3 minute read
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.
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
