DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
MEET THE MORAN EYE CENTER
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah is the largest ophthalmology clinical care and research facility in the U.S. Mountain West, providing comprehensive care in all ophthalmic subspecialties.
In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Moran Eye Center among the nation’s Top 10 eye centers while Doximity.com ranked Moran’s resident education program among the nation’s Top 5.
CEO Randall J Olson, MD, is a world-renowned cataract surgery expert whose innovative approaches and entrepreneurial spirit have changed the field of ophthalmology to help millions of patients.
As part of the University of Utah, Moran can leverage unique resources to drive groundbreaking discoveries. These resources include the following:
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
“AT MORAN WE BELIEVE NO PERSON WITH A BLINDING CONDITION, EYE DISEASE, OR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SHOULD BE WITHOUT HOPE, UNDERSTANDING, AND TREATMENT.”
– VISION STATEMENT BY MORAN EYE CENTER CEO RANDALL J OLSON, MDUtah Population Database
Intermountain Ocular Research Center
Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine
Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma InnovationUtah Retinal Reading Center Utah Lions Eye Bank Global Outreach Division
THE UTAH POPULATION DATABASE
The University of Utah has a rich legacy of innovation and is a hot spot for genetics research and precision medicine, which tailors treatments to individuals.
Its Utah Population Database (UPDB) is a one-of-a-kind resource that contains genealogical, public health, medical, and environmental exposure records for more than 20 million people.
The UPDB is one of the world’s richest sources of data that supports health and genetic research. Interdisciplinary teams of scientists have used the UPDB to identify genes and risk factors for dozens of diseases, including breast and ovarian cancers, colon cancer, and heart arrhythmia.
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
THE SHARON ECCLES STEELE CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
Dr. Olson established the Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine (SCTM) in 2009 as a new model for how academia can rapidly advance and fund research by establishing partnerships between researchers, philanthropists, and private industry.
Among the SCTM’s unique resources is the world’s largest donor eye tissue repository of its kind, with 10,000 eyes available for scientists to compare healthy and diseased tissue. A study that pairs this tissue with donor genotypes and medical records has allowed the SCTM to change our understanding of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness for people aged 55 and older.
Led by Director Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, the SCTM has been successful in moving its discoveries more efficiently into clinical trials with multiple AMD therapies in its pipeline.
GREGORY S. HAGEMAN, PHD
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
THE UTAH RETINAL READING CENTER
Directed by SCTM scientist Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, the Utah Retinal Reading Center (UREAD) is one of a handful of ophthalmic reading centers worldwide and plays a significant role in global eye disease research.
UREAD analyzes high-definition images of the retina for SCTM researchers at Moran and for industry and academic clients worldwide. Its detailed, expert analysis helps determine how eye diseases progress and the best time to administer new therapies.
Working with UREAD, the SCTM has conducted research that has clarified the genetic risks for and protections against developing AMD and shown how a patient’s genetics impacts rates of vision loss.
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
STEFFEN SCHMITZ-VALCKENBERG, MDTHE INTERMOUNTAIN OCULAR RESEARCH CENTER
In 1982, surgeons were able to use newly developed artificial intraocular lenses (IOLs) to replace the eye’s clouded lens during cataract surgery. Yet outcomes for patients were unacceptably poor and the National Institutes of Health had declined to fund IOL research.
Assisting industry and patients, Dr. Olson established the non-profit Intermountain Ocular Research Center to conduct studies on IOL design, materials, and complications. Center research greatly improved the quality and design of IOLs, helped develop modern cataract surgical techniques, and spurred the withdrawal of poorly designed IOLs from the marketplace.
More than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications guide companies and physicians worldwide as they vet new IOL technology and complications through the center, led by co-directors Nick Mamalis, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD.
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
NICK MAMALIS, MD, AND LILIANA WERNER, MD, PHDTHE ALAN S. CRANDALL CENTER FOR GLAUCOMA INNOVATION
Nearly 80 million people are living with glaucoma, a blinding disease that will rob them of their eyesight. That number is projected to rise to 112 million by 2040.
Named for the late Moran Eye Center glaucoma surgeon and humanitarian, the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation is meeting the global challenge of glaucoma with innovator Iqbal “Ike” K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC.
Dr. Ahmed is one of the world’s top surgeons for complex eye conditions and the leading expert on glaucoma care, including micro-invasive surgery devices and approaches. Four Crandall Center initiatives are leading the way to better diagnostics, safer and more effective therapies and surgical devices, a deeper understanding of glaucoma and its genetics, and expanded access to care around the globe.
IKE AHMED, MD, FRCSCDRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
THE GLOBAL OUTREACH DIVISION
Founded by Dr. Crandall, Moran’s Global Outreach Division is a premier institute for ophthalmology outreach in the United States and has relationships with eye care providers worldwide.
The division works to build sustainable access to highquality eye care. In Utah, it provides a safety net for underserved populations, including people experiencing homelessness, former refugees, and the uninsured. In lowresource nations, Moran ophthalmologists, nurses, and technicians train their local counterparts during surgical camps that restore vision for hundreds of people. Promising physicians from these nations also train at Moran.
The division is a North American academic partner of India’s Aravind Eye Care System, renowned for its unique ability to manufacture safe, effective, low-cost surgical devices for use in low-resource nations.
DRIVING DISCOVERY
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah
OUTREACH MEDICAL DIRECTOR CRAIG CHAYA, MD, AND A PATIENT IN MICRONESIA.AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF CORNEAL EYE TISSUE READY FOR TRANSPLANTATION.
