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ANNIVERSARIESRetina Celebrates a Platinum and Golden JubileeTCharles L. Schepens, MDhe year 2017 marks two significantmilestones in the field of retina:the 70th anniversary of the RetinaService at Mass. Eye and Ear and the50th anniversary of the Retina Society.Underscoring the significance of theseevents are the following words, whichwere penned by Henry Allen, MD, 45years ago for the “Proceedings of the1972 Retina Congress:"[Before 1947] there was no Retina Service at MassachusettsEye and Ear, nor anywhere else. There was no RetinaSociety, few if any retina specialists, and no RetinaFoundation. Relatively little progress had been made since thedemonstration by the great Jules Gonin of the role of retinalbreaks in the production of retinal detachment. There was nobinocular indirect ophthalmoscope except for a pilot modelin the hands of its inventor, a young Belgian ophthalmologistnewly arrived in Boston.Charles L. Schepens, MD, initially came to Mass. Eye and Ear asa research fellow, but quickly developed a reputation for clinicalexcellence, tackling many of the most difficult retina cases at Mass.Eye and Ear. In late 1947, he organized the first Retina Service atMassachusetts Eye and Ear with encouragement and help fromIN MEMORIAMMass. Eye and Ear alumnus WilliamTasman, MD, passed away March 28,2017. The most senior member of theRetina Society and its former President,Dr. Tasman was an ophthalmologistand retina specialist who pioneeredretinopathy of prematurity treatments.After completing a retina fellowship(class of 1962) under the tutelageof Dr. Schepens, he dedicated 52years to Jefferson Medical College,where more than 600 retina fellowsand residents at Wills Eye Hospitalbenefited from his wisdom andextraordinary teaching. His career asan academic leader reached a pinnaclein 1985, when he was appointed asOphthalmologist-in-Chief at Willsand Professor and Chairman of theDepartment of Ophthalmology. Thefield of ophthalmology has benefitedfrom his efforts for many decades and,undoubtedly, will continue to benefitfrom his legacy of leadership.4EYE WITNESS #34the Mass. Eye and Ear Board of Surgeons: Edwin B. Dunphy,William P. Beetham, Virgil G. Casten, Paul A. Chandler,Trygve Gundersen, Merrill J. King, and Benjamin Sach.Starting in 1948, the Retina Service offered its first retinafellowship, which began as a unique, three-month, handson training opportunity for residents. Later, these trainingopportunities developed into one- and two-year fellowshipprograms that attracted retina surgeons nationwide. Amongthis early group of dedicated fellows and collaborators wereIchiro Okamura, Robert Brockhurst, Silvio von Pirquet, andCharles Regan.By the 1950s and 1960s, alumni meetings of the RetinaService began to generate broader interest, and four nationalmeetings were held that featured diseases of the retina asthe main topic of discussion. Alice McPherson, MD, the firstwoman retina fellow to train under Dr. Schepens, chaired the1965 Houston meeting. Heartened by the large attendanceand international participation at this meeting, Dr. Schepensand colleagues founded the Retina Society—a professionalorganization of retina surgeons—at the 1967 AmericanAcademy of Ophthalmology meeting.In 1975, one of Dr. Schepens’ protégées, EvangelosGragoudas, MD, joined the Mass. Eye and Ear Retina Service.After serving as Associate Director for nine years, he assumeddirectorship of the Retina Service and Fellowship in 1985 andhas since transformed the service into a preeminent center ofexcellence with an international reputation for excellence inclinical care, research, and education.Today, the Retina Service at Mass. Eye and Ear is the thirdlargest retinal subspecialty group in the country, with 21clinicians practicing at seven locations in MA and RI. Servicemembers provide care for the full gamut of retinal conditions,including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration,inherited (genetic) retinal disorders, eye tumors, pediatricretinal disorders, and more. The clinical fellowship trainingprogram in retina also has grown and diversified. Mass. Eyeand Ear now offers subspecialty training in VitreoretinalSurgery, Medical Retina, and Inherited Retinal Degenerations.Dr. Schepens passed away in 2006, but his legacy lives on,worldwide, through his former 200 trainees, many of whomhave become leaders in the field.Join us on October 4, 2017 for areception honoring the life and legacyof Charles L. Schepens, MD andcelebrating the 70th anniversary of theMass. Eye and Ear Retina Service.eye.hms.harvard.edu/calendar

IN REVIEW2017 ARVOBaltimore HighlightsYear after year, Harvard Ophthalmology is amongthe most well-represented academic institutionsat the Association for Research in Vision andOphthalmology Annual Meeting. With more than230 faculty and trainees participating in 2017, thisyear was no exception. With a central focus on“Global Connections in Vision Research,” the 2017meeting addressed the challenges of bridginggaps in scientific knowledge and building effectivecollaborations.Julia Oswald, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at SchepensEye Research Institute ofMass. Eye and Ear whoworks under the mentorship of Petr Baranov,PhD, presented her workto journalists during theARVO Press Conference onMonday, May 8. Dr. Oswaldwas first author on one ofthe top-3 “most innovative and interesting” abstracts at ARVO this year(out of more than 6,000 abstracts).Ula Jurkunas, MD, Mass. Eye and Ear, received the 2017 ARVO Foundation/Pfizer Ophthalmics Carl Camras Translational Research Award. The awardprovides 12,000 in support of Dr. Jurkunas’ research efforts combattingcorneal disease.Magali Saint-Geniez, PhD, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eyeand Ear, received a 2017 Alcon Research Institute Young Investigator Grant.Dr. Saint-Geniez focuses her research on the regulation of retinal pigmentepithelial and photoreceptor metabolism.Corinna Bauer, MD, PhD, Mass. Eye and Ear, received a 2017 ARVO Foundation/Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation Travel Grant. Fivetrainees also received awards. Stephanie Llop, MD, and Huy Nguyen, MD,received ARVO Foundation/Knights Templar Eye Foundation Travel Grants,and Luciano Custo Greig, MD, Fengyang Lei, MD, PhD, and Maryam Tahvildari, MD, received National Eye Institute Travel Grants.Joan W. Miller, MD, FARVO, a 2017 member of the DowlingSociety, was honored during the ARVO Foundation and Dowling Society Gala Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Dr. Miller standswith (left to right) Gary W. Abrams, MD; J. Mark Petrash, PhD;and John E. Dowling, PhD.Johanna Seddon, MD, ScM, FARVO (class of 1982), Professor and Founding Director of the Ophthalmic Epidemiology and Genetics Service at TuftsUniversity, presented the 2017 Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence inOphthalmology Lecture. Dr. Seddon completed her ophthalmic pathologyand vitreoretinal surgery fellowships at Mass. Eye and Ear.Photographs used with permission. Copyright Association for Research in Vision andOphthalmology 2017.Distinguished Achievement Award lectures illustrate the importance of buildingdiverse teams and collaborating across disciplinesTwo Harvard Ophthalmology alumni, Donald D’Amico, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College,and Anthony Adamis, MD, Genentech/Roche, presented the 2017 Distinguished Clinicaland Research Achievement Award lectures at the Harvard Ophthalmology Annual Meetingand Alumni Reunion, held June 23-24. Dr. D'Amico's advice for trainees was to broaden theirexperience—not only through professional interactions and meetings, but also by engagingin personal passions. Dr. Adamis discussed innovative approaches to ophthalmic drugdevelopment and the evolving role of “deep-learning algorithms” in the classification and earlydetection of eye diseases.Read more about the 2017 Harvard OphthalmologyAnnual Meeting and Alumni Reunioneye.hms.harvard.edu/annualmeeting20172017 AUGUST5

EYES ON EDUCATIONHarvard Ophthalmology's NewestAlumni, the Class of 2017Thirty Harvard Ophthalmology/Mass. Eye and Ear clinical trainees graduatedon June 15. The ceremony, held at Mass. Eye and Ear, celebrated eightHarvard Ophthalmology residents, the AY 2016-2017 Chief Resident, and oneoptometry resident, as well as 20 clinical fellows from Mass. Eye and Ear, JoslinDiabetes Center, and Boston Children’s Hospital.2017 Teaching RecognitionsSimmons Lessell Excellencein Education Award“Graduation is one of our department's most treasured occasions,” saidHarvard Ophthalmology Chief and Chair, Joan W. Miller, MD. “Our graduatesexcel in our three mission areas of clinical care, research, and teaching. Theyare bright and inquisitive; confident and generous. I hope that they willcontinue to seek opportunities to stretch and grow, and share their knowledgeand talent with others.”Next steps for the class of 2017 Subspecialty Training: Seven ophthalmology residents, the 2016-17Chief Resident, and two clinical fellows will pursue clinical fellowships incornea, anterior segment, retina, eye pathology, neuro-ophthalmology,and oculoplastics. Some will remain at Mass. Eye and Ear, while otherswill pursue training at University of California, Irvine; Wills Eye Institute,Bascom Palmer Eye Institute; and other leading institutions. Chief Resident: Tomasz (Tommy) Stryjewski, MD, MPP, will serve as ChiefResident and Director of the Ocular Trauma Service at Mass. Eye and Earfor academic year 2017-18 Academic Ophthalmology: Among the clinical fellow graduates, 10are pursuing full-time academic careers in ophthalmology. Optometryresident Gabriel Fickett, OD, joined the staff at Mass. Eye and Ear as amember of the Optometry and Contact Lens Service in July 2017. Private Practice: Eight clinical fellow graduates joined private practices(including one who will also participate in part-time academics).Evangelos Gragoudas, MDClinical Teacherof the Year AwardJan Kylstra, MDSurgical Teacherof the Year AwardChristian Song, MDFive graduating residents receive Heed FellowshipsFellow of the Year AwardUpneet Bains, MDGlaucoma FellowMass. Eye and Ear2017 Service RecognitionsResident Appreciation AwardMichel SemOperating Room TechnicianMass. Eye and Ear6EYE WITNESS #34Nearly one-quarter of the 21 Heed Fellowships offered for 2017-2018 wereawarded to graduating Harvard Ophthalmology residents. Congratulations to:Eric Gaier, MD, PhD; James (Tony) Stefater, MD, PhD; Natalie Wolkow, MD,PhD; Zeba Syed, MD; and Durga Borkar, MD.Meet Harvard Ophthalmology’s residents and graduateseye.hms.harvard.edu/residents

EYES ON EDUCATIONStepping into LeadershipMeet Harvard Ophthalmology's newly appointed leaders in educationEducator SpotlightAlice Lorch, MD—Associate Director, HarvardOphthalmology Residency Training ProgramAs part of Harvard Ophthalmology’s educational leadershipteam, Dr. Lorch works closely with Residency ProgramDirector, Carolyn Kloek, MD, to ensure that residents receivea world-class education—second to none—that preparesthem for success in their chosen careers. A member of the Mass. Eye and EarComprehensive Ophthalmology and Cataract Consultation Service, Dr. Lorch isconcurrently pursuing a degree in public health; her studies dovetail with herresearch interests in healthcare quality and outcomes. Dr. Lorch completed herophthalmology residency in 2014 and served as Chief Resident and Director ofthe Ocular Trauma Service during the 2015-16 academic year.Hajirah Saeed, MD—Associate Director, Cornea andRefractive Surgery Fellowship, Mass. Eye and EarDr. Saeed works alongside Cornea and Refractive SurgeryFellowship Director, James Chodosh, MD, MPH, to managethe administrative aspects of the fellowship training programat Mass. Eye and Ear. A full-time member of the Cornea andRefractive Surgery Service at Mass. Eye and Ear, Dr. Saeed specializes in adult andpediatric corneal disease and refractive surgery. She also conducts research onStevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a rare, yet serious autoimmune disorder. Dr.Saeed completed her medical training and ophthalmology residency at LoyolaUniversity and a clinical fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at Mass. Eyeand Ear, serving as Chief Fellow her second year.Tomasz (Tommy) Stryjewski, MD, MPP—Chief Resident &Director, Ocular Trauma Service at Mass. Eye and EarDr. Stryjewski joined the leadership team of one of the busiestocular trauma centers in the country (with more than 100ruptured globes annually) in July. In addition to coordinatingtrauma coverage at Mass. Eye and Ear’s EmergencyDepartment and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, he teaches and mentors thedepartment’s 24 residents, working alongside Carolyn Kloek, MD, and AliceLorch, MD. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Stryjewski earned hisMaster in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government and completedhis ophthalmology residency at Harvard in June 2017. He plans to pursue trainingin vitreoretinal surgery and translational research.Ryan Vasan, MD—Director, Ophthalmology Component ofCore Medicine I at Harvard Medical SchoolDr. Vasan works closely with Ankoor Shah, MD, PhD, Directorof Ophthalmic Medical Student Education at HMS, to provideall first-year medical students with a basic foundation inophthalmology. Dr. Vasan succeeds Deborah Jacobs, MD,who has been a strong leader and advocate of the Core Medicine course since2004. At Mass. Eye and Ear, Dr. Vasan teaches residents who rotate through theComprehensive Ophthalmology and Cataract Consultation Service. Dr. Vasanalso serves on New England Ophthalmological Society’s Young OphthalmologistsCommittee. In April 2017, he moderated the Society’s inaugural Grand Rounds.In 2009, Harvard Ophthalmologyalumnus (residency class of 1976)Lawrence Rand, MD, implementeda scientific journal club forHarvard Ophthalmology residentsand Mass. Eye and Ear fellowsto help trainees think criticallyabout research and advances intheir field. “Medicine is changingrapidly—trainees need to be ableto analyze new research and how itapplies to clinical practice,” said Dr.Rand, who leads the journal club.Dr. Rand completed a joint vitreoretinal fellowship at Joslin Clinicand the National Eye Institute.He then joined the medical staffat Joslin Diabetes Center, first asDirector of Eye Research from 1978to 1987, and then as ExecutiveDirector of the William P. BeethamEye Unit until 1989.In addition to enriching Harvard'sophthalmic education, Dr.Rand provides specialty eyecare for patients with diabetes,retinal disorders, and maculardegeneration at the Medical EyeCare Associates in Norwood, TheEye Center in Framingham, ValleyEye in Ayer, and Urban Eye inBoston.2017 AUGUST7

LEADING THE WAYJennifer Sun to chair NIH-fundeddiabetic retinopathy collaborativeresearch networkJennifer Sun, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology,and Chief of the Center for Clinical Eye Research and Trials atBeetham Eye Institute (BEI), Joslin Diabetes Center, was selectedfor leadership of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical ResearchNetwork (DRCR.net). After serving as chair-elect in 2017, Dr. Sunwill assume the role of chair for diabetes-related studies for a fiveyear term. Dan Martin, MD, from Cleveland, OH, will oversee thesection on other retinal diseases.“ This is likely the most prestigious position that currentlyexists for a clinical researcher in diabetic eye disease,” saidLloyd Paul Aiello, MD, PhD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief atBEI and Founding Chair of the DRCR.net."It is a tremendous honor to be selected as incoming Chair forthe DRCR Network,” said Dr. Sun. “This recognition—and myresearch in the field—would not have been possible without theremarkable diabetes-related resources and mentors I have had atJoslin and throughout Harvard Ophthalmology."About the DRCR.net A collaborative network of more than 100 clinicalsites throughout the United States and Canada Responsible for many of the most important,care-changing clinical trials in diabetic eye diseaseperformed over the past 15 years Funded by the National Institutes of Health Led the first phase 3 trials of anti-VEGF therapy fordiabetic macular edema and proliferative diabeticretinopathyDr. Sun has been involved with the DRCR.net since 2005, andfor the past six years, she has served as the nationwide ProtocolWorking Investigator for the DRCR.net. Currently, she is a memberof the Operations Group and the Executive Committee, as wellas the nationwide Protocol Chair for both the Ultrawide-fieldImaging study (Protocol AA) and for the Anti-VEGF for PDR/DMEPrevention Study (Protocol W).Scope of study Supports the identification, design, andimplementation of multicenter clinical researchinitiatives Formerly limited to diabetes-induced retinaldisorders Now includes all types of retinal diseaseMichael Gilmore chairs 20 million antibioticresistance challengeIn March 2017 Michael Gilmore, PhD,Director of the Harvard OphthalmologyInfectious Disease Institute, chaired ablue ribbon panel that reviewed the mostpromising applications for the AntimicrobialResistance Diagnostic Challenge—a 20million federal prize competition to developrapid, point-of-care laboratory diagnostictests to combat the development andspread of drug resistant bacteria.The National Institutes of Health (NIH)teamed up with the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services (HHS) Office8EYE WITNESS #34of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness andResponse to fund this initiative. Semifinalistswill receive 50,000 to develop prototypesand analytical data for their diagnostic devices.Finalists will be selected at the end of 2018, andthe winner(s) will be announced in July 2020.“Being asked to lead the blue ribbon panel for theNIH challenge is quite an honor,” said Dr. Gilmore.“Developing quick and accurate diagnostic testsis of the utmost importance, and this initiativedovetails nicely with our efforts here in theInfectious Disease Institute.”A leading expert in infectious diseases, Dr. Gilmoreis a principal investigator of the NIH/NationalInstitute of Allergy and Infectious Disease-fundedHarvard-wide Program on Antibiotic Resistance. Hefounded, and now organizes, the annual meetingof the Boston Area Antibiotic Resistance Network.

Janey Wiggs (left) and husband Robert D'Amato(right) with their children Chris, Andrew, and AllyAlumni with a Stake in the OutcomeAs both alumni and professors ofophthalmology at Harvard MedicalSchool, Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD, and herhusband Robert D’Amato, MD, PhD,have been staunch supporters of HarvardOphthalmology for years. In additionto providing unrestricted funds to thedepartment, they make annual gifts tosupport Mass. Eye and Ear’s Sense-ation!Gala and the work of a glaucoma researchfellow in Dr. Wigg’s laboratory.Dr. Wiggs completed her medicaltraining and ophthalmology residencyat HMS, followed by fellowships inglaucoma and genetics research at Mass.Eye and Ear. Her research and clinicalactivities have led to the developmentof novel diagnostic gene-based teststhat can identify patients at risk forglaucoma. Among her numerousleadership positions, Dr. Wiggs is ViceChair of Clinical Research at HarvardOphthalmology and Associate Chief ofOphthalmology Clinical Research at Mass.Eye and Ear.After graduating from HarvardOphthalmology’s Residency TrainingProgram (class of 1992), Dr. D’Amatocompleted a postdoctoral researchfellowship in the Judah Folkmanlaboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital(BCH) where he became an independentinvestigator in 1994. His discovery thatthalidomide is a potent angiogenesisinhibitor led to an FDA-approvedtreatment for multiple myeloma, andhe has since discovered more potentderivatives of thalidomide. His currentresearch focuses on small moleculeinhibitors of angiogenesis, age-relatedmacular degeneration, and geneticmodifiers of angiogenesis. Now the JudahFolkman Chair in Surgery and Director ofthe Center for Macular Degeneration atBCH, Dr. D’Amato presented the MarianaMead Lecture at the 2017 HarvardOphthalmology Annual Meeting andAlumni Reunion.Alumni Giving SocietyO F H A R VA R D O P H T H A L M O L O G Y @ M A S S . E Y E A N D E A RJoin your colleagues in the Alumni Giving SocietyHelp us ensure that the future leaders of ophthalmology receive the same world-classeducation that you did: join the Alumni Giving Society of Harvard Ophthalmology @ Mass.Eye and Ear. Your contribution enables us to continue our traditio

in Neuro-Ophthalmology The endowed Simmons Lessell Fellowship will support a clinical or research fellow in neuro-ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear. Since the fellowship was established in 2016, we have raised 897,000 toward our endowment goal of 1 million. To support this initiative, contact Julie Dutcher in the