Kardon and Abramoff to lead new VA Research Center

Iowa City - Sep. 2009

The Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center was granted status as a VA Research Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss under the VA Research and Development program, Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) Service. With this special designation as an RR&D Research Center comes $5 million in federal funding over the next five years, for research focused on prevention and treatment of visual impairments.

Randy Kardon, M.D., Ph.D., is the Center¹s first director. Dr. Kardon has been affiliated with VA and has been on the faculty of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine since 1989. A tenured professor of ophthalmology, Dr. Kardon also serves as director of neuro-ophthalmology and holds the Pomerantz Family Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa.

Michael Abramoff, M.D., Ph.D., a retinal specialist at the Iowa City VA Medical Center and tenured associate professor of ophthalmology and of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Iowa, will serve as associate director of the new Center.

also see the Press Release (pdf)