John A. Moran Eye Center Focus 2024

John A. Moran Eye Center | University of Utah Health

FOCUS

Remembering John A. Moran: A Lasting Legacy

RESEARCH

Crandall Center Glaucoma

Initiatives in Action

RESEARCH

Meet Moran’s Pioneering Neuroscientists

Official Publication of the John A. Moran Eye Center University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132

John A. Moran Eye Center

65 Mario Capecchi Drive

Salt Lake City, Utah 84132

801-581-2352

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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MORAN EYE CENTER FOCUS 2024

Support Program for Those with Low Vision

A special thanks to the many hard-working Moran Eye Center employees, management, health care workers, physicians, patients, and researchers who generously contributed their time and talent to make this publication possible.

Re search work highlighted in this publication was supported by an Unrestricted Research Grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, New York, to the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah.

©️ 2024 John A. Moran Eye Center. All rights reserved. The Moran Eye Center does not assume responsibility for any representation therein, nor the quality or deliverability of the product. Reproductions of articles or photographs, in whole or in part, contained herein are prohibited without the publisher’s express written consent, unless otherwise stated.

Message from the Chair

The passing of John A. Moran has given me pause to reflect on the legacy he’s left behind.

John was a man of great intelligence with a work ethic that made the impossible possible—for his dreams and those of others. I was lucky to have him as a friend and even luckier that he shared my vision for an eye center that really could change the world. It is a privilege to be surrounded by people who are always looking forward.

We dedicate this edition of FOCUS to John, and we are proud to share developments that are getting us closer to his goal of curing blindness.

The Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation, led by Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, is an excellent example of thinking big. This effort is ramping up with new hires as we build a dream team to attack this disease on all fronts. We recently welcomed Zachary W. Davis, PhD, as a key part of an effort to develop new disease models. We’ve also got new projects on deck, including a collaboration with Frans Vinberg, PhD, that would allow him to study glaucoma using functioning postmortem retinal cells.

Additionally, Crandall Center Associate Director David Krizaj, PhD, is in the final stretch of experiments for a new glaucoma therapy.

In this edition, don’t miss getting to know Kristine Marcroft, the first Moran Eye Center patient to test our new gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She is an amazing person and an example of why Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, and I embarked on a journey to cure AMD nearly 15 years ago.

Randall J Olson, MD, and John A. Moran share the stage at a gala in 2006 celebrating the opening of the present 210,000-square-foot eye center building.

In cutting-edge clinical research, Moran Vice Chair for Clinical and Basic Science Research Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, is collaborating to build a surgical robot that will assist in retinal surgeries. This is the trickiest part of the eye for a surgeon to reach, and robotic devices hold great promise for optimizing outcomes for our patients.

Of course, John’s rich legacy can be seen each day in the quality of patient care and education programs (both ranked among the nation’s Top 10) and in the dedication of our outreach team to increasing access to care.

The future is coming, and we’re helping build it.

Sincerely,

Randall J Olson, MD

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

The Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair CEO, John A. Moran Eye Center Director, University of Utah Vision Institute

2023-2024

Moran Advisory Council

TONI BLOOMBERG

La Jolla, California

WILLIAM “BILL” CHILD

Salt Lake City, Utah

THOMAS “TIM” DEE III

Salt Lake City, Utah

We are saddened to acknowledge the 2023 passing of council member John E. Warnock, PhD. He was a dear friend of the Moran Eye Center, and he is missed.

CHRISTENA HUNTSMAN DURHAM

Salt Lake City, Utah

SPENCER F. ECCLES

Salt Lake City, Utah

CHRISTINE A. FAIRCLOUGH

Salt Lake City, Utah

WAYNE A. IMBRESCIA

John A. Moran Eye Center

CLAUDIA S. LUTTRELL

Salt Lake City, Utah

RANDALL J OLSON, MD

John A. Moran Eye Center

LYNN WARD

John A. Moran Eye Center

NORM A. ZABRISKIE, MD

John A. Moran Eye Center

A portrait of John A. Moran painted by Fred Mason hangs in the lobby of the Moran Eye Center.

A Generous Philanthropist — a Dream to Restore Vision IN MEMORIAM: John A. Moran

John A. Moran often shared a simple mantra: “You won’t be remembered for how much money you made; you will be remembered for what you did with it.”

Upon his passing on September 23, 2023, at the age of 91, Moran was recognized not only as a business leader whose success exemplified the American Dream, but also as a man who heeded his own words.

Moran dedicated much of the wealth he earned during his finance career to worthy nonprofit organizations nationwide. At the University of Utah, his beloved alma mater, he left a beacon of hope bearing his name: the John A. Moran Eye Center.

Moran wanted the center to provide compassionate care and make breakthroughs in research to improve the treatment of blinding eye diseases.

“It is my hope that the research and the work that’s being done here will prevent diseases of the eye that cause blindness, and God willing, restore sight to people who have lost their vision,” said Moran in tearful remarks at a news conference opening the current Moran Eye Center building.

Today, the center he championed is ranked among the 10 best in the nation for its care, education, and research and is known for its outreach to increase access to eye care in Utah and around the world.

“John’s death leaves a huge hole in our hearts,” says Moran Eye Center CEO Randall J Olson, MD.

“He was a true friend with a desire to help others, and his dedication to our vision to provide hope, understanding, and treatment deeply motivated me and everyone at Moran to strive for excellence. We share our condolences with the Moran family, we honor John’s extraordinary life, and we are thankful to be a part of his legacy.”

Moran was born in Los Angeles on March 22, 1932, and his family moved to Salt Lake City in 1941. His father, who did not attend college, stressed the importance of an education. After high school, Moran enrolled at the University of Utah and worked as a city flag boy for the Salt Lake City road crew, rewinding signal wire at Hill Air Force Base, and as a waiter to pay his tuition.

He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity at the U. Moran’s father passed away from cancer shortly before his son earned a banking and finance degree in 1954.

After graduation, Moran spent three years in the U.S. Navy and served as an intelligence officer on the staff of the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet from 1955 to 1958.

He then began his finance career at investment banking firm Blyth & Company Inc.

In 1967, Moran joined Dyson-Kissner Corp., a private holding company with a portfolio of companies, including businesses engaged in manufacturing, retailing, distribution, financial services, and real estate development. When he became a partner, the company was renamed Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corp. Moran served as its president and CEO before retiring in 1998.

A major contributor and fund-raiser for the Republican Party, Moran served as chairman of the Republican National Finance Committee from 1993 to 1995. He then became finance chairman of the Dole for President Campaign and co-chaired the Republican Leadership Council of Washington, D.C. He also co-chaired John McCain’s National Finance Committee.

At the University of Utah, Moran held an honorary Doctorate of Law and served on the school’s National Advisory Council, where he met Olson.

W hile Moran had no vision issue himself or in his family, he was deeply moved by his mother’s teachings and Olson’s dedication to restoring sight.

Moran wrote: “When Dr. Olson told me about his dream to carry out research that might someday restore vision to the blind, it brought to my mind stories from the Bible that my mother had read to me as a child.

“As a little boy, I was particularly touched by the story of the blind beggar, the power of faith, and the miraculous restoration of his sight. One of the reasons the Moran Eye Center exists is because my mother planted within me a belief in miracles.

“The story of the blind man transcends one man and his dream and hope for vision. It reminds us that, as individuals, we must never give up hope that we can accomplish things that were previously considered impossible. That irresistible sense of hope that exists in each of us can be felt in this new building, in the hearts of those who will be caring for patients, and in those who are working to advance the science of human sight.”

A gift from Moran established the first center building. He also contributed to opening the current Moran Eye Center building in 2006. Moran was instrumental in designing the five-story center, which has a wall of glass windows that allow patients to see

John A. Moran, front, joined Randall J Olson, MD, next in line, and other University of Utah officials for the opening of the first Moran Eye Center in 1993.

amazing views of the Salt Lake Valley after receiving sight-restoring surgeries and treatment.

Moran’s legacy at the University of Utah extends beyond vision. He was a passionate supporter of many areas on campus, including the L.S. Skaggs Jr. Pharmacy Research Building, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Throughout his lifetime, Moran served as director, trustee, and member at numerous organizations, companies, and institutions. He was a trustee of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he financed the John A. and Carole O. Moran Gallery for later Roman art and sarcophagi, and of the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovation Cancer Research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Moran was a director of the United Nations Association and the Foreign Policy Association.

In 2008, the Woodrow Wilson International Center selected Moran for its Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Award. In 2012, Moran received the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, which celebrates values including “personal initiative and perseverance, leadership and commitment to excellence, belief

in the free-enterprise system and the importance of higher education, community service, and the vision and determination to achieve a better future.”

In an interview accepting the Horatio Alger award, Moran humbly shared his philosophy on success: “It’s not the money,” he said. “Success is being satisfied with what you’ve accomplished, comfortable with yourself in terms of what you’re doing. That’s all I am. No better, no worse than anybody else.”

Moran is survived by his wife, Carole; daughters, Kellie, Marisa, and Elizabeth; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

From left: John A. Moran, right, participates with Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD, in ground-breaking, ribbon-cutting, and opening ceremonies for the current eye center building.

John A. Moran, left, and Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD, at the 2006 gala celebrating the opening of the current Moran Eye Center on the University of Utah campus.

“I

don’t want my children, grandchildren, or anyone else to have to deal with this.”

— Kristine Marcroft, the first Utah patient to test a new gene therapy for AMD developed at the Moran Eye Center.

Coming Full Circle

Moran age-related macular degeneration patient becomes the first to test its new gene therapy in Utah.

Kristine Marcroft has so many good memories of times with her dad.

She recalls how they wrangled sheep on their ranch in central Utah, found the best fishing spots, and toured scenic back roads. Her dad, Kristine says, was a voracious reader who taught her to pursue knowledge, to be her own person, and most of all to enjoy life.

It was difficult to see him lose his eyesight in his golden years. Marcroft watched as her father and uncle, a physician, were blinded by the same disease: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Then, at the age of 60, Marcroft began her own struggle with AMD as it began to take away her central vision. She knew it was time to retire from a longtime career working at the Salt Lake County Jail when she couldn’t see documents clearly, even using a magnifying glass.

W hen Marcroft heard patients were needed to test a new gene therapy for AMD developed at the Moran Eye Center’s Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine (SCTM), she thought about the risks. But she didn’t hesitate to volunteer.

“I don’t want my children, grandchildren, or anyone else to have to deal with this,” says Marcroft, now 70. “It was a no-brainer, and I am going blind in that eye anyway.”

In June 2023, Marcroft joined patients in Texas and Boston participating in a study to evaluate the safety of the new therapy. She made history as the first patient to receive the therapy at Moran.

Marcroft comes every few weeks for testing. She undergoes visual testing with an eye chart, extensive imaging of her eyes, and a dilated eye exam to inspect her retina.

Led by Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, SCTM researchers were the first to fully explain the genetics of a disease that can feel inescapable for some families. Genetic mutations on chromosomes 1 and 10 account for 90 percent of a person’s risk of developing AMD. Marcroft has chromosome 1 disease, the most common form. The SCTM therapy was injected into her eye.

A second testing phase will begin in 2024 to evaluate how effective the therapy is at preserving vision. The hope: one day, a single injection can be given to people at high risk for AMD or in the early stages of the disease to stop it from progressing or maybe even prevent it.

The SCTM isn’t stopping there. Its researchers have multiple therapies in their pipeline— including one for people with chromosome-10-driven AMD.

How the Therapy Works at the Cellular Level

A surgeon injects a protective gene into cells in the eye to provide protection against AMD.

Harmless

Research Boost

Scientists awarded $3.8 million for leading-edge age-related macular degeneration work.

Backed by $3.8 million in new federal funding, internationally renowned clinicianscientists Monika Fleckenstein, MD, and Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, are forging new ground in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research.

The two National Eye Institute (NEI) grants will span five years.

The first grant supports a study of patients with so-called “dry” AMD who experience abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye without the ruptures and leakage experienced by patients with “wet” AMD. Fleckenstein and Schmitz-Valckenberg want to know if this type of vessel growth is the body’s attempt to preserve vision by getting more nutrition to degenerating cells in the back of the eye. A second grant funds research seeking ways to use imaging to more accurately detect and monitor the onset of dry late-stage AMD, which patients can have without experiencing symptoms. In theory, therapies administered in this stage of the disease could save a large portion of patients from progressive vision loss.

Fleckenstein and her team will examine patients in clinical studies. SchmitzValckenberg, who directs the Utah Retinal Reading Center at Moran, will analyze highresolution retinal imaging and functional tests.

Schmitz-Valckenberg and Fleckenstein are key members of Moran’s Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine. The NEI grants are “The Impact of Non-Exudative Type 1 Macular Neovascularization on AMD Progression” and “Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in AMD.”

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD

Ophthalmic imaging shows the early-to-late-stage progression, over 13 years, of geographic atrophy in a patient with “dry” AMD.

An image of human vitreous, shown after dissection and incubation in saline, from the laboratory of Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD.

New Federal Funding

Additional Moran researchers received significant National Eye Institute funding in 2023 that will provide a better understanding of blinding eye diseases and conditions.

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

$1,575,896 through 2027

“Elucidating the Role of Very-long-chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal Health and Disease”

Bernstein will examine the role of fatty acids found in the eye’s retina. Insights could guide the development of new therapies that use a synthetic version of fatty acids to treat age-related macular degeneration.

Eileen S. Hwang, MD, PhD

$951,220 through 2028

“Cellular, Molecular and Physical Mechanisms of Vitreous Structural Heterogeneity Underlying Posterior Vitreous Detachment”

Hwang will study age-related changes in the vitreous, or gel that fills the eye, which can cause blinding retinal detachments. Understanding this process could help identify a way to prevent retinal detachments in high-risk patients.

David Krizaj, PhD

$1,925,000 through 2028

“Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction in the Aqueous Outflow Pathway”

Krizaj will study pressure-sensing cells in the eyes. Insights could lead to new treatments for the high intraocular pressures and optic nerve death associated with glaucoma.

Frans Vinberg, PhD

$1,924,792 through 2028

“Functional Plasticity in Retinal Degenerative Disease”

Vinberg will study how neurons in the retina change during aging or disease. A better understanding of this can lead to the development of new therapies with better outcomes.

Jun Yang, PhD

$1,876,576 through 2027

“Disease Mechanism of Usher Syndrome 2”

Yang will study Usher syndrome, a rare disease that combines blindness from retinitis pigmentosa with hearing loss. The findings will provide insights into the disease in hopes of developing a cure.

The Future of Eye Surgery

A Moran lab and campus robotics colleagues are developing a new device with the potential to transform eye surgery.

Spaces in the back of the eye below the retina measure just fractions of a millimeter—a tight spot for talented surgeons with steady hands to access even under the best of circumstances.

If a sedated patient snores or moves slightly, surgery can become even more challenging.

A new robotic eye surgery device developed by Moran’s Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, and the University of Utah Magnetic & Medical Robotics Laboratory aims to transform retinal surgery by increasing precision and safety.

“Robotic surgery is the future, allowing us to go past the limits of what humans can do,” says Bernstein, a retinal specialist and scientist. “This device, in particular, is important as many new therapies, including gene therapies for retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration, must be delivered by subretinal injections into this minute space in the eye.”

During eye surgery, patients are typically under some level of sedation but not general anesthesia. They may snore or make sudden movements, which can increase the risk of injury to the patient’s retina, a delicate layer of light-sensing tissue essential for vision.

The noninvasive device consists of a helmet-like structure worn by the patient. A small robot is attached to the structure, which moves with the patient. A surgeon controls the robot by using a joystick device that filters out any hand tremors.

Experiments have shown the device to be highly successful at preventing complications due to patient movement, says Ja ke Abbott, PhD, director of the robotics lab.

“We think of our robots as tools for surgeons,” he says.

Researchers have been testing the device on animal eyeballs resting on swim goggles worn by human volunteers. This allows them to evaluate the precision of the device under realistic conditions.

“This patient-motion aspect has been neglected in a lot of other research,” says Nick Posselli, a graduate student in mechanical engineering who has worked with Abbott to develop the device over the past seven years.

Since only a small number of surgeons are qualified to perform subretinal injections, the device could increase the number of surgeons who can perform them.

“Retinal surgery is a technically difficult surgery and takes a while to master, so for people in the earlier stages of their career, having robotic assistance can ma ke it safer and more effective,” Bernstein says.

Bernstein praised the cross-disciplinary collaboration with University of Utah engineers. The group anticipates publishing new results in the near future.

“The next step,” he says, “is to refine the system that’s working well on these models so we can take it to the next stage, which is human use.”

The head-set portion of the surgical device is displayed in a Moran lab, with graduate student Zach Olson posing as a patient.

Glaucoma Innovation in Action

The Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation, led by

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, was created to lead the field in four high-impact initiatives. Catch up on the latest below.

Surgical & Medical Therapeutics: Precision Medicine

Glaucoma provides a perfect example of why tailoring therapies and treatments to individual needs is widely viewed as the future of medicine.

“Precision medicine can make all the difference in glaucoma patients because the disease is so different for each person in terms of how fast it progresses and fluctuations in intraocular pressure,” explains Ahmed, an internationally renowned surgeon who consults on device development for more than 50 companies.

In September 2023, Ahmed began the first in-human clinical study of the Calibreye System developed by Myra Vision. After placing it in the eye, physicians can adjust

this next-generation drainage device to decrease or increase drainage without additional surgery as a patient’s treatment needs change.

Since glaucoma progresses differently for each person, testing throughout one patient’s lifetime generates thousands of data points about intraocular pressure, corneal thickness, and rates of optic nerve deterioration. Researcher and glaucoma specialist Brian C. Stagg, MD, has developed an analytic system to help physicians sort through the data to decide on the best treatments and timing for follow-up testing.

“My goal is to allow glaucoma doctors to assess the data more quickly and adapt it to their patients’ needs,” says Stagg. “It is personalized medicine at the point of care.”

Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, has been leading a clinical study of the Myra Vision Calibreye System, pictured in the background, a laser-assisted device that would improve customized glaucoma treatments for patients.

Translational Research: Genetics Study

Thirty years after others told him there was nothing to be done for a leading cause of blindness among people 55 and older, initiative Director Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, and his team have changed our understanding of age-related macular degeneration, clarified its genetics, and developed a new therapy for its most prevalent form.

Now, Hageman is launching a large-scale study into glaucoma. A new partnership with a major pharmaceutical company will study thousands of proteins associated with the disease.

“Glaucoma is a complex disease that emerges as a consequence of the aging process, systemic factors, and genetic makeup, although the data on a major role for genetics is extremely weak,” says Hageman. “Our studies are designed to develop a rich understanding of glaucoma to discover gene-directed pathways to identify and develop new therapies.”

Neuroprotection-Based Therapies: Expanding Team

Crandall Center Associate Director David Krizaj, PhD, and research collaborators from the University of Utah Department of Chemistry and College of Pharmacy are in the final stretch of experiments for a powerful new therapy to lower pressure associated with glaucoma and prevent optic nerve cells from dying—a function known as neuroprotection. Backed by a venture capital funder, he is conducting clinical studies as the last step before applying to the FDA to test in humans.

The initiative grew in January as neuroscience researcher Zachary Davis, PhD, joined the Moran Eye Center. Working with Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD, his lab is assisting in Crandall Center efforts to develop glaucoma disease models and techniques for studying the impact of glaucoma on visual perception in the brain.

Another Moran collaborator, Frans Vinberg, PhD, plans to conduct testing on functioning human photoreceptor cells to study signaling when the cells are exposed to pressure.

Global Care: Physician Training in Africa

Glaucoma is severe in Africa, where an estimated 4% of the population over the age of 40 has the disease.

Moran’s Global Outreach Division has begun training three physicians in Mwanza, Tanzania, to detect glaucoma earlier and employ treatment options, including surgery, to preserve vision.

Initiative Director Craig J. Chaya, MD, who also serves as senior medical director of the Global Outreach Division, traveled with Moran Global Fellow Shawn Gulati, MD, MPH, to Tanzania in 2023 to establish a glaucoma fellowship training program. There, they are training Drs. Nuru Mwambola, James Shimba, and Frank Sandi. The division also has hosted medical professionals from Tanzania at Moran and started remote surgical mentorship training sessions.

“In low-resource countries, the focus has been on cataracts, and we have had great success in expanding access to that type of care,” says Chaya. “Now many people are looking to treat glaucoma because the disease is so prevalent.”

Microscopy and color labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the cells that form the optic nerve and are damaged by glaucoma. Courtesy of Krizaj Laboratory members Monika Lakk, PhD, and Chris Rudzitis.

MEET MORAN’S RENOWNED BRAIN SCIENTISTS Q&A

Surprisingly little is known about the brain and its disorders. Moran Eye Center researchers Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD, and Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD, are studying visual neurons to change that. Here they discuss their pioneering vision research, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.

What are the main questions your research is trying to answer?

Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD

Angelucci: Specialized nerve cells called neurons carry messages in the brain. Neurons work together in teams, creating circuits that help us process certain kinds of information; for example, one circuit allows us to recognize individual faces. My lab studies these circuits, especially in the visual cortex region of the brain responsible for producing vision.

The visual cortex works a bit like building blocks. It builds visual information, bit by bit, starting in the lower centers with the recognition of simple features of objects, such as their contour, color, and shape, and ending in higher centers with the recognition of complex object features and whole objects such as faces. Our goal is to learn not only how individual areas of the brain communicate aspects of vision, such as shape and color, but also how it merges that information into a single scene. We believe this information merge helps us literally distinguish the forest from the trees.

Noudoost: My lab focuses on understanding selective attention and working memory. How does the brain focus attention on one particular aspect of a visual scene?

We record and study communication between individual neurons to better understand communication between different areas of the brain responsible for processing aspects of a visual scene, such as color, motion, and shape. We also work to identify what can affect communication between neurons. For example, we have shown dopamine levels impact the brain’s attentional capacity or how much information it can process at once.

Q A A Q A &

What is most innovative about your research?

Angelucci: I always want to find the most useful technology to answer the questions I want to ask. If that technology doesn’t exist in my lab, we develop it. Over the past 10 years, we’ve developed a new technology that allows us to fill neurons with a fluorescent protein and reveal the shape and roadmap of a brain circuit. This is enabling us to build a diagram of the brain by specific cell types.

Our focus on what scientists call feedback — the exchange of information from higher to lower centers in the brain— also makes our lab unique.

Noudoost: Since the brain has about 10 billion neurons and more than trillions of connections, identifying these communicating neurons can feel a little like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, recent technological developments have given us the ability to identify which neurons are active and to study what and when they are communicating.

Our methods allow us to trace connectivity between neurons with a remarkable level of precision and to characterize their response and function to different stimuli. This allows our lab to understand the sequence of events that happen in the brain when someone pays attention to something they see.

How do you hope your research will help patients?

Angelucci: If we know how these circuits process vision, we’ll also find clues about what may be happening when someone can’t see.

In collaboration with Dr. Steve Blair in Electrical and Computer Engineering, we are building on the work of University of Utah Professor Richard A. Normann, PhD, to develop the next generation of a visual prosthesis for people who have gone blind. The prosthesis stimulates neurons using light to create a form of artificial vision.

Noudoost: The brain is constantly selecting which aspect of information to focus on, but in disorders such as ADHD, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia, it is unable to prioritize what is important. Knowing what usually occurs, we can shed light on what may not be happening for these patients. We hope our work is ultimately useful in finding future treatments for disorders related to attention impairment. & &

Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD

The Utah Electrode Array, much smaller than a penny, is a tiny device implanted in the brain.

Spanish neuroscientist Eduardo Fernández, MD, PhD, left, and University of Utah’s Richard A. Normann, PhD.

Artificial Vision Advances

The Moran | Cortivis Prosthesis, which uses the Utah Electrode Array, has now been tested on three individuals with blindness.

Scientists from Spain’s Miguel Hernandez University and the Moran Eye Center have now used an experimental prosthesis hardwired into the visual regions of the brain to safely provide a form of artificial vision to three individuals with blindness.

Spanish neuroscientist Eduardo Fernández, MD, PhD, and Utah’s Richard A. Normann, PhD, in 2021 published results of experiments with the prosthesis conducted with a 60-yearold woman. The prosthesis, which uses the Utah Electrode Array (UEA) developed by Normann to stimulate neurons in the brain’s visual cortex, enabled the woman to identify lines, shapes, and simple letters evoked by different patterns of stimulation.

Speaking at a symposium held at the Moran Eye Center in September 2023, Fernández announced he had achieved similar results in two additional study participants.

His latest experiments have gone one step further to test if the prosthesis can provide a form of vision useful for the blind. In one video shown to the audience, a man wears the prosthesis while independently navigating a sidewalk and around people. In another, he avoids objects while walking on a treadmill in front of a virtual reality video screen.

“This provides a ‘proof of concept,’ and the stage is now set for more work in this area and for developing engineering technologies to transform this prototype into a clinical system,” says Normann, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Bioengineering and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

An adjunct professor at the Moran Eye Center, Fernández says he is preparing to recruit a fourth patient.

“We’re still only at the beginning of possibilities this prosthesis might provide,” he says.

How Does It Work?

Just 4 mm by 4 mm, one UEA is implanted into the brain of a study participant, who then works with researchers for six months to test the prosthesis before it is removed.

Participants wear eyeglasses equipped with a miniature video camera; specialized software encodes the visual data collected by the camera and sends it to the UEA. The array then stimulates neurons to produce phosphenes, perceived as white points of light, to create an image.

Normann and colleague Gregory Clark, PhD, first used a variant of the UEA in amputees to evaluate its safety and efficacy. The UEA allowed the amputees to control artificial limbs simply with their desire to move a finger or hand. The experiments in Spain were the first to implant the UEA into the visual cortex of blind human volunteers.

The research has used one UEA, but in the future, Fernández would like to implant several UEAs into the visual cortex to produce a more complicated form of artificial vision. Earlier published research conducted by Normann indicates between seven and 10 arrays in the visual cortex, working together, could produce more detailed images.

Visual Cortex

Cortical Implant ( Utah Electrode Array)

Video Camera

Frody Volgger is back to riding his motorcycle after requiring emergency medical treatment for an eye stroke.

Frody Volgger, left, talks with the ophthalmologists who treated his eye stroke, Theresa Long, MD, center, and Ayesha Patil, MD, during a follow-up visit at Moran.

‘Time Is Vision’

Quick action by Moran’s ophthalmic hospitalist helps prevent blindness in eye stroke patient.

On a summer afternoon in 2023, as Frody Volgger neared the end of a motorcycle ride on Utah’s scenic Monte Cristo Loop, he suddenly lost vision in his right eye. He gestured to his riding partner and pulled to the side of the road.

“I thought I had something in my eye,” Volgger, 72, says. “I took my glasses and helmet off, closed my good eye, and saw only darkness and a few stars. There was no warning, no pain. I just couldn’t see a thing.”

He considered going home to change clothes and get his car before heading to the emergency room at University of Utah Hospital, but instead, he rode straight there. That decision made a world of difference.

Based on Volgger’s complaint of sudden vision loss in one eye, the emergency department (ED) triage nurse and neurology team called a possible “brain attack,” which alerted the hospital’s stroke team as well as Moran’s ophthalmic hospitalist, Theresa Long, MD, and her consulting resident that day, Ayesha Patil, MD.

“We were nearby and able to drop everything and head right to the ED,” says Long. “Neurologists say ‘time is brain’ regarding stroke and the promptness needed to respond. We say ‘time is vision’ when it comes to sudden vision loss and the need to respond.”

Long and Patil met Volgger—motorcycle gear and all—as he received a CT scan. They walked him back to the ED, dilated his eyes, quickly performed a range of tests, and evaluated radiographic images that indicated Volgger had experienced a retinal artery occlusion (RAO), also known as an eye stroke.

Once Long diagnosed RAO, the team promptly followed the protocol to prepare and inject Volgger with a “clot-busting” medication.

“The arteries that lead to the brain are like an interstate highway,” says Long. “Fortunately for Frody, the blockage in his artery took the first exit ‘off the interstate’ and headed to his eye rather than further up to his brain. The sudden vision loss was a warning sign, a possible precursor to a stroke. Because everyone acted so quickly and administered appropriate medicine within an hour of arrival, we saved about 30% of normal vision in that eye. This is a big deal—these patients are usually permanently blind in the affected eye. We also admitted him to the hospital for monitoring and treatment to prevent another stroke.”

Volgger says he’s “incredibly grateful and amazed” at how everybody responded. “I’m back on my motorcycle—feeling good and very lucky.”

What You Need to Know About Retinal Artery Occlusion

Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a type of stroke marked by a loss of blood supply in the retina, the light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye. Since the eye is an extension of the brain, loss of blood supply and oxygen for a short period leads to severe and irreversible complications and permanent vision loss.

Doctors consider RAO a medical emergency and a possible warning sign for an impending brain stroke.

S ymptoms

Sudden onset of painless, dramatic vision loss and loss of side vision in one eye could indicate RAO.

Take Action

Anyone who experiences sudden vision loss should call 911 and get to an emergency room as soon as possible.

Risk Factors

RAO risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation.

Treatment

A “clot-busting” treatment is most effective when given within 3 hours, but no longer than 4 1/2 hours after the onset of symptoms.

What People with Low Vision Want You to Know

Lisa Ord, LCSW, PhD, director of Moran’s Patient Support Program, shares 10 things to consider when approaching someone who looks like they may need assistance:

 Introduce yourself.

 Ask questions and ask before assisting.

 Ask before offering an arm or elbow.

 If you’re unsure about the person’s needs, ask for clarification.

 Be aware of making assumptions. For example, a person with visual impairment standing on a corner might appear to be lost when, in fact, they are listening to the traffic patterns.

 Be yourself, and don’t worry about using terms like “look” and “see.”

 Always ask before approaching working guide dogs.

 Accept “no” as an answer if someone declines your help.

 If they want your assistance, be as descriptive as possible when orienting someone to a space, food selections, or other options.

 Remember that people are more than their low vision.

‘In My Corner’

Moran’s Patient Support Program helps AMD patients get back to doing what they love.

Four years ago, Barbara LaCoste began seeing blurry spots in her central line of vision. During an eye exam at the Moran Eye Center, the 78-year-old received a diagnosis that was all too familiar to her and her family: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The disease is a leading cause of blindness for people age 55 and older, and LaCoste says she probably inherited it from her mother, who was completely blind when she passed away in 1996.

Today, LaCoste is legally blind and can no longer drive. But she often thinks of her mother and is grateful for modern treatment options allowing her to cope with the sight-robbing disease.

“I wish my mother could have taken advantage of the treatment options that have helped me today,” says LaCoste, who at one time received regular injections to treat blood vessel leaks caused by her form of the disease.

Another part of LaCoste’s care plan is Moran’s Patient Support Program, which assists people with low vision. The term “low vision” refers to vision loss that can’t be corrected by surgical or medical treatments or eyeglasses. It may result in blind spots, blurry sight, loss of central or peripheral vision, or trouble with depth perception.

LaCoste has attended informational vision loss seminars and support groups through the program, directed by Lisa Ord, PhD, LCSW. Last year, the program gifted her a pair of magnifiers and another reading device with a screen. LaCoste says the tools have helped her continue to live independently with her husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

“Dr. Ord is such a sweet person, and I’m so glad she’s in my corner,” says LaCoste. “She has not only provided me with resources and emotional support, but the 2x/4x/10x magnifiers help me with everyday tasks like reading our mail or prescription bottles.”

LaCoste was also a patient of Robert M. Christiansen, MD, FACS, who runs a clinic that gives patients with low vision strategies to improve functional ability, such as customized lighting inside the home.

“I’m so grateful for Moran because I have been able to continue doing the things I enjoyed before vision loss, like cooking and baking; it’s the little things in life that are the most precious,” says LaCoste. “Sit down and do nothing? That’s not for me; I choose life.”

About the Patient Support Program

The program offers professionally moderated support groups and vision rehabilitation services to help patients, families, and caregivers find ways to understand, accept, and move past the limitations of vision loss. Scan the QR code at left or visit moraneye.link/patient-support for more information or to make an appointment.

“It’s important to treat people with low vision as you would treat anyone else. Keep in mind that low vision does not mean low ability, and that will go a long way.”

— Lisa Ord, LCSW, PhD, director of Moran’s Patient Support Program

Barbara LaCoste reads with a magnifier device supplied by the Patient Support Program.

Nishika Reddy, MD, right, and a patient discuss a new treatment option for extreme dry eye available at the Moran Eye Center.

What Causes Dry Eye

When a person blinks, a protective layer called the tear film spreads across the surface of the eyes to provide protection and nourishment.

When one or more of the three layers of the tear film are out of balance, it can trigger the cycle of disruptive dry eye.

New Hope for Extreme Dry Eye

Three new treatments are among the options available for this complex condition that affects millions.

Dry eye disease affects almost 20 million people in the U.S. yet remains notoriously misdiagnosed and undertreated.

That is, in part, because dry eye is a complex condition with a range of potential causes and symptoms, explains Moran ophthalmologist Nishika Reddy, MD.

“It can manifest if your tear gland doesn’t make enough tears. It can also happen if tears don’t contain enough oil, which causes them to evaporate too quickly. For some people, the condition causes mild irritation and redness. For others, it can bring on blurry vision and eye pain that can disrupt everyday life,” Reddy says. “Fortunately, we have access to some highly effective new treatments for patients experiencing that kind of disruption.”

Reddy, a corneal specialist, uses her expertise to diagnose patients, consider underlying causes, and guide them through their options.

“Often what’s successful is a variety of ongoing treatments,” she says. “Unfortunately, right now, most health insurers do not cover the newest treatments, but for some patients, it’s worth the out-of-pocket expense.”

Latest FDA-Approved Options for Dry Eye

T EARCARE

On the extreme side of dry eye, Reddy treats patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a condition caused by the dysfunction of a few dozen tiny eyelid glands that help make the oil layer of tears. This layer, one of three that keep the eye surface from drying out too quickly, is critical. When the meibomian glands get clogged, less oil reaches the eye surface, and tears dry out too quickly.

“Not all patients with dry eye have MGD, so they need a good exam to make sure that’s the condition. Often, it’s patients with significant symptoms who have not had good results with over-the-counter treatments such as artificial tears, warm compresses, and eyelid scrubs,” says Reddy.

“In these cases, I may recommend TearCare—a painless procedure where we place a noninvasive, comfortable device on both eyelids for 15 minutes to gently warm the meibomian glands. While the device is doing its work, the patient can just relax. Then, while the glands are nice and warm, I come in and express, or ‘clean out,’ the glands.”

Patients need to repeat the procedure in three months, and Reddy cautions the treatment does not negate the need for drops or other medications.

M IEB O

Excessive tear evaporation can trigger a chronic cycle of inflammation and friction, damaging the ocular surface and disrupting the intricate balance among the many layers of the eye’s surface. For some people, that includes a chronic stinging sensation, a feeling that something foreign is in the eye, or other irritations.

“Studies have shown that Miebo, a prescription eye drop that directly targets excessive tear evaporation instead of tear formation, is highly effective,” Reddy says. “The solution, called perfluorohexyloctane, is designed to mimic a key natural function where meibomian glands produce a lipidrich secretion that forms the tear film lipid layer and helps to maintain a healthy ocular surface.”

T YRVAYA

Tyrvaya (Varenicline solution) offers another option for patients whose eyes don’t make enough tears. It’s a nasal spray that kick-starts your body to produce its own natural tears.

“Tyrvaya works by activating glands and cells connected to a nerve inside your nose that is part of the pathway for controlling tear film production,” explains Reddy. “In some cases, it can help relieve symptoms for people who haven’t had success with other therapies.”

Caring for Our Communit y

A look back at Global Outreach Division initiatives last year to provide free or low-cost eye exams, surgeries, and eyeglasses to those in need in Utah and the Navajo Nation. Moran Eye Center outreach work is funded solely by donors.

50 COMMUNITY CLINICS Child Eye Exams Adult Eye Exams New Eyeglasses Surgeries 655 1,411 1,053 367 LOCAL

July 2022—June 2023

moraneye.link/local-outreach-video.

Outreach volunteers provided 110 eye exams and 110 pairs of eyeglasses at Salt Lake City’s 2023 Project Homeless Connect.

Operation Sight Program

A single father of two, Joey was working as a brickmason when he began losing his eyesight to cataracts.

As his vision began to fail, he quickly realized he was increasingly in dangerous situations at work and while driving but had no way to afford surgery.

“It’s tough being a single dad,” Joey said. “You don’t want the kids to worry. But I don’t have health insurance. I can’t afford it.”

Joey was relieved to hear about Moran’s Operation Sight program. Funded solely by generous donors, Operation Sight provides sight-restoring cataract surgery to people who could not otherwise afford it.

Including Joey and other patients from a Saturday surgery day held in June 2023, the program restored vision to more than 100 people in fiscal year 2023.

“I’m so relieved,” said Joey after surgery. “I don’t know what people who can’t access this program do.”

Joey speaks with Craig J. Chaya, MD, left, senior medical director of the Global Outreach Division, and program volunteer Lindsey Fairclough Little after successful cataract surgery in his left eye at the Operation Sight Day clinic in June 2023.

Rachel G. Simpson, MD, middle, stands with her first residency class as Moran’s new vice-chair of education.

Growing a Top 10 Residency Program

Enhancing hands-on surgical training and the interactive classroom experience is a top goal for Moran’s new vice-chair of education.

Among other qualities, the Moran Eye Center’s residency education program is known for superb training that provides more surgical experience than the national average and a hands-on curriculum that goes beyond traditional didactic teaching.

Newly appointed Vice-Chair of Education Rachel G. Simpson, MD, aims to build on that reputation.

“We have some exciting new initiatives in the works, and we’re looking forward to even more positive growth,” says Simpson.

Team Approach to New Curriculum

Former Moran resident Katherine Hu, MD, has joined the faculty and is now the surgical curriculum lead for the Program Evaluation Committee (PEC). Hu was part of the Moran Ophthalmology Learning Experience Committee, headed by Simpson, which rolled out a new, interactive curriculum in 2020.

Hu’s surgical curriculum team is revamping the four-year comprehensive surgical curriculum, including suturing, strabismus procedures, and cornea and cataract surgeries. The new curriculum will advance in complexity year by year.

“The goal is to be more intentional, providing enhanced mentorship with lots of hands-on learning,” says Simpson. “The curriculum will build on skills through all four years of residency, so the first-year residents are getting basic suturing lessons while the more experienced chief residents are getting more complex cataract surgery lessons. We will also emphasize surgical video reviews, one of the teaching legacies left by Moran’s late Alan Crandall, MD.”

Theresa Long, MD, director of Ophthalmology Consult Services, also serves on the PEC. Now in her second year as the institution’s first academic hospitalist, Long works one-on-one with residents, assessing and managing clinically complex, hospitalized patients experiencing a range of conditions.

“We’ll also be welcoming additional, nationally regarded adjunct faculty to assist with the educational programs soon,” says Simpson. “Each will be focused on a specific critical aspect of training, including clinical care, community outreach, and research.”

ARCS: Supporting Student Physician-Scientists

The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation of Utah is supporting two incoming Moran Eye Center residents with research scholarships for 2024-2025.

ARCS awarded $15,000 each to the honorees to pursue research during residency, hoping they will choose careers that continue their scientific investigations. Moran matches the award for the following two years of residency, providing a total of $45,000.

Nadim Azar, MD, received the Might Family Foundation Award in memory of Bertrand T. Might; Chase Paulson, MD, received the Mark and Kathie Miller Award in honor of Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD.

Azar graduated with high distinction from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor of science in biology in 2017; he earned his medical degree from the American University in 2021. He then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Duke Eye Center.

At Duke, he focused on research in ocular immunology, including the therapeutic and preventive potential of peptides. His clinical research has focused on applying artificial intelligence in ophthalmology and pioneering innovative methodologies for detecting dry eye disease.

As a Moran resident, Azar plans to expand his research. Paulson completed his bachelor of science at Brigham Young University while playing collegiate lacrosse. He earned his medical degree from the University of Utah.

Under the mentorship of Moran’s Barbara Wirostko, MD, he has worked on projects and publications in the field of pseudoexfoliation syndrome and glaucoma. Working with Moran’s Global Outreach Division, he has conducted research in Guatemala and has studied these conditions across Utah, including the Navajo Nation.

At Moran, he plans to utilize unique database resources and conduct research to optimize high-quality care locally, regionally, and globally.

ARCS scholars Chase Paulson, MD, left, and Nadim Azar, MD.

Moran offers one of the nation’s top educational programs, providing excellent didactic training and extensive surgical experience. A 2023 survey by physician website Doximity placed Moran’s residency program at No. 6 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the West.

FOR 4 SPOTS IN 2023

PRACTICING in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 2 countries

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 2023-2024

Cole Milliken, MD Cornea

Allie Simpson, MD Cornea

Cole Swiston, MD Glaucoma

Timothy Truong, MD Glaucoma

Marcus Altman, MD Retina

Ola Pietraszkiewicz, MD Neuro-Ophthalmology

Spencer Fuller, MD Retina

Sudarshan Srivatsan, MD Plastics

Brian Solinsky, MD Medical Retina

Irmak Karaca, MD Uveitis

James Kohler, MD Retina

IN A TYPICAL THREE-YEAR period, one Moran resident, on average, performs about 740 SURGERIES & PROCEDURES.

300 MORE THAN ARE CATARACT SURGERIES

86 IS THE NATIONAL REQUIREMENT

PUBLICATION S BY MORAN RESIDENTS IN 2023

CURRICULUM DETAILS

Scan for more information about our Education Program.

RESIDENCY PROGRAM 2023-2024

INTERNS 2023-2024

Tyler Etheridge, MD

Anthony Mai, MD Brandon Kennedy, MD Lydia Sauer, MD

Erica Woertz, MD, PhD Samuel Wilkinson, MD Ayesha Patil, MD George Sanchez, MD

Ashley Polski, MD Jordan Desautels, MD Nnana Amakiri, MD Mubarik Mohamed, MD

Nadim Azar, MD Intern Amen Nigussie, MD Intern Chase Paulson, MD Intern Madison Perchik, MD Intern

Neil Kelkar, MD Ocular Pathology

Catherine Johnson, MD Glaucoma Research

Kevin Eid, MD Ocular Pathology

An Inspiring Night for Sight

The biannual gala supports the Global Outreach Division’s work to solve the worldwide problem of preventable blindness.

“See the need, be the change.”

Donors took the Moran Eye Center motto to heart at the Night for Sight 2023 gala, donating more than $650,000 and surpassing a fundraising goal for outreach care.

More than 500 guests attended the November 11 event at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, with proceeds benefiting the Moran Global Outreach Division’s work to end curable blindness by increasing access to eye care in Utah and worldwide.

“I am profoundly grateful to our sponsors, donors, committee and board members, colleagues, patients, and friends for seeing the need and generously rising to be the change,” said Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD.

Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD, presents flowers to Lindsey Fairclough Little, the Night for Sight planning committee chair.

The evening’s program included an online and live auction and a remembrance of the late John A. Moran, with members of his family in attendance.

In another highlight of the evening, Olson named Mark and Kathie Miller the John A. Moran Eye Center Global Ambassadors for 2023, honoring them for their years of volunteer service and support of outreach initiatives. Mark Miller has donated his time and resources to fly Moran volunteer surgeons to the Navajo Nation through the Angel Flight nonprofit organization. Kathie Miller serves on Moran’s Global Vision Board.

Kathie and Mark Miller were honored as the John A. Moran Eye Center Global Ambassadors for 2023.

Members of the late John A. Moran’s family in attendance were grandchildren John Sullivan and Danielle Charlot, at left, and daughter Marisa Moran, second from right. Also pictured: Randall J Olson, MD, center, and Paul Jones.

Video Feature

Scan or visit moraneye.link/NFSVideo to watch “Be the Change: Moran Eye Center Utah Outreach.”

Photo Gallery

Scan or visit moraneye.link/nfs-photogallery to see more photos from the Night for Sight 2023 gala.

Event Program

Scan or visit moraneye.link/nfs-program to read the event program and learn more about our outreach division, supporters, and more.

Auctioneer Laurie Gillespie and Randall J Olson, MD, led the live auction, which included a luxury ski vacation in Deer Valley, a Kauai resort package, and a Utah Cutthroat Slam guided fly-fishing trip.

Guests make a bid during the lively auction and paddle raise.

The gala began with a silent auction, also accessible online, with a wide array of donated items, from jewelry and Navajo pottery to a crash pad for bouldering and a Mexico getaway package. Among those taking in the auction: 1. Moran Global Vision Board members Deborah and Byron Barkley; 2. Night for Sight Committee member Mimi Sinclair, second from left, and guests; 3. Khosrow Semnani, left, and Bill Child; 4. Margaret Nakai, with Utah Navajo Health System, and Delbert Rockwell.

HIGHLIGHTS Awards & Honors

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, received Real World Ophthalmology’s 2023 RWO Humanism in Ophthalmology Award, recognizing exceptional standards of care, compassion, and sensitivity in patient interactions. Pettey, Moran’s vice-chair of clinical affairs, will also receive the Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society, India (IIRSI) Gold Medal in 2024, honoring his contributions to the field of ophthalmology.

Afua Asare, OD, PhD, and Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD, were selected for Early Career Development Awards from the Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children’s Hospital. Asare, whose research focuses on pediatric vision health, will use the grant to fund her work to improve vision screening practices in pediatric primary care clinics. Hwang, a surgeonscientist, focuses her research on the vitreous, the transparent gel that fills the back of the eye between the lens and retina.

The grant will fund her continuing studies into Stickler syndrome, an inherited cause of retinal detachments in children.

Silke Becker, PhD, a faculty member in the Vinberg Laboratory, received a University of Utah Research Incentive Seed Grant. Sponsored by the University of Utah Research Foundation, the grant program supports investigators in collecting preliminary data in new, innovative research areas that will be leveraged for extramural grant applications. Becker studies retinal degenerative diseases, including diabetic retinopathy. Also, in 2023, Becker received a grant from Diabetes Research Connection, which pairs donors with early-career scientists to foster research to prevent and cure type 1 diabetes.

Two graduate research assistants in the lab of Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, received special recognition in 2023. Emmanuel Kofi Addo, OD, received an Inclusive Excellence Award from the University of Utah College of Health. The award recognizes faculty, staff, and students who have exemplified the values of respect and equity and demonstrated diversity and inclusion in extraordinary ways. Addo was also one of three College of Health students awarded a scholarship at the NAACP Salt Lake Branch Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration. Pharmacology student Amaka Nwagbo received a University of Utah Graduate Research Fellowship Award, which provides the opportunity for full-time research during the fellow’s academic year.

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA Afua Asare, OD, PhD

Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD

Silke Becker, PhD

From left, Amaka Nwagbo, Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, and Emmanuel Kofi Addo, OD.

HIGHLIGHTS

Awards & Honors

POWER LIST

The Ophthalmologist magazine named four Moran leaders in care and research to its 2023 Power List of the 100 most influential people in ophthalmology worldwide.

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, director of the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation, was ranked No. 4. Ahmed is recognized as one of the world’s top surgeons for complex eye conditions and known for his research in the field of microinvasive glaucoma surgery. He divides his clinical practice between Canada and the Moran Eye Center.

The magazine also recognized Randall J Olson, MD, Moran CEO and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, co-director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center and vice-chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Moran; and Nick Mamalis, MD, co-director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center and director of Moran’s Ophthalmic Pathology Lab.

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, was honored with the 2024 Macula Society Young Investigator Award and Lecture. The award recognizes individuals under age 50 whose work promises notable advances in the clinical treatment of eye disorders. A clinician and scientist, Schmitz-Valckenberg specializes in treating retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. He is a world-renowned expert in highresolution retinal imaging and directs Moran’s Utah Retinal Reading Center.

Brian C. Stagg, MD, received the highest ranking out of nearly 2,000 submitted abstracts for personalized recommendation frequencies of visual field testing for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma at the 2023 American Glaucoma Society annual meeting. He presented his research and represented the American Glaucoma Society at the 2023 World Glaucoma Congress in Rome. A glaucoma specialist and public health researcher, Stagg has used informatics to simplify and streamline decision-making for physicians.

Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC Randall J Olson, MD

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD Brian C. Stagg, MD

Nick Mamalis, MD Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

HIGHLIGHTS Awards & Honors

Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the University of Utah’s 2023 Innovation Awards celebration. The award recognizes U researchers working to translate their research into technologies that benefit the public. Hageman, executive director of Moran’s Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine, has led his field in understanding the genetics of age-related macular degeneration and developing new therapies for the disease.

Nick Mamalis, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, co-directors of the Moranbased Intermountain Ocular Research Center, received video, poster, and best-paper-of-session awards at the 41st American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) meeting. The video, “The key to clarity: The open/expanded-bag IOL concept,” also received top honors at the Brazilian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting. Additional honors for Werner in 2023 included delivering the Richard P. Kratz Lecture at the 35th Congress of German Ophthalmic Surgery and the 67th Snell Memorial Lecture at the Rochester Ophthalmology Conference.

Moran’s neuro-ophthalmology team and collaborators received numerous honors at the 2023 North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS) meeting. Meagan Seay, OD, received the Merit Award, and Nancy Lombardo, librarian emerita at the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, received the Tom Carlow Distinguished Service Award for their work on the Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual Education Library (NOVEL) project. Neuro-ophthalmology fellow Carolyne Riehle, DO, won Best Presentation by a Fellow, and U of U medical student Merrick Reynolds received the J. Lawton Smith Award for the paper in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology receiving the most views in 2022. Co-authors included Moran faculty members Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD, Kathleen B. Digre, MD, and Judith E.A. Warner, MD.

Drs. Nick Mamalis and Liliana Werner, second and third from right, at the ASCRS Film Festival awards ceremony.

Rachel Hess, MD, director of the University of Utah’s Health System Innovation and Research Program, presents the award to Gregory S. Hageman, PhD.

Medical student Merrick Reynolds, left, and Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD, at the 2023 NANOS meeting

HIGHLIGHTS Awards & Honors

NEW

ENDOWED CHAIRS

Three Moran Eye Center faculty scholars were awarded endowed chairs in 2023 and honored in events that also recognized chair donors. “As the University’s primary means of recognizing academic distinction, endowed chairs and professorships promote excellence and enable the university to attract, retain, and honor distinguished faculty members,” says Randall J Olson, MD, Moran CEO, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and holder of the Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair. “We are grateful to all of the donors who, across generations, make the Moran Eye Center the object of their lasting and generous philanthropy.”

T HE NEW CHAIR HOLDERS ARE:

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCS

—Jack R. and Hazel M. Robertson Presidential Endowed Chair Ahmed, a surgeon-scientist known for innovation, directs Moran’s Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation. In this position, he spearheads efforts to develop better diagnostics, safer and more effective therapies and surgical devices, a deeper understanding of glaucoma and its genetics, and expanded access to care.

Nick Mamalis, MD

—Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair Mamalis is a surgeon-scientist who directs Moran’s Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory and co-directs the Intermountain Ocular Research Center. An expert on intraocular lenses used to replace the eye’s natural lens during cataract and other surgeries, Mamalis has also helped hospitals nationwide protect patients from a rare but potentially sight-threatening condition known as Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome.

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

—Ralph and Mary Tuck Presidential Endowed Chair Werner co-directs the Intermountain Ocular Research Center and serves as vice-chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Moran. Her research focuses on ophthalmic implantable biodevices, particularly intraocular lens design, materials, and complications. Among her honors, she was the first woman to receive the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s prestigious Charles D. Kelman Award and Lecture.

Nick Mamalis, MD

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSCS

HIGHLIGHTS Events

Diversity Day at Moran

The Moran Eye Center’s Second Annual Diversity Day Robert H. Hales, MD, Memorial Endowed Lectureship highlighted a national mentorship program to boost the number of underrepresented medical students in ophthalmology residency programs.

Keith D. Carter, MD, chair of the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and former president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, delivered the endowed lecture, “Working Toward Diversity in Ophthalmology.”

Bench to Bedside Competition

A device that helps patients keep a steady gaze during eye surgery took the Grand Prize Runner-Up award at the 2023 Bench to Bedside competition presented by the Center for Medical Innovation at University of Utah Health. Named the OcuGuide, the invention is the brainchild of Joanna Gorka, a medical student, aspiring ophthalmologist, and mentee of Moran ophthalmologist Austin S. Nakatsuka, MD.

Translational Research Day

Moran’s annual Translational Research Day focused on the center’s current breakthroughs.

The National Eye Institute’s Kapil Bharti, PhD, delivered the keynote address, “Translating RPE Biology in Disease Treatment Using Stem Cells.”

The annual conference, co-chaired by Bryan W. Jones, PhD, and Leah Owen, MD, PhD, included presentations from several Moran faculty members on a variety of ophthalmic research topics.

Keith D. Carter, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, at Moran’s second annual Diversity Day.

From left, Bryan W. Jones, PhD, Kapil Bharti, PhD, and Leah Owen, MD, PhD.

Medical student Joanna Gorka and Austin S. Nakatsuka, MD, at the Bench to Bedside competition.

HIGHLIGHTS Events

Department of Defense Presentations

Moran Eye Center CEO Randall J Olson, MD, and University of Utah Health CEO Michael L. Good, MD, welcomed Department of Defense (DOD) dignitaries to a day in September of research tours and presentations at Moran, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and the campus orthopedic surgery lab of Dustin L. Williams, PhD.

Moran researchers Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, Moussa Zouache, PhD, David Krizaj, PhD, and Frans Vinberg, PhD, were among those participating. DOD officials included The Honorable Lester Martinez-Lopez, MD, assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs, and Eugene Smith Jr., DHA, FACHE, executive officer to the assistant secretary of defense.

Robert Charles, chief, medical research collaborations, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, presented “Collaborative Research with Defense Health Agency Laboratories and Hospitals.”

Uveitis Fellows Forum

The Moran Eye Center in January 2024 hosted the 15th Annual Uveitis Fellows Forum, presented by the American Uveitis Society. Co-chaired by Moran’s Albert T. Vitale, MD, and Marissa Larochelle, MD, the event served as a robust career planning and mentoring conference. It included a session moderated by Moran’s Caroline Craven, MD, of case presentations by uveitis fellows from institutions around the U.S. and a lively discussion of these cases by a roster of distinguished faculty physicians.

Interventional Glaucoma Consortium

The 2023 Interventional Glaucoma Consortium returned to Salt Lake City in 2023, bringing together top thought leaders in the field and offering a dedicated program for glaucoma fellows in partnership with Moran.

Program chairs and keynote speakers included Moran’s Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, and Rachel G. Simpson, MD. Moran faculty member Craig J. Chaya, MD, presented “Going Global with Interventional Glaucoma,” and Brian C. Stagg, MD, presented “Glaucoma Informatics.”

The consortium promotes a proactive approach to patient care.

From left, Michael L. Good, MD, The Honorable Lester Martinez-Lopez, MD, Randall J Olson, MD

Rachel G. Simpson, MD, and Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, center, participate in a panel at the 2023 Interventional Glaucoma Consortium in Salt Lake City.

William Barlow, MD

Professor; Jack R. and Hazel M.

SPECIALTIES

• Glaucoma

• Complex Cataract Surgery

• Lens Implant Complications

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

• Cataract Surgery

• Refractive Surgery

CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center

Randall J Olson, MD

Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

The Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair Director, University of Utah Vision Institute

SPECIALTIES

• Cataract Services

• External Eye Diseases

J.

Professor; Val A. and Edith D. Green Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

• Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery

• Retinal Biochemistry-Nutrition

• Inherited Retinal Diseases

• Macular Degeneration

Associate Professor; Medical Director, Moran Global Outreach Division; John E. and Marva M. Warnock Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

• Cataract Surgery

• Glaucoma

• Anterior Segment Surgery

Adjunct Associate Professor; Associate Editor of morancore.utah.edu

SPECIALTY

• Glaucoma

Caroline M. Craven, MD

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

• Ocular Oncology

• Uveitis and Ocular Immunology

• Vitreoretinal Diseases

Associate Professor SPECIALTY

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

B.

Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology; Chair, Clinical Ophthalmology Resource for Education (Moran CORE) Committee; Senior Editor, morancore. utah.edu

SPECIALTY

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Craig

Chaya, MD

Susan Chortkoff, MD

Alison Crum, MD

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC

Robertson Presidential Endowed Chair

Kathleen

Digre, MD

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Adult Strabismus

• Complicated Adult and Child Strabismus

• Craniofacial Disorders

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

• Corneal Transplantation

• Cataract Surgery

• Vision Correction Surgery (LASIK, PRK, Phakic IOLs)

Robert C. Kersten, MD, FACS, FASOPRS

Professor; Division Chief of Oculoplastics

SPECIALTIES

• Oculoplastics and Facial Plastic Surgery

• Pediatric and Adult Eyelid, Eye Socket, Tear Duct Abnormalities

Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Treatment and Management of AMD

• Degenerative Retinal Diseases

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

• Adult and Pediatric Retina Diseases and Surgery

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Oculoplastic and Facial Plastic Surgery

• Pediatric and Adult Eyelid, Eye Socket, Tear Duct Abnormalities

Assistant Professor; Director of Ocular Oncology

SPECIALTIES

• Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery

• Ocular Oncology

Associate Professor; Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Ophthalmology; Editor of morancore.utah.edu

SPECIALTIES

• Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Adult Strabismus

Professor SPECIALTIES

• Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Adult Strabismus

• Complicated Pediatric and Adult Strabismus

• Pediatric Outreach

J.

Professor SPECIALTIES

• Cataract Services

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Uveitis and Ocular Immunology

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

• Cataract Surgery

Associate Professor; Medical Director of Utah Lions Eye Bank; Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs

SPECIALTIES

• Corneal Transplantation

• Cataract Surgery

• Vision Correction Surgery (LASIK, PRK, Phakic IOLs)

• Ocular Surface Disease

Griffin Jardine, MD

Marissa Larochelle, MD

Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD

H. Joon Kim, MD

Katherine S. Hu, MD

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Eric Hansen, MD

Amy Lin, MD

Robert O. Hoffman, MD

David C. Dries, MD

Bradley

Katz, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor; Director of Ophthalmology Consult Services

SPECIALTIES

• Cataract Surgery

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

• Ophthalmic Hospitalist Services

S.

Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

MD

• Anterior Segment and Complex Cataract Surgery

• Medical and Surgical Glaucoma

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

• Ocular Surface Disease

Professor; Director of the Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory; Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

• Cataract Services

• Ophthalmic Pathology

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Pettey, MD,

Associate Professor; Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Endowed Chair; Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs

SPECIALTIES

• Anterior Segment and Complex Cataract Surgery

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Brian T. Rose, MD

Adjunct Associate Professor

SPECIALTY

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Adjunct Associate Professor SPECIALTIES

• Oculoplastic and Facial Plastic Surgery

Professor; Director, Cornea and Refractive Division; Associate Medical Director, Utah Lions Eye Bank; Director, Cornea Fellowship Program

SPECIALTIES

• Corneal Transplantation

• Cataract Surgery

• Vision Correction Surgery (LASIK, PRK, Phakic IOLs)

Meet Our Physicians

Scan for a video playlist to learn more about the care our physicians provide.

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD

Professor; Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair at the University of Utah

SPECIALTY

• Macular and Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery

Nishika M. Reddy, MD

Douglas Marx, MD

Nick Mamalis, MD

Austin

Nakatsuka,

Jeff

MBA

Theresa Long, MD

Mark D. Mifflin, MD

Assistant Professor; Chair of Visual Electrophysiology

SPECIALTIES

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

• Visual Electrophysiology

Adjunct Associate Professor SPECIALTY

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Associate Professor; Director of the Uveitis Fellowship Program

SPECIALTIES

• Retinal Diseases and Surgery

• Uveitis and Ocular Immunology

Assistant Professor; Vice Chair of Education

SPECIALTIES

• Glaucoma

• Cataract Surgery

• Anterior Segment Surgery

Professor; Director of the Uveitis Division

SPECIALTIES

• Uveitis and Ocular Immunology

• Vitreoretinal Diseases

Professor; Chief of NeuroOphthalmology; Vice-Chair of Quality and Value

SPECIALTY

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

Professor; Director of Vitreoretinal Diseases and

• Retinal Diseases and Surgery

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

• Glaucoma

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

• Cataract Services

• Geriatric Ophthalmology

Assistant Professor; Associate Program Director of Education

S PECIALTIES

• Neuro-Ophthalmology

• Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Adult and Child Strabismus

Adjunct Professor; Adjunct Professor Biomedical Engineering

SPECIALTY

• Glaucoma

Associate Professor; Chief, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology

SPECIALTIES

• Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Adult Strabismus

Brian C. Stagg, MD

Meagan Seay, DO

Rachel G. Simpson, MD

Akbar Shakoor, MD

Albert T. Vitale, MD

Michael P. Teske, MD

Jean Tabin, MD

Sravanthi Vegunta, MD

Judith E. A. Warner, MD

Marielle Young, MD

Barbara M. Wirostko, MD, FARVO

Meet Our Physicians

Scan for a video playlist to learn more about the care our physicians provide.

Professor; Glaucoma Division Chief; Glaucoma Fellowship Director

SPECIALTIES

• Glaucoma Services

• Cataract Services

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

• Corneal Transplantation

• Cataract Surgery

• Vision Correction Surgery (LASIK, PRK, Phakic IOLs)

OTHER SPECIALTIES

Medical Director of Anesthesia Services at Moran

SPECIALTY

• General Anesthesiology

Patient Support Program Specialist

SPECIALTY

• Vision Rehabilitation

Director, Ophthalmic Ultrasound Department

SPECIALTIES

• Ophthalmic Ultrasound

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Director, Patient Support Program

SPECIALTIES

• Psychosocial and Functional Issues Related to Vision Loss

Norm A. Zabriskie, MD

Brian E. Zaugg, MD

Robert M. Christiansen, MD, FACS

Lisa Ord, PhD, LCSW

Roger P. Harrie, MD

Patrick G. Bakke, MD

Deepika Bagga, OD, provides a full range of optometry services, with special interest in contact lenses and dry eye management.

John A. Moran Eye Center

Midvalley Health Center

Brandon J. Dahl, OD, FAAO, specializes in comprehensive optometry, pediatrics, disease management with special emphasis on anterior segment disease, and contact lenses.

Farmington Health Center

David Meyer, OD, FAAO, is the Director of Contact Lens Services, specializing in fitting lenses for keratoconus, post-surgical corneas, pediatrics, irregular or high astigmatism, and eye trauma. He also provides comprehensive eye care for glasses and soft contacts.

John A. Moran Eye Center

Midvalley Health Center

Shandi M. Beckwith, OD, provides a full range of optometry services for adults and children, with special interests in myopia management and contact lenses.

Farmington Health Center

Redwood Health Center

South Jordan Health Center

Timothy L. Gibbons, OD, is the Director of the Optometry Division, specializing in comprehensive eye care with special interest in contact lenses, pediatrics, and glaucoma.

Redwood Health Center Stansbury Health Center

Edward R. Nicholls, OD, provides comprehensive eye care services, with special interest in contacts, ocular pathology, myopia control, pediatrics, and those with special needs.

Westridge Health Center

Robert H. Corry, OD, provides a full range of optometry services for adults and children, with a special interest in ocular pathology, contact lenses, and dry eye management.

South Jordan Health Center

Gabriel A. Hulewsky, OD, provides comprehensive optometry services, with special interest in contact lenses, dry eye management, and sports vision.

Midvalley Health Center Parkway Health Center

Dix H. Pettey, OD, MS, specializes in fitting contact lenses for keratoconus, pediatrics, post-surgical, and eyes with severe or irregular astigmatism. He also provides comprehensive eye care for glasses and soft contacts.

John A. Moran Eye Center

Midvalley Health Center

Ryan Coyle, OD, provides a full range of optometry services, with an emphasis on primary care, contact lenses, and the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases.

Redstone Health Center

Mark A. McKay, OD, specializes in full-scope optometric care, including adult and pediatric care, contact lenses, and anterior segment eye disease.

John A. Moran Eye Center Redwood Health Center

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC

Professor; Director, Alan S.Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation; Jack R. and Hazel M. Robertson Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

Glaucoma, Cataract, and Lens

Implant Surgical Therapeutics; Novel Device and Surgical Technique Development

Research Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Retinal Electrophysiology; Retinal Degenerative Diseases; Diabetic Retinopathy; Photoreceptor Physiology

Research Assistant Professor

SPECIALTY

Cortical Mechanisms of Visual Perception

Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD

Professor; Mary H. Boesche Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES

Visual Cerebral Cortex Structure and Function; Development of Novel Technologies

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair for Clinical and Basic Science

Research; Val A. and Edith D. Green Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

Nutritional Biochemistry; Macular and Inherited Retinal Degeneration; Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy

Professor

SPECIALTIES

AMD, Degenerative Retinal Diseases; High-Resolution Imaging; Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers for Disease Progression; Validation of Clinical Endpoints for Interventional Trials

Research Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Pediatric Vision Health; Health Services and Systems Research; Health Equity and Disparities; Cost Effectiveness Analysis; Implementation Science

Research Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

Visual Cerebral Cortex Structure and Function

Professor

SPECIALTIES

Membrane Protein Transport in Photoreceptors for Inherited Retinal Disease; Photoreceptor Biochemistry; Molecular Cell Biology

Research Professor (Emeritus) SPECIALTY Electrophysiology

Research Associate Professor

SPECIALTY

Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology

John A. Moran Presidential Endowed Chair; Executive Director, Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine

SPECIALTIES

Genetics and Assessment of Pathways Involved in AMD Etiology; AMD Target Identification and Therapeutic Development

Zachary Davis, PhD

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Silke Becker, PhD

Andrew M. Clark, PhD

Wolfgang B. Baehr, PhD

Afua Oteng Asare, OD, PhD

Donnell J. Creel, PhD

Jeanne M. Frederick, PhD

(Emerita)

Gregory S. Hageman, PhD

MORAN EYE CENTER Research Team 2023-2024

Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Vitreous; Collagen; Extracellular Matrix; Aging; Protein Aggregation

David Krizaj, PhD

Professor; Deputy Director of Research; John Frederick Carter Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

SPECIALTIES

Glaucoma and Intraocular Pressure Regulation; Photoreceptor Signaling; Calcium Regulation in Neuropathological Disorders

Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Glaucoma; Conventional Outflow Physiology; Extracellular Vesicles; Extracellular Matrix; Biomedical Engineering Microfluidics; Eye Perfusions

Associate Professor; Direc tor, Marclab for Connectomics

SPECIALTIES

Retinal Degeneration Disorders; Retinal Neurotransmission and Neurocircuitry; Metabolomics

Binxing Li, PhD

Research Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Biochemistry and Biophysics of Macular Carotenoids; Mouse Models of Retinal Disease; Raman Imaging of Nutrients in the Retina

Research Assistant Professor; Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

SPECIALTIES

Computational Neuroscience; Neural Mechanisms of Visuospatial Perception

Professor

SPECIALTIES

Photophobia (abnormal light sensitivity); Migraine and its Effects on Visual Quality of Life; Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Professor; Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center; Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

Ocular Pathology; Comprehensive Ophthalmology; Intraocular Lens Research; Postoperative Inflammation

Professor (Emeritus); Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, University of Utah; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain

SPECIALTIES

Artificial Vision/Neural Prosthetics

Professor (Emerita); Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain; Editor, webvision.med.utah.edu

SPECIALTY

Retinal Anatomy

E.

Distinguished Professor (Emeritus)

SPECIALTIES

Retinal Neurotransmission and Networks; Retinal Degenerations; Metabolomics

Associate Professor

SPECIALTIES

Cognitive Neuroscience; Prefrontal Modulation of the Visual Cortex

Nick Mamalis, MD

Robert

Marc, PhD

Neda Nategh, PhD

Richard A. Normann, PhD

Fiona McDonnell, PhD

Helga E. T. Kolb, PhD

Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD

Bryan W. Jones, PhD

Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD

Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD

MORAN EYE CENTER Research Team 2023-2024

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD

Associate Professor; Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Endowed Chair

SPECIALTIES

Phacoemulsification Platform

Efficacy and Efficiency; Ophthalmology Training Methods and Outcomes

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

Clinical Decision Support in Glaucoma; Personalized Medicine; Health Informatics; Population Health

Professor SPECIALTIES

Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Retinal Degeneration; Cell Biology of Photoreceptors

Assistant Professor

S PECIALTIES

Neuroscience; Microscopy (Electron, Fluorescence, Confocal, Bright-field); Data Science; Connectomics

Ning Tian, PhD

Professor; Adjunct Professor, Neurobiology SPECIALTIES

Retinal Neurobiology; Synaptic Plasticity

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

Retinal and Central Visual Processing; Mechanisms of Light Adaptation; Retinal Computations; Retinal Diseases; Comparative Biology of Vision

Associate Professor SPECIALTIES

Retinal Neurobiology; Bioengineering; Mechanisms of Light Signaling and Plasticity in the Retina; Retinal Disease

Research Assistant Professor

SPECIALTIES

Retinal Degeneration Diseases; Neuroscience; Gene Therapy

Assistant Professor SPECIALTIES

AMD; Genetics of Eye Disease; Computational Biology; Engineering Ophthalmology; Drug Development

Professor; Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair; Director, Utah Retinal Reading Center, uread.org

SPECIALTIES

AMD; Retinal Imaging; Structural-Functional Correlation

Professor; Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center; Ralph and Mary Tuck Presidential Endowed Chair; ViceChair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

SPECIALTIES

Ocular Biodevices Research; Different Intraocular Lens Designs; Materials and Surface Modifications; Interactions between Ocular Implants and Ocular Tissues

Frans Vinberg, PhD

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

Jun Yang, PhD

Moussa A. Zouache, PhD

Brian C. Stagg, MD

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Rebecca Pfeiffer, PhD

Suva Roy, PhD

MORAN EYE CENTER ADJUNCT RESEARCH TEAM

Paul Bressloff, PhD

Brittany Coats, PhD

Karen Curtin, PhD, MStat

Michael Deans, PhD

Jungkyu Kim, PhD

Kristen Kwan, PhD

Jon Rainier, PhD

Jason Shepherd, PhD

Monica Vetter, PhD

Catherine Bowes Rickman, PhD

Victor Chong, MD

Carter Cornwall, PhD

Margaret DeAngelis, PhD

Adam Dubis, PhD

Eugene de Juan, MD

Eduardo Fernandez, MD, PhD

Werner Gellermann, PhD

Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD

Wen Fan Hu, MD, PhD

Ariana Levin, MD

Li Jiang, MD, PhD

Anat Loewenstein, MD

P hilip Luthert, MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath, FRCOphth

Jordi Monés, MD, PhD

Debra Schaumberg, ScD, OD, MPH

Matthew B. Schlenker, MD

Arsham Sheybani, MD

William Daniel Stamer, PhD

Omer Trivizki, MD

Larry A. Wheeler, PhD

Barry Willardson, PhD

Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD

ADJUNCT VOLUNTEER OPHTHALMOLOGISTS 2023-2024

Adjunct volunteer faculty collaborate on research projects, participate in clinical studies, attend teaching opportunities, and assist on our outreach medical missions.

Jason Ahee, MD

St. George, Utah

Arwa Alsamarae, MD

Santa Rosa, California

Lisa Arbisser, MD Sarasota, Florida

Nicholas Behunin, MD St. George, Utah

John Berdahl, MD Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Ashlie Bernhisel, MD Rochester, Minnesota

Ronnie Bhola, MBBS St. Augustine, Trinidad

Kristin O. Bretz, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Eric Brinton, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Gregory Brinton, MD Murray, Utah

Michael Burrow, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Joseph Chen, MD Ventura, California

Robert J. Cionni, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Richard P. Corey, MD Provo, Utah

David A. Crandall, MD West Bloomfield, Michigan

Sonya Dhar, MD New York, New York

Jane Durcan, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Jayson David Edwards, MD St. George, Utah

David Faber, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Sophia Fang, MD Tigard, Oregon

William J. Fishkind, MD Tucson, Arizona

Nicole R. Fram, MD Los Angeles, California

Roger C. Furlong, MD Butte, Montana

Mitchell J. Goff, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Shawn Gulati, MD Chicago, Illinois

Reeta Gurung, MD Kathmandu, Nepal

Anna Gushchin, MD Hines, Illinois

Arezu Haghighi, MD Ventura, California

Tara Hahn, MD Houston, Texas

Bradley Hansen, MD Idaho Falls, Idaho

Matheson A. Harris, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

James G. Howard, MD Murray, Utah

Todd Jackson, MD Las Vegas, Nevada

Zachary Joos, MD Renton, Washington

Khizer Khaderi, MD Sacramento, California

Victoria Knudsen, MD Murray, Utah

Elliott Kulakowski, MD Park City, Utah

Robert C. Kwun, MD Murray, Utah

David P. Lewis, MD Brigham City, Utah

Susan MacDonald, MD Concord, Massachusetts

Jay J. Meyer, MD Auckland, New Zealand

Majid Moshirfar, MD Draper, Utah

Valliammai Muthappan, MD Sewickley, Pennsylvania

William Myers, MD Chicago, Illinois

Anastasia Neufeld, MD Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Tom Oberg, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Hreem Patel, MD Stickley, Illinois

Rachel Patel, MD Sacramento, California

David B. Petersen, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Marcos Reyes, MD St. George, Utah

Trent Richards, MD Layton, Utah

Christopher Ricks, MD Provo, Utah

Sanduk Ruit, MD Kathmandu, Nepal

Derek J. Sakata, MD Salt Lake City, Utah

Joshua Schliesser, MD St. George, Utah

Loren S. Seery, MD Kennewick, Washington

Barry S. Seibel, MD Los Angeles, California

D. Snow Slade, MD St. George, Utah

Robert E. Smith, MD West Valley City, Utah

R. Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD Atlanta, Georgia

Russell Swan, MD Bozeman, Montana

Scott O. Sykes, MD Ogden, Utah

Geoff Tabin, MD Palo Alto, California

Robert L. Treft, MD Layton, Utah

James Tweeten, MD Boise, Idaho

Albert Ungricht, MD

Salt Lake City, Utah

Jeremy Valentine, MD Bangor, Maine

Aaron N. Waite, MD Lehi, Utah

Gary Wallace, MD

Idaho Falls, Idaho

Matthew S. Ward, MD Provo, Utah

Charles H. Weber, MD Oregon City, Oregon

Eric Weinlander, MD Madison, Wisconsin

Robert C. Welch, MD Twin Falls, Idaho

John Welling, MD Medford, Oregon

Brice J. Williams, MD, PhD Ogden, Utah

Darcy Wolsey, MD, MPH Salt Lake City, Utah

Gilbert C. Wong, MD West Jordan, Utah

DonRaphael Wynn, MD Boise, Idaho

Zachary J. Zavodni, MD

Salt Lake City, Utah

The following individuals and organizations contributed to the Moran Eye Center between January 1, 2023-December 31, 2023.

DONORS

GIFTS OF $1,000,000 AND ABOVE

David W. Bernolfo

Dick and Timmy Burton Foundation

Olson-Huntsman Vision Foundation

Perceive Biotherapeutics

GIFTS OF $100,000 AND ABOVE

Cumming Foundation

Thomas R. and Susan C. Hodgson

Judelson Family Foundation

Gabe L. Newell

Ruth and Randall J Olson, MD

Sylvia Prahl-Brodbeck

Research to Prevent Blindness

Sharon Steele-McGee

GIFTS OF $50,000 AND ABOVE

Val A. Browning Foundation

William H. and Patricia W. Child

Crocker Catalyst Foundation

Thomas and Candace Dee Family Foundation

David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation

The Mark and Kathie Miller Foundation

gifts of $25,000 and above

Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, and Ruby Alvi, MD

Kurt Bestor

The Jeffrey and Helen Cardon Foundation

Bill* and Barbara Chrisman

Eileen Crawford and Alan Jones

George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

Willard L. Eccles Charitable Foundation

Christine A. and Fred W. Fairclough

Grandeur Peak Global Advisors

William B. Hale*

Thomas C. Praggastis and Michelle Dumke Praggastis

Edward H. Skinner

Mikel and Janel Trapp

Carlene and Jay Williams

gifts of $10,000 and above

Anonymous

David G. and Marie P. Anderson

ASCRS Foundation

William and Sara Barrett

Joe Bernolfo

Burningham Foundation

Andrea S. Dumke-Manship and Michael A. Manship

Jane and Stuart Engs

Joan and Tim Fenton Family Foundation

Joan B. and John H.* Firmage

John H. and Carol W. Firmage

Teri and Dean Flanders Foundation

The Firmage Group, Inc.

The Firmco Group

Chris Gandy

Margaret D. Hicks

Carol O. Holding

Stephen and Lynda Jacobsen Foundation

G. Frank and Pamela M. Joklik

Lindsey Fairclough Little and Jon Little

James M. and Alison Luckman

Dr. Nick and Mercy Mamalis

Dr. Tina Mamalis and Dr. Shawn Purnell

John M. Martin

Thomas O. and Diane J. Might

Marisa Moran

Dave and Donna Newberry

The Olch Family Trust

Gilman* and Margaret D. Ordway

George and Cynthia Strike Petrow

Reagan Outdoor Advertising

The Semnani Family Foundation

Rod Semnani

Jonathan P. and Elizabeth M. Slager

James M. Steele and Linda Wolcott-Steele

Sun Print Solutions

Haru Toimoto

James W. and Jeanne J. Welch

Duff M. and Lori Willey

Lisa and Bill Wirthlin

Terry L. Wright

gifts of $5,000 and above

Anonymous

Byron B. and Deborah K. Barkley

Ann P. Bernstein and Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Rodney H. & Carolyn Hansen Brady Foundation

Julie T. Crandall

Tony and Joyce G. Crandall

Robert W. and Carol N. Culver

Errol P. EerNisse and Sonja Chesley EerNisse

Tom and Lynn Fey Family Foundation

Cecelia H. Foxley, PhD

Linda L. Francis

Drue B. Huish

Katie and Griffin J. Jardine, MD

John W. and Helen B. Jarman Family Foundation

Kay W. Lipman

William and Suzelle McCullough

Charles H. McLeskey, MD, and Nanci S. McLeskey, DNP

Vicki Bettilyon Merchant

The June Morris and Frendt Family Foundation

Karl and Joan M. Mosch

Pegah N. and Majid Moshirfar, MD

George and Pauline Mulligan

San Diego Eyelid Specialists

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, and Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Meagan D. Seay, DO

Susan O. Taylor

John Cramer Terrill

Gretchen and Michael P. Teske, MD

Albert T. Vitale, MD, and Patricia A. Vitale, MD

Warde Foundation

James R. and Linda R. Wilson

gifts of $1,000 and above

Anonymous

George M. and Tracy J. Ahn

Barry J. and Cathy F. Angstman

Patrice M. Arent and David M. Mock

Wendell Arrington, MD, PhD

Eugene W. Banks

Bonnie Barry

William F. and Victoria F. Bennion

Scott and Elaine Bergeson

Margaret D. and Peter W. Billings

Barry and Denise Blackett

Gary and Anne Borman

Michael and Patricia Brill

Cadenza Family Dentistry

John Cahill

Camp Chef

Blaine L. Carlton and Marilyn Bushman-Carlton

Robert S. Carter Foundation, Inc.

Irene G. Casper and Ruth A. Morey

Danielle Charlot

Val E. and Steve L. Chin

Karen R. and John J. Chipman, MD

Ben Chortkoff, MD, and Susan Chortkoff, MD

Howard and Betty Clark

Jeff and Jane Cobabe

Daniel M. Cook

Richard L. and Janice M. Corbin

Traci O’Very Covey

Ronald W. Crouch and Elizabeth A. Nielson

Current Fish and Oyster

Allison A. and Michael E. Daun, MD

Jim and Susan C. Deacon

Deerfield Ranch Winery

Kevin W. Deesing

Dry Creek Charities

Tracy J. Eilers

Jack M. and Marianne Ferraro

The Fletcher Jones Foundation

David and Karen Flood

John Foley, MD, and Dorene K. Sambado

Richard K. Frerichs and Jean Zancanella

Pamela Fullerton

Ernest and Judith Getto

Robert M. Graham

Elizabeth Gray

Sivaraman Guruswamy and Vasantha Sivaraman

R.Craig and Gloria H. Hansen

Julia A. Hardy

Julie K. and Ryan Harmon

Carolyn S. and Robert O. Hoffman, MD

Jerry S. and Claudia F. Howells

Katherine Hu, MD

Hullinger Family Foundation

Theodore M. and Charlotte G. Jacobsen

Jim S. and Jeanne M. Jardine

Rodney John Adell Johnson*

Donald C. Johnson

Jeffrey E. Jones

Karen and Douglas K. Kelsey, MD, PhD

Rick and Beth Kent

Lisa G. and David B. Kieda

Judd P. and Lori R. King

Kate Lahey and Michael J. Lahey, MD

Christine Lake and Heber S. Jacobsen

Frank and Barbara Layden

S.Whitfield and Christina Lee

The Robert B. Lence Family

Chris and Susan E. Lockwood

Kimberly G. and W. Scott Lohner, MD

Alice and Jared Lynch

Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation

Milo S. and Karen J. Marsden

Ted A. McKay

Valerie A. and Mark D. Mifflin, MD

Roy F. Miller

Moschetti Family

Viet Tan Nguyen

Donald E. Nickelson

Van B. and Maude E. Norman

Ruth L. Novak

O.C. Tanner Company

Suzanne E. Oelman

C.James Olson

Sarah Olson

Nancy A. and Randy A. Parker

Bonnie D. and James L. Parkin, MD*

Andrew Pendleton

Chris and Lisa A. Peterson

Gretchen and Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Tanya Polzer

Brent Price

David P. and Suzanne J. Razor

Ronald Reaveley Family

Red Butte Lions Club

Barbi Reed

Daniel and Lynette E. Reichert

Arnold and Mary Richer

Edward N. Robinson

Gary W. Rodgers and Chris Filtz

Gerald Rolfe

Karen O. and Stephen C. Roney

John and Patricia Rosenwald

Derek Sakata, MD, and Cindy Sumarauw, DDS

Scheels All Sports

Rachel G. Simpson, MD

Mimi and Cory Sinclair

Britney and Tyler S. Snell

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort

Stephen and Marji Bailey Sofro

Kent P. and Dana L. Strazza

Stephen D. and Sonnie S. Swindle

Lary J. and Judy W. Talbot

Virginia S. and Verl H. Talbot, MD

Allan and Frances Tessler

Daniel M. Thomas

I.Ray Thomason, MD

Candy Turnbull

Susan Bollinger Tybur and Jim Tybur

Stephen and Ingrid Tyler

University of Utah Advancement

University of Utah Department of Athletics

University of Utah Football US Foods

Sravanthi Vegunta, MD

Tod Wadsworth

Matthew J. and Lynn W. Ward

Judith E.A. Warner, MD

Thomas and Melissa Wheatly

Larry Allen Wheeler, PhD

Andre and Brenda L. Williams

Loren and Jane Yager

W.Craig and Jan L. Zwick

William J. Zwiebel, MD

gifts of $100 and above

Anonymous

Hans G. Ahrens

Anne Davis Alexander

John C. and Sheryl L. Allen

JoAnne Ambrose

Carol A. and James A. Anderson, PhD

DeAnn R. Anderson

Lissa C. Anderson

Milton M. and Emily Diane Anderson

Brent and Cheri Andrus

Ronald I. Apfelbaum, MD, and Kathleen A. Murray, MD

Seamus Appel

Asart Design

Pamela J. Atkinson

Ekhlas A. Attia

Robert K. Avery, PhD, and C. Frances Gillmor

Ann Crandall Bagley

Ballet West

Margaret D. and Bryce G. Barker, MD

Larry R. and DeAnn Barrigar

Barbara E. Bean, MD, and James R. Haisley

David W. Becker Jr. MD, JD

John E. Bendixen

Richard and Ronni Bergman

Erin Westenskow Berrett

Sarah A. Berry

Sheila M. Bilbrey

Beverly Blair

Bonnie Blanchard

Christie and BJ Blaser

Jonathan D. and Stephanie Anne Bletzacker

Blue Halo

BMW of Murray

Arlyn R. and Norma Bodily

Sheri A. and O’Dell M. Bodily

Jon Boney

William J. and Heather F. Bonn

Peter and Billie Borgerding

Gary and Herlinda B. Bowen

Alan C. and Ann Bradshaw

Dennis and Kathy Brandon

Richard T. and Sharon Bretzing

Steven M. and Joan M. Brinton

Merle Y. Broadbent

Tim W. and Marlise P. Brough

Barbara and Lewis J. Brown, MD

Susan J. Brown

Judge James Bucci

Doris V. Buckholtz

Jean Buhl

Ann and Darryl Butt, PhD

Cactus & Tropicals

Jules Campbell

Linda J. Campbell

Robin C. Campbell and

Marion R. Riley

Charlie Cardon

George Cardon-Bystry

Randall C. Carlisle

John K. and Shirley A. Carmack

Levi and Marcie Carrigan

Tyler D. Carson

Jason E. Castor

Jean Chang

Becky Chapman

Kathleen Chatelain

The Cheesecake Factory

Jimmy Chen, PhD, and Ling-Ling Leu

Chick-fil-A

Qing Chong

Karen Christensen

Kurt P. and Deborah Christiansen

James A. and Margaretha Church

David M. and Carol A. Cise

Kara Clapp, PhD

Sherman and Susan Clow

Kristen Merinda Cobabe, MSW

Susan Coble

Cohenour Family Trust

Chris Conabee

Marian A. Connelly-Jones and Gary Jones

Rebecca and Vernon Cooley, MD

Wade and Judy Coon

Craig Cooper and Suzanne A. Harris Cooper

Sandra Lee Corp

Bernadette M. Coughenour

Cranky’s Bike Shop

Caroline M. Craven, MD

Dorothy Cromer

Everett P. and Mary Kay Davis

Wayne Day

Monika M. and H. James de St. Germain

Linda P. and Nathan C. Dean, MD

Kyle L. Dearden

Nancy DeCamp

Carl Dennison

Carolyn Bartlett Deru

Richard S. and Janet DeWolfe

Kathleen B. Digre, MD, and Michael W. Varner, MD

Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum of Utah

Huyen T. Do

Vivian Dowsett Interiors

Dream Inn

Jauna and Gregory Dupratt

Lois M. Dutson

Ecobabe

Edison House

John S. Edwards

Peter M. and Bonnie H. Edwards

Karen Ehresman

Maureen C. Ellis

Eugene F. and Joan R. Erbin

Erin Evans

Shirley Evans

Every Blooming Thing

Dennis D. and Carma B. Ewing

Fat Cats

Daniel S. and Carri Fergusson

Theresa Ferraro

Tyler Firmage

Fish Tech Outfitters

Carole E. Fishburn

Russ Fjeldsted*

Kristen M. Fletcher and Dan McPhun

Robert D. Folker

Jennifer J. and Mark C. Foote, MD

Scott and Petria H. Fossel

Elaine T. and Frank W. Fox, PhD

Todd and Michelle France

Luella B. Freed

Gloria Freedman

B. J. and Brian Fullmer

D.Jay Gamble

The Garden Store

Gregory and Jannis Gardner

K.Gary and Linda S. Garff

Martin I. and Sheila G. Gelman

Rebekah Gensure, MD, PhD

Jennifer George

Tyler Gillespie

William A. and Claudia M. Gislason

Stephen V. Goddard

Lawrence K. Goldsmith

Steve and Merrilee Gottfredson

The Grand America Hotel

Green Drake Outdoors, Dustin Carlson

Kay B. Greene

Jean Groce

Nancy O. Groce

Bernard I. Grosser, MD, and Karen J. McArthur

Kathleen Gubler

Kirsty Ann Gunther

Duane L. Haas

Margaret L. Haas

Jill L. and Gregory S. Hageman, PhD

Jon and Karen J. Hale

Mark R. and Julie K. Hale

Steven T. and Julie Halvorson

Ronald C. Hamblen and Kristine Janson

Miles and Siena Hansen

Francis Hanson

Gareld D. and Betty Jo Hanson

Joan M. and Francis V. Hanson, PhD

Franz Hardin

Joann Hardin

Brad D. Hardy and Jolie A. Coleman

Harper Nail Salon

Deborah Y. Harrison

Patricia Harte

Robert Hartleben

Douglas Hattery

James V. and Gail Hawkins

Susan D. Heath and William R. Tanner

James A. and Arlene M. Helfand

Nicole L. Herman

Deon T. Hilger

Hires Big H

Raymond Hollowell

Vaughn Howard

Nancy C. and Dennis C. Hughes, MD

Samuel and Sandra Hunter

Hunt’s Trading Post

I.J. & Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center

ilLumin8skin

Albert Imesch

Harry F. and Marjorie Immerman

Kathleen A. Isaac

JAM Collective and Vasque Footwear

Roy and Eileen G. Jenkins

Martha Lewis Jennings

Linda H. and Leland D. Jensen

Peter E. Jensen, MD

Amy A. and Matthew Johnson

James and Lauren Jolly

Paul Jones

Robert Jones

W.Stanley Jones and M. Gay Taylor-Jones

Judy O’s Floral

Kamas Valley Lions Club Service Project

Brad, Tracey, Sam, Jonah, and Zev Katz

Kurt and Joette M. Katzer

Robert C. Kersten, MD, FACS, FASOPRS

Lloyd Kianfar

Paul and Geraldine Kilpatrick

Cornelia Kincanon

Laura Kinser Studios

Julia J. Kleinschmidt, PhD

Koloa Landing Resort

Barbara Brittain Korous

Bob and Marilyn Kukachka

Melinda Kurnath

Heather L. Labrum

Frank B. and Denise A. Ladenburg

Roger O. and Sue Ladle

Lagoon Corporation

Stephen and Natalie Lam

Loris Largo-Rhodes

Jean M. Larsen, PhD

Shane Larson and Genevieve Christianson

LC Hess Construction

Barbara and Melvin D. Leibsla

Lawrence J. Leigh, PhD, and Wendy Foster Leigh

Judy Levine

Liberty Heights Fresh

Herb Lichtenstein and Barbara E. Highlander Lichtenstein

Light Walk at Tracy Aviary

Amy Lin, MD

Edward G. Lind

Theresa Long, MD

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

Janet M. Luke

Holly Lund

Kenneth M. Lund

David L. and Marilyn J. Maher

Myroslava Maksymtsiv

Peter Mandros

Collette Marthia

Peter F. Martin

Tawnja Stout Martin

Dustin Matinkhah

Kurt Matzen

Willard Z. Maughan, MD, and Rona Lee W. Maughan, PhD

Therese M. Mayes

John McClain

Robert A. and LeeAnne McConnell

Lori L. McCoy

Marcie and Wade McEntire

Philip and Susan L. McLaughlin

Michael McNamara

Juan E. and Esther R. Medina

Marvin A. and Renee B. Melville

Lloyd R. and Marjorie R. Merrill

Sheri and David A. Meyer, OD

Suzanne H. Mihalopoulos

Ann Marguerite and Kenneth G. Miller

Frances J. Miller Fund

Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres

Loretta Miller

Betsy J. Minden

Kerry C. and David B. Miner, MD

MINI of Murray

Minky Couture

Risa Moffitt

Mubarik Mohamad, MD

Momentum Indoor Climbing Gym

Sean Mooney

Casey E., Daysha, and Elle Moore

Moran Eye Center Optical Shop

Moran Eye Center’s Leadership Team

Edward B. Moreton

Mary and Tony W. Morgan, MD

Paula F. and Michael V. Morris

Gary and Lisa Mulcock

Derek and Gina A. Murdock

Maral Namdari

Natural History Museum of Utah

Kent O. and Deanna Naylor

Ron and Anna M. Naylor

Gary W. and Roslyn S. Nelson

Julie Kristl and Richard E. Nelson

Jeanette Nice

Deanna Nielsen

Teresa Nielsen

Brent T. Nilsen

Vincent and Elizabeth Novack

Jim and Sandra C. O’Hearn

Mark and Robin O’Rourke

Joan J. Odd

Aaron Oliver

Erica Oliver and Kylie Wack

Stephen L. and Barbara F. Olsen

Anthony P. and Millie A. Olson

Emily E. and Patrick R. Olson, MD

Julie and Jeffery E. Olson, PhD

Lisa M. Ord, PhD

Orvis

Erma J. Oten

Lacy Page

Brent Palfreyman

Ian and Tammi Parish

Park City Culinary Institute

Anne J. and Dennis L. Parker, PhD

Wells S. and Jennifer L. Parker

Sangita Patel

Aurelia L. and Jordan C. Pederson, PhD

Madison Perchik

Ronald J. Petersen

Bessie M. Peterson

Elaine Peterson

Lynn and Gary G. Peterson, PhD

Nedra A. Peterson

Wade Peterson

Jax Hayes and Kathryn H. Pettey

PETZL USA

Tamara Phillips

Warren S. Phillips

The Pie Pizzeria

Lyddia and Robert D. Pierce

Virginia N. Pinder

Pintura Fine Art Imaging and Framing

Roy W. and Elizabeth E. Simmons

Pioneer Memorial Theatre

Howard and Sharon Poch

Ashley Polski, MD

Donald R. and Joyce M. Polster

Lillian Pontacolone

Mike and Deborah A. Poor

Brett Prettyman

Charlotte and Patrick H. Price

John and Marcia P. Price Family Foundation

Kandace O. and Keith A. Prisbrey, PhD

Scott E. and Karin U. Pynes

Diana L. Ramirez

Thomas U. and Karma Ramsey

V. Raman and Elizabeth D. Rao

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum

Nishika Reddy, MD

Jerry B. and Barbara G. Reese

Jeffery A. and Heidi G. Reid

Ronald L. Rencher

Burt T. Richards

Jo Richardson

Helene H. Richer

Merrill K. and CoDele C. Ridd

Debra J. Rodriguez

Janie L. Rogers

Tonya Rogers

Lorena and Thomas D. Rosenberg, MD

Francis X. and Georgina Rossbach

Duane and Judy D. Rupp

Alene M. Russon

RX Sight

Patricia Sanchez

Joseph and Ann S. Sasich

Lara M. Schenk

Steve Schmidt

Susan B. Schulman

Jeff Scott

Kellie and Weston Seiler

Duane and Christine C. Seppi

David K. and Patricia L. Sias

Sherman Simmons

Susan M. Skankey

Vicki A. Slotte

Richard and Jenny M. Smartt

Gerald C. and Stacey F. Smith

Rosanne Smith

Gay Snider

Still SLC, Julie Nielsen, DNP, FNP-C

David and Londa Stout

Weston P. Stringham

Cathleen Stutzman

Dean G. and Cathleen M. Stutzman

Sundance Catalog

Edward S. and Lu Matheson Sweeney

Carlyn S. Sweet

Thomas C. and Marsha Swegle

Jean Tabin, MD

Temple Grounds Coffee Company

Laura Thomas

Sally B.L. Thompson, MD

Toni Thompson

Ning Tian, PhD, and Ping Wang

Timmy Grips, Tim Johnson

Torrent Cycle

Sylvia D. Torti, PhD

Tracy Aviary

Stephen Trimble and Joanne C. Slotnik

Alice M. Tsosie

V. Randall and Susan F. Turpin

Stephen and Ingrid Tyler

University of Utah College of Pharmacy

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Utah Olympic Park

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Utah Division of Wildlife

Utah Trout Unlimited

Utah’s Hogle Zoo

V Chocolates

L. Craig and Margaret B. Vernon

Theresa Vonier

Laurene Walker

Verdon R. and Laurene S. Walker

Cynthia A. and Gary W. Wallace, MD

Kelsey Warburton

Garda L. Wardle

Wallace J. and Maysie E. Watts

Charles H. Weber, MD, and Lana S. Weber, MD

Elaine B. Weis

Liliana Werner, MD, PhD

Western Rivers Flyfisher

Lisa Weston

Bart L. Wheelwright

David C. and Gloria H. Whipp

Abby Whiting

John D. and Diane B. Whittaker

Steven D. and Deidre Whittaker

Coach Kyle Whittingham

Pauline Wiessner, PhD

Janet C. and H. James Williams, MD

Stephen P. and Nancy Z. Williams

Willow Creek Country Club

David J. Wilson

Barbara M. Wirostko, MD, and Joseph Morelli, MD

Albert Woodmansee

Hope H. Worner

Phillip A. and Judy V. Yeates

Louise M. and Norm A. Zabriskie, MD

Vera S. Zaccardi

David R. and Susan Zangrilli

IN HONOR OF

Those in whose honor gifts were made to the Moran Eye Center from January 1, 2023- December 31, 2023.

JoAnne Ambrose

David R. Bachman

Karen S. Bachman

Heidi Bailiff

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Colleen H. Bowman

Doreen Bromfield

Craig J. Chaya, MD

Ben S. Chortkoff, MD

Susan Chortkoff, MD

Caroline M. Craven, MD

Joseph D’Agnillo

Kathleen B. Digre, MD

David Dries, MD

External Relations Team at the John A. Moran Eye Center

Christine Fairclough

Monika Fleckenstein, MD

Jason Groce

Eric Hansen, MD

Rachael Jacoby, MD

Griffin Jardine, MD

Gracie Jones

Robert C. Kersten, MD, FACS, FASOPRS

Marissa Larochelle, MD

Amy Lin, MD

Lions Club Member #182189 Park City Lions

Kay Winston Lipman

Lindsey Fairclough Little

Maureen K. Lundergan, MD

Nick Mamalis, MD

David Meyer, OD, FAAO

Mark D. Mifflin, MD

Kathie Miller

Majid Moshirfar, MD

My 3rd Transplant

Austin Nakatsuka, MD

Randall J Olson, MD

Our 48th Wedding Anniversary

Bhupendra Patel, MD

Dix H. Pettey, OD, MS, Best of State!

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Ashley Polski, MD

Heidi G. Reid

Rachelle Rupp

Akbar Shakoor, MD

Rachel G. Simpson, MD

St. George Lions Club

Brian C. Stagg, MD

Mano Swartz, MD

Norm Zabriskie, MD

Brian E. Zaugg, MD

IN MEMORY OF

Those in whose memory gifts were made to the Moran Eye Center from January 1, 2023-December 31, 2023.

Martha S. Ahrens

Lynn Arent

Marvin L. Arent

Thomas Arquette

Barnie P. Babbitt

Elizabeth Beck-Thomason

Rourke H. Bowman

William J. Buhl

Lyman Buhler

Neal P. Busk

Carol A. Butterfield

F. Burton Cassity

Bianca Coppa

Ruth H. Craig

Alan S. Crandall, MD

Donald C. Crawford

Margaret Crawford

Yuriko Dennison

Edmund W. Dumke

Elwin J. Duston

Joseph K. Everton

Bruce Robert Fishburn

J. R. Fisher

Susan Bracken Ford

William Arthur Francis

Suzanne F. Goldsmith

Larry Dean Hale

Jamie

Yoshie Kondo Kishimoto

WM. M. Kleinschmidt

Hazel Lohman

Jack Lohman

Jo Ann Miller Mahoney Butler

Margaret W. Martinez

Paul R. Martinez

Helen Torgerson Mehrens

Gerald E. Millard

Jean Holt Miller

John A. Moran

Katherine Tingey Morton

J. Bill Moschetti

Steven J. Nichols

Jerry S. Nielsen

Marilyn Noorda

Darcy Rollins-Peterson

Darlene M. Phillips

Maurine Pixton

Randall “Randy” Smith Taylor

Richard J. Tillery

Richard Dean Tomlin

Richard M. Walker

William A. Worner

Paul J. Zabolotney

PLANNED GIFTS

Those who have planned gifts in place to the Moran Eye Center as of December 31, 2023.

Anonymous

Joanne Ambrose

Neal R. Anderson

David R. and Karen S. Bachman

Bonnie Barry

Joseph E. Bernolfo

Elmen D. Bloedel

Toni F. Bloomberg

Irene G. Casper and Ruth A. Morey

Donald A. Cathcart

Richard and Susan Coe

Thomas D. and Candace C. Dee

Carol M. Fay

Daniel G. Forman, CVM

Elaine T. and Frank W. Fox, PhD

Bernard I Grosser, MD, and

Karen J. McArthur

Cliff Hammer

Joseph L. Hatch, MD

Jerry S. and Claudia F. Howells

Curtis C. and Lynne P. Kennedy

Tim and Wendy A. Lacy

Charles H. McLeskey, MD, and Nanci S. McLeskey, DPN

John A. Moran*

Ruth and Randall J Olson, MD

Sylvia Prahl-Brodbeck*

Linda Stauss Rankin, PhD

Don B. Reddish*

Ken and Holly Reynolds

Janet M. Schaap

Edward H. Skinner

Daniel Soulia

Sharon Steele-McGee

Susan O. Taylor

Alice G. Telford

Mary E. Thompson

Haru Toimoto

The Moran Eye Center is grateful for the contributions made to support our mission and goals. We have made every effort to ensure that this January 1, 2023-December 31, 2023, Donor Report is as accurate as possible. Should you find an error or wish to change your listing, please contact us at 801-585-9700.

*Deceased

2023-2024

Best Hospitals for Ophthalmology No. 10 Nationwide 2023

Residency Education No. 6 Nationwide No. 1 in the West

The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah is the largest ophthalmology clinical care and research facility in the Mountain West, with more than 60 faculty members, 10 satellite clinics, and 20 research laboratories and centers.

Physicians provide comprehensive care in all ophthalmic subspecialties, making Moran a major referral center for complex cases. Services include:

Cataracts

Cornea & External Eye Disease

Electrophysiology

Emergency Care

Glaucoma

LASIK and Vision Correction

Surgery

Neuro-Ophthalmology

Oculoplastic and Facial

Plastic Surgery

Ocular Oncology

Optometry

Patient Support Program for Patients with Vision Loss

Pediatric Ophthalmology

Pediatric Retina

Retinal Diseases

Strabismus

Ultrasound

Uveitis