From the Chair
Saving sight every way we can
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We have a great deal to celebrate this spring. We are just a year away from dedicating the Kellogg Eye Center Expansion, and while staff prepare to move into the new facility, we are continuing to recruit the clinical and research faculty who will help to expand our program. Friends of the Eye Center have responded to our program needs and have been especially generous at just the right time. Meanwhile, there is much to do in our current clinics, where faculty provide world-class care to our patients every day.
Two such stories are reported in this issue. Dr. Mark Johnson, a highly respected retina specialist, treated a young man who was in danger of losing his sight to complications from diabetes. It was not easy for Adam Hull to stick with the recommended treatment, but he did, and the outcome, according to Adam, was “awesome.”
Another message of hope comes from Dr. John Heckenlively. In a newly published study he has shown, for the first time, that it is possible for patients with autoimmune retinopathy to regain vision after treatment. There is, however, a huge obstacle: it is extremely difficult to identify individuals who have this rare and complex condition. Dr. Heckenlively, an international expert on retinal dystrophies, reports on his experience in diagnosing the disease and on using immunosuppression therapy to treat patients successfully.
Recruiting new faculty is a pleasure, and I am delighted to welcome our newest faculty member, Terry J. Smith, M.D., an endocrinologist who has made remarkable strides in his research on Graves’ eye disease. In its advanced stage, this autoimmune condition can be devastating, causing loss of vision and even blindness. The link between hyperthyroidism and eye manifestations has been poorly understood. However, Dr. Smith’s research has presented a new way of looking at Graves’ and his findings are applicable to many other autoimmune diseases.
It is also with great appreciation that I thank friends who continue to support the building campaign and our research program. For example, Mr. Larry Miller, an early campaign leader, has recently extended his generosity to the Department’s scientists. Thanks to Mr. Miller, our scientists are about to acquire state-of-the-art equipment—confocal microscopes—that will allow them to achieve images of exceptional depth and precision. This is the kind of equipment that can make a real difference in a research program.
Finally, I invite you to save an important date: April 23, 2010. We’ll celebrate the opening of the Brehm Tower and the Kellogg Eye Center Expansion. There will be two separate symposia on the latest in ophthalmology practice and diabetes research, a grand celebration, a reception, and tours of the new building. Please mark your calendars and be sure to join us next April.
Paul R. Lichter, M.D.
F. Bruce Fralick Professor and Chair
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Director, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center
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