Unparalleled Uveitis Care

Chair's Message

As ophthalmologists, we know many of our patients tend to view the eyes as separate entities from the other body systems. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially as we work to advance education and treatments for a significant cause of preventable blindness in the United States: uveitis.

In uveitis, we see a range of inflammatory diseases manifest in the uvea to produce swelling and threaten sight. The John A. Moran Eye Center’s Uveitis Division took shape in 2003 when I recruited Albert T. Vitale, MD. Akbar Shakoor, MD, and Marissa B. Larochelle, MD, later joined him. Together they comprise the only uveitis division between Colorado and California and are among a small number of fellowship-trained uveitis specialists nationwide.

The team provides unparalleled expertise and hope for patients, treating conditions that require long-term, skilled management to increase quality of life in the absence of a cure. I like to think of our division as a triple threat, leading the field forward on a national scale, training one fellow each year, and working closely with colleagues in rheumatology.

Their leadership has been multifaceted, with a host of publications, high-profile clinical trials, new screening protocols, and book chapters. These contributions to advance care have been especially noteworthy over the past year. I hope you’ll take away valuable insight from the case studies and updates featured in this edition of "Clinical Focus."

Sincerely,

Randall J Olson, MD

Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah

CEO, John A. Moran Eye Center