J. Jill Hopkins, MD

Jill is an ophthalmologist and retinal specialist with a career spanning 3 decades in Ophthalmology. She has 20 years of experience in clinical medicine and academic research, and over 10 years of industry experience in all stages of research development.

Jill received her medical degree from McMaster University Medical School and completed her internship and ophthalmology residency at the University of Toronto in Canada. Jill has fellowships in Medical Retina from Moorfields Hospital/University College London and Visual Electrophysiology from University of Toronto and University of Ottawa Canada.

Jill spent over 15 years in clinical and academic practice, treating patients of all ages across the full spectrum of retinal diseases. She specialized in HIV-related eye disease in London and Toronto, holding cross-division appointments in Ophthalmology and Infectious Disease. She also sub-specialized in inherited retinal disorders, and her clinical and academic research included treatments for hereditary retinal degenerations working on the Argus retinal prosthesis and the CNTF trials for retinitis pigmentosa and geographic atrophy while in practice in Los Angeles. She was an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and held appointments at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the University of Toronto Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

Jill recently took on the role of SVP and Global Head Ophthalmology Development at Novartis, leading a portfolio of drug and digital development encompassing disorders from the cornea to the visual cortex. Prior to that she was the Global Head of Personalized Healthcare in Ophthalmology at Roche-Genentech, leading a program focusing on the clinical application of data, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies to produce meaningful impact to patient care and outcomes in eye disease. In over a decade at Roche-Genentech she conducted research in age related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease, including long-acting delivery to the eye with the Port Delivery System. She spent time in early research at Unity Biotechnology as Vice President of Ophthalmology and has led large global cross-functional teams in a variety of stages of research.

Originally from Canada, she currently lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and 3 children.