Sharon Freedman

Affiliation

Duke University Medical Center

Biography

Sharon Freedman was born and raised in Durham, NC. After graduating summa cum laude from Duke University as a chemistry major in 1981, she earned her MD from Harvard Medical School in 1985. There she met her classmate, Neil, who became her best friend and then her husband. She completed ophthalmology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Pediatric Ophthalmology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Freedman then returned to her home in Durham, NC, where she completed clinical and research fellowships in Glaucoma at Duke University Medical Center. Beginning her academic career on the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1992, she joined the Duke Eye Center faculty in 1995, where she is tenured Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, Chief of the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Division, and Fellowship Director. Dr. Freedman enjoys all aspects of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, but has a special interest in childhood glaucoma and cataracts, and retinopathy of prematurity. She greatly enjoys mentoring clinical fellows, residents, and medical students, and collaborating with faculty colleagues. She has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, as well as participating in >75 group publications from her involvement in multicenter clinical trials (such as IATS and PEDIG); she has authored or co-authored >30 book chapters, and co-edited several books. Dr. Freedman has delivered numerous lectures nationally and internationally, and has led or participated in more than 75 courses at national and international meetings. She was privileged to participate as site PI for several pivotal trials including ETROP and IATS, and was a co-investigator on several NIH studies involving gene discovery in primary congenital glaucoma, and OCT in premature neonates. Dr. Freedman has been active in AAPOS, serving as Program Committee Chair, Member-at-Large on the Board of Directors, and President. She chaired the Subspecialty Task force and served on several AAPOS committees. AAPOS has awarded her its Honor, Senior Honor, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. She has participated in AAO as well, earning Achievement and Senior Achievement Awards. Dr. Freedman serves as ad hoc reviewer for many journals, and served two terms on the Editorial Board of JAAPOS. She has been a long-time member of AGS, and has enjoyed participating in meetings and activities. For her dedication to excellence in teaching, she was awarded the Golden Globe Award. For her dedication to patients, she was awarded the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Sharon and Neil Freedman have two children. Rebecca, an ophthalmology fellow at Wills, will soon return on faculty at Emory in Atlanta with her husband, Thomas, and their two beautiful children. Benjamin lives in Boston, where he is a medicine hospitalist at Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center. Neil Freedman, a clinician-scientist in Cardiology, is a tenured professor at Duke. In her spare time, Dr. Freedman loves to bake, be a “Bubbie” (grandma), travel with family, and work outdoors, especially on her blueberry "farm"..