In 1960, Dr. McPherson moved to Houston to begin practice as the first full-time woman vitreoretinal specialist in the world and one of the pioneers in that field. In 1960 she also established the retina service at Baylor College of Medicine in conjunction with a private practice in retina. McPherson pioneered scleral buckling procedures, cryopexy and laser therapy in the treatment of retinal diseases.
Dr. McPherson played a leadership role in professional organizations in ophthalmology: as the first woman to be enrolled in the prestigious European Club Jules Gonin; president of the Retina Society, the Pan American Assn. of Ophthalmology, the Schepens International Society, the Houston Ophthalmology Society and the Doctors Club of Houston.
McPherson was founding president of the Univ. of Wisconsin Ophthalmology Alumni Assn., established one endowed chair and a lectureship for that institution, and in 1997 received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University. The Pan American Association of Ophthalmology presented the Benjamin Boyd Humanitarian Award to her in 2001 and in 2004 the AAO honored her as an Inaugural Member of the Visionary Society at the Gold Member Level. In 2006 she became a member of the Board of the prestigious International Council of Ophthalmology Foundation.
In 1969 she was the Founder and President and Scientific Advisor of the Retina Research Foundation established in Houston to fund and administer research programs in retina. It has become Houston’s leading eye research organization dedicated solely to the eradication of retinal diseases. The Foundation now has an international program, including an awards program, a career development program and a basic research program. RRF has established three chairs in retina.
Currently she is Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, practicing in the McPherson Retina Center.