ARCHIVED News from The University of Iowa
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Back to Recent News...

News Archive...

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 and earlier

2008

A $110,000 research continuation grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) will help support investigations at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.

$1.6 million gift creates UI professorship; Nerad named to position The UI Carver College of Medicine will use an estate gift of more than $1.6 million from Marion Fuerste of Dubuque, Iowa, to establish the Marion and Frederick Fuerste, M.D., Professorship in Ophthalmology. Frederick Fuerste Jr., who died in 2003, was a UI alumnus who practiced ophthalmology in Dubuque for decades. Jeffrey Nerad, M.D., UI professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences will be appointed to the position at an investiture ceremony on Friday, Dec. 19.

UI ophthalmologists contribute to sight saving efforts around the world: The University of Iowa’s “Iowa Magazine” television series produced for the Big Ten Network (BTN) showcases how UI ophthalmologists are engaging with the world through international efforts to improve eyecare and education. The full program aired on the BTN in November 2008. (segment ~5min.)

Photos from the Iowa Eye Reception at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, November 2008

Optherion, UI ophthalmology department open new facility at UI Research Park. Optherion Inc. and the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences have opened a new corporate and academic research facility at the University of Iowa Research Park in Coralville. Researchers and employees are developing products to diagnose and treat age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in developed countries. (more...)

Cedar Rapids couple commits support for UI glaucoma research. Marlene S. and Leonard A. "Len" Hadley of Cedar Rapids have made a commitment to give $750,000 to the University of Iowa Foundation to support glaucoma research in the Department. The endowed gift establishes the Marlene S. and Leonard A. Hadley Glaucoma Research Fund, which will support ongoing research led by Young H. Kwon, M.D., Ph.D. (more)

University of Iowa viewed by peers as one of the best in the country. The 2008 Ophthalmology Times survey of ophthalmology department chairpersons and residency directors revealed that Iowa continues to be ranked among the finest eye programs. Awards recognize excellence in the teaching and development of residents, quality patient care, and aggressive research pursuits. Recent results list UI as # 8 in Best Overall Programs, # 8 in Best Clinical (Patient Care) Programs, and # 3 in Best Residency Programs. Iowa also received an Honorable Mention among the Best Research Programs.

Age-related macular degeneration: New gene association identified: A new genetic association with the condition age-related macular degeneration is reported in an article published Oct. 7 early online in the journal The Lancet and will appear in an upcoming print edition. The article is written by Sarah Ennis and Andrew Lotery at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, and their collaborators, Robert Mullins and Edwin Stone at the University of Iowa.

Alward speaks at eye care conference in India, (The Hindu, Oct. 2) Speaking at an international eye care conference in India the week of September 29 - October 3, 2008, WALLACE J. LEE ALWARD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, expressed the hope that Aravind Eye Care System would enjoy the same level of success in research as it had in treatment and manufacturing of lens and drugs. The Hindu is published in India.

Wilkinson to become member of NEI's NEHEP planning committee. Mark Wilkinson, OD., Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, has accepted an invitation to become a member of the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Planning Committee. (more...)

UI's Hageman to speak at Capitol Hill about eye research. Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, will speak at a noon ET briefing Tuesday, Sept. 16, in Room B339, Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, on the status of applying genetic findings of the blinding eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD) towards the development of diagnostic tools and treatments.
In 2005, along with researchers worldwide, Hageman's laboratory identified genes that account for nearly three out of four AMD cases. The most frequent cause of blindness in developed countries, the disease affects up to 20 million people in the United Sates.
Hageman, an Iowa Entrepreneurial Endowed Professor, and other investigators, continue to study the gene's role in causing AMD and other inflammation-based diseases.

UI Optical. Eyewear Featuring Advanced Technology, Great Selection. Now open!

Making a Difference. The faculty, staff, and volunteers who work at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are dedicated to providing excellent care and service in a safe and supportive environment. We value innovative care, excellent service, and exceptional outcomes, and we strive every day to deliver an excellent experience to all the patients, families, co-workers, and the public we serve. If you feel that someone made a difference in your experience at UI Hospitals and Clinics, please tell us your story so we can recognize the special efforts of that person or team through the "Making a Difference" recognition program.

UI Ophthalmology Ranked in Top 10 in U.S. News & World Report magazine. The UI Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is ranked at number 6 in this year's U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals in America" issue. The issue will hit the newstands on July 14 but can be accessed online. Read the UI press release.

Take Care to Avoid July 4th Fireworks Injuries. (Press Release) Last year, approximately 6,400 Americans spent part of their Fourth of July holiday in the emergency room, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Despite warnings to consumers on the dangers of fireworks, the number of injuries every year has remained relatively steady. But, the long-term effects of these injuries can be severe. In fact, the American Society of Ocular Trauma states that an average of 400 Americans permanently lose vision in one or both eyes due to fireworks injuries annually. (more)

Flood-Related Eye Care Precautions (Press Release)

UI optometrist Sindt offers eye safety tips: After the floods of 1993, the University of Iowa saw a record number of eye infections related to water-borne pathogens. These pathogens--including amoeba, parasites, bacteria, and virus--are extremely dangerous to the eye and may lead to corneal transplantation or loss of sight. "We have already seen flood-related eye infections and we have every reason to believe they will be as prevalent, or more so, than after the last flood," said UI Hospitals and Clinics optometrist Christine Sindt in an interview with UI Health Care Today. Read a transcript of the interview, and get access to an audio recording of her comments, here.

Prevention, early treatment key to avoiding flood-related eye infections

Video Features Project 3000. (streaming video, approx. 21 minutes) Project 3000, based at the University of Iowa, is an exciting eye research project involving Chicago Cubs first baseman, Derek Lee, Boston Celtics CEO, Wyc Grosbeck and other sports leaders as well as leading scientists and motivated patients and families.

UI Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences part of ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital Team Representatives from several Big Ten schools, including The University of Iowa, recently participated in a volunteer effort organized by ORBIS International to help physicians in Vietnam improve how they treat and prevent blindness and other serious eye conditions. (more...)

Kuusisto Creating New Vision of Disabilities (The Gazette, May 16, 2008) Dr. Steve Kuusisto joined the UI faculty as an English professor with a joint appointment in the Carver College of Medicine. At the College he is a "humanizing agent" who helps educate doctors about disability issues. UI officials hope Kuusisto bridges the goals of disability advocates and health professionals."I'm probably the first-ever poet named to a faculty of ophthalmology," Kuusisto says with a smile. A graduate of the UI Writers' Workshop and a best-selling author who has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, Kuusisto was recruited from Ohio State University, where he helped develop a disability studies program spanning academic departments. He came to Iowa City with his wife, Connie, who shares his enthusiasm for helping people with disabilities.Part of his UI job is finding ways to better integrate thinking about disabilities into curriculum. (more...)

Iowa Lions Eye Bank Spring Dedication Ceremony The Iowa Lions Donor Memorial & Healing Garden, located directly in front of the new main entrance of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, was dedicated on October 10th of 2005 to commemorate organ, tissue and eye donors and all those who have supported the work of donation, transplantation and research. The Memorial Garden is paved with 994 stones that can be purchased and dedicated in memory of donors, recipients, and those affiliated with the donation process. Six of these special stones were dedicated during the afternoon ceremony on Tuesday, May 13th. (more...)

UI contributes to gene therapy breakthrough for blinding eye disease. Researchers at the University of Iowa played a key role in a landmark gene therapy breakthrough reported Sunday in an online article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Edwin Stone, M.D., Ph.D., UI professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, led his group in the genetic testing portion of the study. (UI News Release)

Val Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., Martin and Ruth Carver Chair in Genetics, has been renewed through August 2013 as an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Hageman research offers hope for people with eye disease (Forbes, March 24)
A breakthrough in gene research may offer hope for the millions suffering from macular degeneration. University of Iowa Ophthalmology Professor, Gregory Hageman, PhD, is at the forefront of research on lasting treatments for dry AMD. Over the past four years, Hageman has uncovered how AMD is linked to three variations of the so-called complement factor H gene, which is a crucial player in regulating the immune system. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0324/076.html

National and local Mini Medical School program to feature Dr. John Fingert, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Dr. Fingert will present “Vision Loss: Common Eye Conditions and Looking into the Future“ at the University of Iowa’s first-ever national Mini Medical School to be held on March 19, 2008 in Scottsdale, AZ. His presentation in Arizona will be followed by participation as a guest speaker in the local Iowa City version of Mini Medical School. Dr. Fingert is one of several faculty members whose presentations will focus on “Making Sense of Your Health: See More, Hear More, Do More”. The Mini Medical School program is a four-session program on Tuesdays in April. It is open and free to the public, but registration is required. Information and registration may be found at: www.medicine.uiowa.edu/minimedicalschool

Blind professor, Steve Kuusisto, helps others see another side to disabilities. Kuusisto joined the UI faculty in fall 2007 with a joint appointment in the Carver College of Medicine and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Edwin Stone, a professor of ophthalmology in the Carver College of Medicine who was instrumental in bringing Kuusisto to the UI, said having Kuusisto on board helps bridge the goals of disability advocates and health professionals. (more...)

Role identified for glaucoma gene and related signaling pathway: Researchers have found that a gene and a related signaling pathway play a role in the development of glaucoma, which is a common cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. The team was led by Alcon Research and included other investigators from the University of Iowa and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

UI researchers involved in the study included John Fingert, M.D., PhD., professor of ophthalmology, Val Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., the Martin and Ruth Carver Chair in Genetics, professor of pediatrics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HMMI) investigator; and Edwin Stone, M.D., Ph.D., the Seamans-Hauser Chair of Molecular Ophthalmology, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, and an HHMI investigator. (more...)

Driving simulator seeks participants for contact lens study The National Advanced Driving Simulator, a research and teaching unit of the University of Iowa College Of Engineering, is seeking licensed drivers who currently wear soft spherical contact lenses for a study examining the effectiveness of two different contact lenses on nighttime driving performance.

Residency match results were announced on January 17, 2008.

Dr. W.L.M Alward announces his new Online Video Atlas of Gonioscopy, gonioscopy.org. Ophthalmologists and Residents, learn more about gonioscopy through the use of videography. It covers the basic examination techniques as well as more advanced techniques such as indentation and corneal wedge. There are video examples of most glaucoma-related diseases.

2007

Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD, delivers the distinguished Jackson Memorial Lecture at the 2007 American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Annual Meeting. Listen to his presentation, titled Leber Congenital Amaurosis: The Role of Genetic Testing in the Pursuit of a Cure, given during the opening session on November 11, 2007.

Ophthalmology Professor Jeffrey Nerad, MD travelled to the Eye Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam from October 26 through November 4m, 2007 to provide hands-on training to physicians as well as help screen patients for oculoplastic surgeries. This hospital-based trip is sponsored by ORBIS. (more...) 

Stone HHMI Appointment Renewed
Dr. Ed Stone has been reappointed as a Howard Hughes Research Institute Investigator. The new appointment will run through 2012. (more...) (UI News Release, Oct 31, 2007)

Ron Keech, MD (1948-2007)
Professor of Ophthalmology Ronald V. Keech, MD passed away peacefully on October 16th in Iowa City with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Arrangements are with Lensing Funeral Service for a private family burial. Gifts may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in memory of Dr. Keech. More information is available at http://teams.lightthenight.org/KeechKrusaders. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.lensingfuneral.com.

UI signs third $1.5 million Alcon contract for study of blinding eye diseases  
The Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB), a joint enterprise of the University of Iowa College of Engineering and the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has signed a five-year, $1.5 million contract with Alcon Research, Ltd. of Ft. Worth, Texas, a leading ophthalmic pharmaceutical research company, for research aimed at helping to prevent blindness. (UI News Release)

Hageman appointed to Iowa Entrepreneurial Endowed Professorship  
Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been appointed to an Iowa Entrepreneurial Endowed Professorship. (UI News release, more...)

UI licensee Optherion secures $37 million in startup financing  
Optherion, Inc., a University of Iowa Research Foundation licensee and a company developing products to diagnose and treat age-related macular degeneration and other chronic diseases, today announced that it has completed $37 million startup financing and will expand into new facilities at the Oakdale Research Park in Coralville. (UI News Release, more...)

Kardon Appointed to the Pomerantz Family Chair in Ophthalmology
Randy Kardon, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and a staff physician and researcher with the Veterans Affairs Iowa City Health Care System, has been appointed to the Pomerantz Family Chair in Ophthalmology at the UI. (more...)

Former UI Ophthalmology Resident and faculty member, Gunter K. von Noorden, has published an autobiography: From Berlin To Texas: Forging a Life from the Devastation of War. "More than a memoir, From Berlin to Texas exposes the stark reality of Nazi Germany and the lives of ordinary citizens at odds with the regime's ideologies. But at its heart is the uplifting story of how one man rose above the torments of his youth to build a life full of promise and hope." Gunter K. von Noorden immigrated to the United States from Germany after graduating from medical school in 1954 and completing his ophthalmology residency in 1960. He became an ophthalmologist of international renown for his research, teaching, and clinical expertise in ocular misalignment.

UI experts recommend back-to-school vision evaluations
You've probably prepared your children for the upcoming school year by buying school supplies and scheduling vaccinations. But don't overlook one of the most important steps in making sure your child has a good year: getting his or her vision evaluated.

Spivey to Deliver First Annual Distinguished Alumni Lecture October 5, 2007.
Bruce E. Spivey, MD, FACS will deliver the first annual Distinguished Alumni Lecture at the UI Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Clinical Conference on October 5, 2007. (more...)

Melles to Deliver 27th Braley Lecture
Gerrit R. J. Melles, MD, PhD of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, will deliver the 27th Braley Lecture at the Ophthalmology Clinical Conference on September 14th. (more...)

Former UI Ophthalmology Resident, Clyde K. Kitchen, M.D. (1959-1962) has recently writen a book for the general public; Fact and Fiction of Health Vision: eye care for adults and children is available from Greenwood Publishing Group. Dr. Kitchen is a member of the Senior Active Staff of St. Jude Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, in Fullerton, California. He has practiced in Ophthalmology since 1962.

Pomerantz Gives $2 Million to Endow UI Ophthalmology Chair
Philanthropist, businessman and civic leader, Marvin A. Pomerantz of Des Moines, has made a $2 million gift commitment to the UI Foundation to permanently endow the Pomerantz Family Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. (UI News Release June 16, 2007)

Gift Endows UI Ophthalmology Professorship; James Folk Appointed
Donald H. Beisner, M.D., and Judith A. Beisner of Springfield, Mo., have established a permanently endowed professorship ihe Judith (Gardner) and Donald H. Beisner, M.D., Professorship for Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery. The Beisners' gift of $1 million, made to the UI Foundation, creates the professorship. James C. Folk, M.D., a professor in the department, will be formally appointed to the professorship at a ceremony on June 15. The Beisner Professorship will exist in perpetuity, supporting the research of a distinguished faculty member in the UI ophthalmology department specializing in research and medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases such as retinal detachments, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. (UI News Release, June 7, 2007)

UI First in Iowa to Offer IntraLase®-Enabled Keratoplasty
Kenneth Goins was the first ophthalmologist in Iowa to provide IntraLase®-Enabled Keratoplasty (ILEK); he did his first three procedures at The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics on June 5th, 2007.

Dr. Keith D. Carter Awarded Lillian C. O’Brien and Dr. C. S. O’Brien Chair in Ophthalmology
Dr. Keith D. Carter, Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine was awarded the Lillian C. O’Brien and Dr. C. S. O’Brien Chair in Ophthalmology during an investiture program on May 17, 2007. (Read details)

UI Physicians Named As Top Doctors For Men. Forty-eight physicians from University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, including 6 physicians from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, are listed among the top doctors for men.

UI Bats For Project 3000 At Wrigley Field May 5 (2007)
A University of Iowa eye expert was "in the lineup" Saturday, May 5 at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, to help raise awareness for Project 3000, an effort to find every person in the country with a blinding eye disease called Leber aongenital amaurosis (LCA).

Trudy Grout, FCLSA
Trudy Grout, an optician in the Contact Lens Service at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, passed the Fellow examination at the Contact Lens Society of America (CLSA). (Read details)

The Iowa Lions Eye Bank has been chosen to receive the Iowa Medical Society’s Washington Freeman Peck Award.  The IMS Executive Committee nominated the Iowa Lions Eye Bank for their work as a nonprofit service organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of sight through the recovery, processing and distribution of human ocular tissue for transplantation, research and education. Read details in the April 16, 2007 News Release

2006

University of Iowa Health Care Today. Screening for eye diseases caused by diabetes.
Audio Podcast (mp3) Michael Abramoff interview, November 17, 2006.

~ Derrick Lee – Wyc Grousbeck – Project 3000 ~
UI Teams Up With Cubs Star and Celtics Owner To Fight Eye Disease
At a news conference today in Chicago, Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee announced his partnership with Boston Celtics CEO and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck and the Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Laboratory at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine to combat Leber congenital amaurosis, an important cause of genetic blindness in children.(UI News Release Sept. 29, 2006)

Wallace L. M. Alward, M.D. is named to the Frederick C. Blodi Chair in Ophthalmology. (News Release Sept. 12, 2006)

A Memorial Celebration of Lee Allen's Life and Legacy, will be held on September 16, 2006 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, 150 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City, Iowa. In addition, a scholarship is being established to support a student of regionalist art at the University of Iowa, where Lee studied with Grant Wood. Contributions may be sent to the Lee Allen Memorial Art Scholarship. Checks should be made out to the University of Iowa Foundation", with a note to that it is to go to this scholarship in the School of Art and Art History. Address: University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244-4550. (more information)

$14.6 Million NIH Grant To UI Will Build On Macular Degeneration Findings
A five-year, $14.6 million grant from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will fund an international, multidisciplinary effort led by the University of Iowa to leverage two recent genetic discoveries into possible treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The grant was awarded August 1.

Baseball Team honors UI Patient (July 17, 2006, UI Press Release)

UIHC & The US News "Best Hospitals" Ranking
For the 17th year in a row, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the state’s only comprehensive academic medical center, ranks overall as one of "America's Best Hospitals" with six of the hospital's specialties listed in an annual survey published by U.S.News & World Report magazine. Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences was ranked as #6.

Executive Director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank Receives Warren Coleman Honorary Award. Dr. Cynthia Reed, executive director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank (ILEB), of Solon has received the Iowa Lions Foundation Warren Coleman Honorary Award in recognition for her commitment to serving Lionism. (June 16, 2006 Press Release)

Golf Tour Will Benefit Iowans. Amateur golfers from across Iowa will have an opportunity to play in a statewide tour sponsored by the Lions Clubs of Iowa. The Iowa City tournament will be held at Finkbine Golf Course on July 12. (June 2, 2006 Press Release)

UI Doctors Provide Latest Information On Age-Related Macular Degeneration (University of Iowa Press Release, May 31, 2006)

Hageman Selected To Receive Roger H. Johnson Macular Degeneration Prize
Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been selected to receive the 2006 Roger Johnson Macular Degeneration Prize managed by the University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology.

Renowned Medical Illustrator, Lee Allen, Dies
Associate Emeritus, Lee Allen, a retired UI medical illustrator and renowned artist who studied with Grant Wood and Diego Rivera, died on May 5, 2006. He was 95.

James C. Folk, M.D. and Mark E. Wilkinson, O.D. publish their book, Protect Your Sight: How to Save Your Vision in the Epidemic of Age-Related Macular Degeneratio, in a unique way
Iowa City authors and professors in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, James C. Folk, M.D. and Mark E. Wilkinson, O.D., have signed a contract with Free Educational Publications International (F.E.P) to publish their book Protect Your Sight: How to Save Your Vision in the Epidemic of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.  It has been published in electronic form at http://www.medrounds.org/protect-your-sight/ where the entire book can be accessed and read for free. (press release)

Retinal Telediagnosis for Rural Iowa project Update
On April 4, 2006, the Retinal Telediagnosis for Rural Iowa project headed by Dr. Michael Abramoff celebrated the receipt of nine retinal cameras that will be used by community clinics in rural Iowa for early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. (more)

Public Health Notice: Investigation of serious eye infections associated with soft contact lens use and contact lens solution. / Dr. Sindt comments on Contact Lens Solution Problems

Renaming Dedication Ceremony of the UI Center for Macular Degeneration
in recognition of the Carver family's generosity to be held April 20, 2006

$13.7 Million In Gifts Support UI Center For Macular Degeneration. Gift commitments totaling $13.7 million -- including $10 million from the family of the late Roy J. Carver Sr. -- will fund three new endowed chairs at the University of Iowa, create a new genetics testing laboratory and rename the UI's world-renowned Center for Macular Degeneration.
[UI News Release] | [ Wall St. Journal Article -- subscription required]

Haiti Vision Mission 2006 Team Provides Sight Assistance to 550 Haitians

Discovery of mutant gene, may lead the way to new AMD treatments.
According to a paper published online on Monday, March 6 in Nature Genetics, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), may be attributed to two genes.

Donations To Help Create UI Genetics Testing Lab
Donations of $6.2 million will be used by the University of Iowa to create a genetics lab to fight degenerative eye diseases. The lab will help researchers understand the genetics of the macular degeneration. The leading donor is Lucille Carver, of Muscatine, who contributed $5 million on behalf of her son, John Carver. The Foundation for Fighting Blindness contributed the rest. The lab will be named the John and Marcia Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Lab. (more...  |  also see UIHealthcare news release )

Hageman Receives Foundation Fighting Blindness Major Achievement Award
Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been awarded the annual Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) award for the most significant achievement in the past year among all scientists who received FFB funding. (more)

Carter Appointed New UI Ophthalmology Department Head
Keith D. Carter, MD. has been appointed as the New Head of the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The announcement was made at a noon-time ophthalmology faculty meeting on December 28th by Carver College of Medicine Dean Jean Robillard and UI Healthcare CEO Donna Katen-Bahensky. The appointment is effective January 1, 2006. (more)
Also see the News Release from the University of Iowa News Service

2005

USDA grant will help improve eye care for rural Iowans
UI researchers have received a $198,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help improve eye care for rural Iowans by providing timely and convenient access to critical eye exams. (more)

Glucocorticoids, Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma
The grant, "Glucocorticoids, ocular hypertension and glaucoma", has recently been funded for five years by the National Eye Institute. (more information)

UI Research Aims to Prevent Blindness in People with Diabetes
More than 18 million people in the United States have diabetes, yet more than half of them do not receive the annual retinal exam that helps prevent diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to blindness. In rural states like Iowa, people with diabetes are particularly at risk for not receiving regular eye exams. University of Iowa researchers are developing approaches and adapting technology to make a retinal exam a routine, cost-effective part of a person's overall diabetes check-up. (UI Health Care News: Week of October 17, 2005)

Iowa Lions Donor Memorial and Healing Garden
Officials dedicated the state's largest Donor Memorial and Healing Garden in honor of eye, organ and tissue donors at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City during a special ceremony on October 10. ( see also the University of Iowa News Release)

UI Research Aims To Prevent Blindness In People With Diabetes
University of Iowa researchers are developing approaches and adapting technology to make a retinal exam a routine, cost-effective part of a person's overall diabetes check-up. Michael Abramoff, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and electrical & computer engineering said, "If you diagnose diabetic retinopathy early in a patient, you can treat it very well. But many people with diabetes do not have access to an ophthalmologist because of distance or other difficulties, and so, do not get an annual exam."
Abramoff and collaborators are developing ways for family or internal medicine physician offices across the state to use digital cameras to take pictures of patients' retinas. The photos can be taken in 10 minutes, much more quickly than a typical eye exam.
Pictures can be analyzed for the small hemorrhages and signs of fluids that, if left untreated, lead to blindness. The photos are sent electronically to eye experts who determine if danger signs are present and inform the patient's doctor for appropriate follow-up care. The cameras already are being used on a small scale. University of Iowa News Release: Sept. 26, 2005 (Continued) .

Hageman Speaks At Capitol Hill About Genetic Eye Finding
Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., spoke on September 21, 2005, at a Capitol Hill luncheon briefing on the recent discovery of a gene that is strongly linked with a person's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. University of Iowa News Release: Sept. 19, 2005 (Continued).

see also: AEVR/NAEVR Networks Educate Capitol Hill in AMD Awareness Week

Healing Garden To Honor Transplant Donors At UI Hospitals And Clinics.
Lions Club members across Iowa are supporting the construction of the state's largest Donor Memorial and Healing Garden in honor of organ and tissue donors at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Workers are scheduled to begin the project Aug. 1. Organizers are planning to dedicate the garden at 2 p.m. Oct. 10. The effort is funded by private donations from Iowa Lions Club members and fundraising efforts of the Iowa Lions Foundation. (continued)

UI Hospitals And Clinics Specialties Rank Among The Best
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ranks overall as one of "America's Best Hospitals" with nine of the hospital's specialties listed in an annual survey published by U.S. News & World Report magazine.
Three of the honored specialties -- Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) listed 3rd, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (eyes) listed 6th and Orthopaedic Surgery (bones and joints) listed 7th -- rank among the nation's top 10 in their respective categories in the July 18 issue of the magazine. The issue was on newsstands on July 11.

Iowa Lions Golf Events To Benefit Vision And Hearing Programs. A series of golf tournaments sponsored by Iowa Lions Clubs on the state’s finest courses this year will raise funds to benefit programs that provide hearing and vision services.

Study Adds Information Linking Gene To Blinding Disease, Kidney Disease. (University of Iowa Press Release, April 30, 2005).
An international research team led by investigators at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center has found that inherited variations in the Factor H gene dramatically increase the likelihood of an older person developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries.

Tele-diagnosis of Retinal Diseases in Rural Iowa (Wellmark News Release April 12, 2005)
The University of Iowa Foundation in Iowa City, Iowa, received $31,700 for its project, Tele-diagnosis of Retinal Diseases in Rural Iowa. This project will bring a retinal camera into the office of the primary care physician. Photographs of the retina are then transmitted over the Internet to be diagnosed by the retinal specialists at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology. The goal of this project is to make the early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy more accessible to rural residents of Iowa in order to prevent needless visual loss and blindness from diabetes.

Hageman Research Droup Receives Additional Funding (News release April 9, 2005)
The University of Iowa recently signed two one-year research agreements with Pfizer Global Research and Development totaling $749,296. The multidisciplinary, international research initiative, directed by Gregory Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, represents a unique combination of resources and technologies that will be employed to expedite the identification of new candidate drug targets associated with two important blinding conditions facing the Western world, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Studies will be conducted by the Interdisciplinary Program in Age-related Macular Degeneration, a consortium of research laboratories in the US and Europe dedicated to translational studies in the field of retinal disease.

12 University of Iowa Ophthalmology Faculty among "Best Doctors in America" (UIHC News release April 11, 2005)
One hundred fifty-two University of Iowa Health Care physicians have been selected for inclusion in the 2005 Best Doctors in America® database, a leading resource for linking consumers with expert medical care. Ophthalmology faculty listed: Wallace L. M. Alward, H. Culver Boldt; Keith D. Carter; Randy H. Kardon; Ronald V. Keech; Andrew G. Lee; Jeffrey A. Nerad; Stephen R. Russell; Edwin M. Stone; John E. Sutphin, Jr.; Thomas A. Weingeist. Neurology: neuro-ophthalmologist, Michael Wall.

Celebrating 20 Years of Support from Our patients, Alumni, and Colleagues
On Friday, March 4, Dr. T. A. Weingeist unveiled the ongoing results of 20 years of fundraising efforts for the Deparment.

The Beulah and Florence Usher Endowment
On Wednesday, February 2, 2005, the UI Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences recognized the extraordinary contribution provided by Miss Beulah Usher and Miss Florence Usher of Cedar Rapids. Sisters and lifelong partners, Beulah and Florence were two of the Department’s most generous benefactors. The gift from their estate will be used to provide support and promote research in the area of cornea and external disease.
A short biography of these generous women is mounted on the wall next to the Cornea and External Disease Clinic. Click here to read that text.

2004

UI Signs $1.5 Million Contract to Study Macular Degeneration
The latest funding agreement--for research into the causes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)--is in addition to a 2003 five-year, $1.5 million contract with Alcon to help scientists better understand glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. The same interdisciplinary research techniques currently used to help identify the causes of glaucoma will now be applied to macular degeneration, with the goal of better diagnosis and treatment of both diseases. (more...)

Questions about Vitamin E and AMD or age-related macular degeneration and the AREDS protocol

Basketball Player Recovers Vision (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 28)

"Mr. ReSpect" Helps Recycle Used Eyeglasses.
A used pair of eyeglasses could offer new sight for individuals within the community who are unable to afford them. (more)

The Eyes Have It. From UIHealthcare's Health e-Newsletter.

H. Stanley Thompson Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic
Leaders of the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences honored H. Stanley Thompson, M.D., on Octopber 15, during a special dedication ceremony for its newly named neuro-ophthalmology clinic. Officials installed the new signage for the H. Stanley Thompson Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic during the monthly clinical conference meeting at UI Hospitals and Clinics. University of Iowa News Release

Genetic Finding Has Big Implications For Treating Blindness
A genetic finding reported in the New England Journal of Medicine has broad implications for stopping an impending epidemic of blindness in the United States and other developed nations.
University of Iowa News release

U.S. News and World Reports rates UI Ophthalmology in the Top 10 for 13th Consecutive Year (read more...)

Weingeist to Step Down
Thomas Weingeist, Ph.D, M.D. announced he will be stepping down as Head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences with University of Iowa Health Care once a new Head is appointed and in place. (read more...)

Anecortave Acetate Risk Reduction Trial. The University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is participating in the Anecortave Acetate Risk Reduction Trial. This is an exciting trial for eligible individuals with macular degeneration that have had vision loss in one eye. The goal of the study is to reduce the chance of vision loss in a patient's "good" eye. (more...)

Health reports: Help Is Available for Macular Degeneration Patients

UI Ophthalmology Resident and Fellow Research Fund Contibutors Recognized
A new plaque recognising the contributors to the UI Ophthalmology Resident and Fellow Research Fund was presented on June 5th. The plaque hangs on the wall of the A. E. Braley Auditorium and recognizes the supporters of Resident and Fellow Research Day. (more...)

Medallion Commemorates The Frederick C. Blodi Chair in Ophthalmology On June 5, 2004, Otty Blodi was presented with a University of Iowa commemorative medallion. The back is inscribed with "Presented to Ottilie Blodi To Commemorate The Frederick C. Blodi Chair in Ophthalmology. Dr. Frederick C. Blodi was Head of the Department of Ophthalmology from 1967 to 1984. The specially designed medallions are given as a lasting reminder of how named faculty positions enhance the University community.

The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa has been awarded a $155,000 contract from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to validate a vision test for use in simulated driving performance tests. The project co-principal investigator is Mark Wilkinson, O.D., UI clinical associate professor in the UI department of ophthalmology, where clinicians will carry out the ophthalmic evaluations. (more...)

Coming To Your Senses Receives Award
Coming To Your Senses, a joint vision-screening project of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the Lions Clubs of Iowa, recently received an Above and Beyond award from Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.

Hope for those with Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in patients over age 50 in the United States. Although there currently is no cure, there is hope for those with AMD. As part of Age-Related Macular Degeneration/Low Vision Awareness Month in February, James Folk, M.D., University of Iowa professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, urges people to be screened for age-related vision problems by having regular eye exams and talking with their eye doctor about new treatments and low vision resources that are available.

UI Ophthalmologist Explains How To Treat Dry Eyes: In the winter months, with lower humidity, dry eye problems increase for some people. There are various types of dry eye syndrome, and between 10 and 15 percent of people in the United States have dry eye problems...

Aging Eyes: Painless and slow growing, cataracts may require specialized eye surgery. Pacemaker article, Winter 2003-2004.

2003

Dec. 13 Capitol Event To Honor Iowa's Eye, Organ, Tissue Donors Iowa's leaders will honor Iowans who generously gave of themselves through the donation of eyes, organs and tissue at a special ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13. The afternoon event is open to donor family members, and will be held at the State Capitol Building in Des Moines. "We are honored to invite these family members to the [State] Capitol to recognize the unselfish contribution their loved ones made through organ, tissue and eye donation," Gov. Vilsack said. "In past years, the event was a huge success and we look forward to visiting with families again this year." In fiscal year 2002-2003, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank provided 821 corneas for transplant from nearly 700 donors in our state. The Eye Bank is tremendously grateful to each and every donor family.

UI Researchers Receive Grant To Improve Vision Tests For Glaucoma
A team of researchers from University of Iowa Health Care and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is conducting a study to identify the most effective method for determining whether a patient’s vision has changed. Detecting changes in vision is the basis for treatment decisions in many visual disorders including glaucoma, which affects approximately three million Americans and is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The study is funded by a five-year, $720,000 Veteran Affairs Merit Review grant.

Ophthalmologist Stresses Safety During The Holiday Season
(U I Health Care News Release December 2, 2003)
“Every year eye specialists see firsthand the devastating damage toys can inflict,” said Karen Gehrs, M.D., associate professor (clinical) ophthalmology and visual sciences in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and a specialist at UI Hospitals and Clinics. “By getting the word out, we hope to save children from needless suffering.

Millions at Risk for Diabetes-related Vision Loss
( U I Health Care News for week of November 23, 2003)

UI Ophthalmologists Weingeist, Scott To Receive Awards
Two University of Iowa Health Care ophthalmologists, Thomas A. Weingeist and Williams E. Scott, will receive awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) at its annual meeting Nov. 13-19 in Anaheim, Calif.

UI Ranked Among Top 15 "Best Places To Work in Scientific Institutions (UI Press Release)
The University of Iowa has been ranked number 14 for "Best Place to Work in Scientific Institutions" out of 132 United States-based institutions by the international science news magazine The Scientist. In a previous Scientist survey, the UI was ranked ninth among places that provide nurturing, rewarding environments for postdoctoral research fellows.

IOA donates $12,000 Annually to Vision Screening (UI Healthcare Press Release)
The Iowa Optometric Association announced today that its members will donate $12,000 annually during the next five years to support an important vision screening program that helps protect the eyesight of young children.

Millions At Risk For Diabetes-Related Vision Loss (UI Healthcare Press Release)
Approximately 10.3 million Americans have diabetes, and more than half are at risk for vision loss because they do not know they have the disease.

UI Health Care Eye Specialists Call For Global Vision Care (UI Health Care Press Release)
October is World Blindness Awareness Month. Due to the lack of eye care throughout the world, every five seconds a person will lose their vision. Even more tragically, one child goes blind every minute.

Stone & Sheffield on Genetic Eye Tests in Wall Street Journal
The August 29, 2003, Wall Street Journal carries an article under the "Science Journal" heading about Drs. Ed Stone and Val Sheffield and their efforts to make genetic eye tests more generally available.

U.S. News and World Reports rates UI Ophthalmology in the Top 10 for 12th consecutive Year
U.S. News and World Reports has rated the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences the # 6 eye department in the nation. The rankings appear in the July 28, 2003 issue. This marks the 9th consecutive year that the department has received this prestigious ranking (# 6) and the 12th consecutive year of being in the Top Ten.

Center for Macular Degeneration Investigator Promoted To Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has promoted Val Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., UI professor of pediatrics and participant in the UI Center for Macular Degeneration, to full investigator. With this appointment, the HHMI extends its support for five more years. Sheffield has been an HHMI associate investigator since 1997, and his promotion means that the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine now has four faculty members who are HHMI investigators.

Spivey Recognized as UI Carver College Of Medicine Honors Distinguished Alumnus
Ophthalmologist and former Iowa graduate and Resident, Bruce E. Spivey, M.D., is among the five University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine alumni who presented with Distinguished Alumni Awards at a ceremony Friday, June 6 in Iowa City. Dr. Spivey's Award for Service recognizes many accomplishments of this prominent ophthalmologist.

UI Laser Eye Surgery Center Expands, Upgrades
Laser eye surgery specialists at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are treating patients in a newly expanded and upgraded facility that features the most advanced state-of-the-art technology for performing LASIK surgery and other vision correction procedures.
The center's recently acquired VISX Star S4 eye surgery laser is larger than previous systems used for surgeries such as LASIK and required additional space. The re-modeled area measures 20 feet by 14 feet, compared to its former 12 feet by 11 feet dimensions. The expanded facility provides more storage space and additional room for observers.

Iowa Lions Eye Bank to Open Satellite Office in Ames
The Iowa Lions Eye Bank in Iowa City is scheduled to open a satellite office in Ames on Saturday, February 1.
The Lions of Iowa Council of Governors voted unanimously in October to provide space for the satellite office in the Iowa Lions State Office building at the junction of Highways 30 and 69 in Ames.

Dean Bok, PhD to serve as Helen C. Levitt Visiting Professor in 2003
Dr. Dean Bok will serve during his sabbatical from the University of California in Los Angeles as the 2003 Helen C. Levitt Visiting Professor at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. more...

Ophthalmologists use advanced laser system to improve vision
UI Healthcare New Release.

2002

Resolution recognizes the contributions of Dr. Thomas A. Weingeist to the American Academy of Ophthalmology during his service as President during 2002.(click on image for photograph and text of the Resolution)

Keith D. Carter, MD Recognized
	Dr. Keith Carter's contributions to ophthalmology and medicine have been recognized in the book, Breaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in Ophthalmology. Slack, Inc, 2002. ISBN 1-55642-608-9. pdf file...

UI Ophthalmologists Listed in 2002 "Best Doctors in America"
Twelve University of Iowa Health Care ophthalmologists have been selected for inclusion in 2002 Best Doctors in America® database. More...

UI Glaucoma Research Recognition
The International Glaucoma Review (IGR), a publication of the Association of International Glaucoma Societies, has recognized several papers from the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. More...

The 7th Annual Ophthalmology Times survey that ranks the top Ophthalmology programs in the United States, Iowa again ranked in the top ten in all four categories. Iowa was ranked the third in Best Overall Ophthalmology Programs and Best Residency Programs, 4th in Clinical (Patient Care) Ranking, and tied for 6th in Research Programs. See full text of Ophthalmology Times article (pdf file). Ophthalmology Times, October 15, 2002

Once again U.S. News and World Reports has rated the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences the # 6 eye department in the nation. The 2002 rankings appear in the July 22, 2002 issue. This marks the 8th consecutive year that the department has received this prestigious ranking (# 6) and the 11th consecutive year of being in the Top Ten.

Hayreh to receive the 2003 Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has selected Dr. Sohan Hayreh to receive the 2003 Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology for outstanding contributions to visual sciences and ophthalmology. The Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology is presented to an individual in recognition of distinguished scholarly contributions to the clinical practice of ophthalmology.

Stone and Sheffield -- Roy J. Carver Research Programs of Excellence
Edwin M. Stone, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and director of the UI Carver Laboratory for Ophthalmic Molecular Diagnosis, and Val C. Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatrics have been named one of 5 Carver Research Programs of Excellence. These programs are funded as part of a $63 million grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine. More...

Dr. Edwin Stone Appointed as Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
A University of Iowa physician and researcher has received a major honor and support of his research into the genetics of many inherited blinding diseases through his appointment May 28th as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. Ed Stone, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, is one of only 12 scientists nationwide to receive an HHMI appointment this year. He is the first ophthalmologist and the fifth University of Iowa investigator ever to receive such an appointment. More...

Wolfe Clinic Foundation Gift Endows Ophthalmology Lecture Series
A University of Iowa ophthalmology lecture series supported annually for 30 years by the Wolfe Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa, will now be endowed permanently by that foundation's $100,000 gift to the UI Foundation.

UI ophthalmology researchers receive Research to Prevent Blindness grant (UI Healthcare News, February 5, 2002)
A $110,000 grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) will help investigators in the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences pursue clinical and basic research studies.

2001 and earlier

Weingeist, other UI Department of Ophthalmology staff to lead national professional organizations
Several members of the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences recently won election to the presidency of their professional organizations.

Dr. Thomas Weingeist completes term as medical editor of EyeNet Magazine, installed as President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology

UI researchers receive grant to create eye device (Nov. 19, 2001)
A University of Iowa Health Care project to develop an instrument to better diagnose and treat eye diseases that cause vision loss has received another boost in funding. Randy Kardon, M.D., Ph.D., and Young H. Kwon, M.D., Ph.D., in conjunction with Kestrel Corporation in Albuquerque, N.M., have received a two-year, $750,000 phase two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Eye Institute.

UI Center for Macular Degeneration to begin public health campaign (Sept. 13, 2001)
The Low Vision Rehabilitation Service in the University of Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration has joined entertainer Harry Belafonte and hundreds of other vision rehabilitation organizations from across the country in a major public health campaign to create greater awareness of how people who are blind or partially sighted can overcome the challenges of vision impairment through counseling and training and low vision rehabilitative services.

Macular Degeneration Trial (AREDS) Results Released October 12, 2001

William E. Scott Honored (UI Press Release June 21, 2001)
Dr.Scott honored for his dedication to protecting the vision of children with the creation of the endowed chair that will bear his name. More About the Endowment Fund.

Dr. Alward's Gonioscopy Atlas Book Recognized

Dr. Alward's Color Atlas of Gonioscopy was listed as one of the "One Hundred Important Ophthalmology Books of the 20th Century" in the May 2001, issue of Archives of Ophthalmology (Thompson HS and Blanchard DL, Arch Ophthalmol 119:761-763, 2001). The full text version of this article, with annotations for each of the hundred entries, is available at http://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/dept/20thCenturyBooks.

Team Identified Mutated Genes Associated with Obesity, Diabetes (UI Press Release May 9, 2001)
An international research team led by University of Iowa Health Care investigators has identified two mutated genes that cause certain features of a rare, recessive inherited disorder called Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS).
While the syndrome occurs in less than one in 10,000 persons, the genetic findings, known as BBS2 and BBS4, have implications for understanding obesity, diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) in the general population, said the study's principal investigator Val Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., UI professor of pediatrics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute associate investigator. Edwin Stone, M.D., Ph.D., UI professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, served as co-principal investigator for the studies.

UI receives grant from Knights Templar Eye Foundation to promote eye research (UI Press Release February 9, 2001)
The University of Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration recently received a $15,000 grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to produce video programs promoting eye research.

UI researchers in ophthalmology receive Research to Prevent Blindness grant (UI Press Release February 8, 2001)
Investigators in the University of Iowa department of ophthalmology and visual sciences have received a $110,000 grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), the world's leading voluntary organization that supports eye research.

Weingeist elected President-Elect of American Academy of Ophthalmology (UI Press Release February 1, 2001)
University of Iowa head and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, was elected president-elect of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), effective Jan. 1. The AAO president-elect automatically becomes president the year following the appointment.

Low Vision Service Receives Grant from Knights Templar Eye Foundation (UI Press Release, January 29, 2001)
The University of Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration's Low Vision Service has received a $150,000 grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to help provide funding to people who will benefit from low vision devices but who do not have the financial resources to acquire them. The award, which was presented at a ceremony at the UI on January 19, 2001, includes a $100,000 contribution from the national organization and a $50,000 contribution from the organization's Iowa group.

Dr. Sohan Singh Hayreh has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India). The award of Fellowship of the academy is an honor bestowed as an acknowledgement of his achievements in the profession. (release date: January 12, 2001).

UI Ophthalmologist Helps Raise Glaucoma Awareness (UI Press release, January 12, 2001)
Glaucoma, a disease of the optic nerve, can become quite advanced before someone with the condition recognizes he or she has a problem. To prevent irreversible vision loss, Wallace Alward, M.D., University of Iowa professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and director of the UI Glaucoma Service, suggests that people with certain risk factors or those who have never been examined for glaucoma set up an examination with their eye doctor.

John Carlson's IOWA: U of I tackles macular degeneration. (Des Moines Register. October 4, 2000)
Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. In most instances, it comes with age. With a rapidly aging population, and with people living longer, the condition will become a true crisis over the next 20 years and beyond. Which brings us to a group of laboratories scattered around the University of Iowa campus. Patients who come to the huge hospital's eye clinic don't visit these places. Few people do. This is where 14 doctors and more than 100 staffers and assistants are trying to find a way to prevent macular degeneration in future generations. That is years away, and what Dr. Edwin Stone wants people to understand is that life doesn't come to an end when the disease hits. (Read the entire column)

Stone Studies Macular Degeneration (Albuquerque Journal, Dec. 11, 2000)
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, N.M., Dec. 11 -- Macular degeneration will become increasingly widespread with the aging of the population. From an estimated 2.7 million cases in the United States in 1970, the number of cases is expected to soar to 7.5 million by 2030. "It's not somebody else's problem. It's our problem," said Dr. Edwin Stone, director of the Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. "It's going to become a really catastrophic social problem." Stone's focus has been on genetic research for macular degeneration-that's where many scientists suspect a lot of promise may lie for treatment and prevention.

UI Researchers receive $3.3 million from National Eye Institute (press release November 20, 2000)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa Health Care researchers, along with a colleague in the UI College of Engineering, have received a two-year, $3.3 million contract from the National Eye Institute (NEI) for their project, "Gene Discovery in the Visual System." The UI team's goal is to identify 30,000 different genes expressed in various regions of the human eye. "It is anticipated that the information and resources generated in this project will facilitate future research aimed at the understanding of the molecular processes underlying human eye diseases," said the study's principal researcher M. Bento Soares, Ph.D., UI associate professor of pediatrics, and physiology and biophysics. Soares will work with four co-principal UI investigators: Val. C. Sheffield, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatrics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute associate investigator; Thomas L. Casavant, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering in the UI College of Engineering; Edwin M. Stone, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences; and Gregory S. Hageman, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences.

UI Ophthalmologists Receive National Eye Institute Award (press release November 15, 2000)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Two University of Iowa Health Care researchers, in conjunction with Kestrel Corporation in Albuquerque, N.M., have received a $100,000 phase one Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Eye Institute. Randy Kardon, M.D., Ph.D., UI associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, and Young Kwon, M.D., Ph.D., UI assistant professor also in the department, will use the award to help develop an instrument that images and analyzes spectral properties of the retina. The instrument would be used for improved diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases that cause visual loss.

UI pediatric low vision outreach begins 20th year of assisting children (press release November 13, 2000)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Even with the best medical care, some children's vision impairments cannot be fully reversed. In these cases, statewide services that are available with the help of the University of Iowa Pediatric Low Vision Service can assist youngsters, from birth to age 21, in developing skills to compensate for their low vision.
Now beginning its 20th year of service, the program is considered a model program in rural states. Coordinated through the Iowa Braille School, the Iowa Department of Education, local education agencies and the UI department of ophthalmology and visual sciences, the program assists 250 to 300 children annually.
Each spring and fall, UI eye care experts and other professionals travel throughout Iowa to provide free evaluations and support services to children and young adults whose visual impairments make it difficult for them to read, write, use computers, watch television or be physically active. "The program couples medical and educational expertise to develop solutions that help children with visual impairments function in school and at home," said Mark Wilkinson, optometrist and director of low vision rehabilitation services at the UI Center for Macular Degeneration. The UI low vision service also includes Christine Sindt, optometrist, and Patti Heitshusen, clinical technician, both in ophthalmology and visual sciences.
Wilkinson started the program in 1981 through the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.
For more information about statewide low vision services for children, call the UI Low Vision Rehabilitation Service at (319) 356-8301 or the Iowa Braille School at (319) 472-5221, extension 1202.

UI ophthalmologist receives Research to Prevent Blindness award (press release September 11, 2000)
A University of Iowa Health Care ophthalmologist has received a $180,000 Career Development Award from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB). The four-year award was effective in July and will support research by Andrew J. Lotery, M.D., who recently joined the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences as an assistant professor.
This is the first time the UI has received an RPB Career Development Award. The award fund was established by the RPB in 1990 to attract young physicians and scientists to eye research. Lotery was nominated for the award last year by Thomas A. Weingeist, M.D., Ph.D., UI professor and head of ophthalmology and visual sciences, with the intent that Lotery would join the UI faculty and spend 75 percent or more of his time engaged in basic and clinical research.
Lotery's research involves investigating the genetic causes of blinding conditions of childhood such as Leber congenital amaurosis, a condition in which children are born blind. He also studies the genetic causes of age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the elderly in the Western world, and works towards methods of delivering gene therapy to the human eye. Such therapy may eventually also contribute to a cure for Batten disease, which blinds and ultimately kills those affected by it.

UI researchers identify mutated gene associated with form of blindness (press release February 1, 2000)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- A research team led by University of Iowa Health Care investigators has identified a gene that, when mutated, causes a hereditary form of blindness. Although the type of blindness is rare, the researchers hope that the methods and models they developed to study the condition will help in investigations of other forms of blindness. In the February 2000, issue of Nature Genetics, the researchers report that 94 percent of the subjects they screened who have Enhanced S-cone Syndrome (ESCS) have a mutated NR2E3 gene located on chromosome 15. ESCS is a gradually deteriorating condition, initially involving loss of night and peripheral vision.

UI researchers honored for outstanding glaucoma research (press release January 25, 1999)
The New York Academy of Medicine awarded the 1998 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize to the UI investigators for the paper entitled "Identification of a gene that causes primary open angle glaucoma". Science. 275(5300):668-70, 1997. The prize, announced on Jan. 25, 1999, was funded by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation in New York. The Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize is awarded annually since 1995 in honor of Lewis Rudin, a New York City real estate developer. The May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation supports the work of individuals and programs in hundreds of cultural, educational and health care facilities in New York and nationwide. The New York Academy of Medicine, a leader in urban health since 1847, is an independent, non-profit educational and research institution dedicated to improving the health of the public. The $50,000 award will be contributed to the UI Foundation to support further research at the UI into the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.

UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Celebrates 75 Years of Patient Care and Research (Press Release March 20, 2000)

Congressman Jim Leach Visits Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Coming To Your Senses, a screening program for Iowa's children.