anne Coleman
2017, Colleen Conway Grace MD Lectureship, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland
2017, Biomedical Innovation Cup, winner – Cellscope Retina, University of Michigan
2015, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Achievement Award
2013, Bartley R. Frueh Surgical Teaching Award. University of Michigan
2010, Best Paper of Session: Ocular Response Analyzer Evaluation After Collagen Crosslinking for Corneal Ectasia. American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Boston, MA.
2009, Best Paper of Session: Patient Dissatisfaction with Multifocal Intraocular Lenses. American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. San Francisco, CA.
2007, Chief Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University
2007, AMO Residency Writers Award Program: Second Place Prize.
2004, Alvin Behrens Memorial Fund Award: Outstanding Graduate Entering Ophthalmology, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University
