The Edna H. Perkiss Research Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

The Edna H. Perkiss Research Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences was established in 2018 through an estate gift from Alvin Perkiss. Making the gift was a meaningful way for Mr. Perkiss to honor the memory of his wife, Edna. It was also a way he could provide future support for research aimed at curing blinding vision diseases, like the age-related macular degeneration Edna faced.

Edna Perkiss was born in Detroit in 1918. She was known for her love of reading, travel, and for being a dedicated friend. “Helping others was part of who she was,” said Mr. Perkiss. In addition, Mrs. Perkiss is remembered for her long and distinguished 32-year career at Ford Motor Company. Her work as a secretary was very important to her, so much so that she occasionally returned to work in the evening after dinner. During her tenure at the company, she worked with several vice presidents.

Alvin Perkiss served in the U.S. Army during World War II. The G.I. Bill enabled him to attend college and build his automotive supplier business in Dearborn, Michigan. Alvin and Edna were introduced by Alvin’s sister and were married for 61 years. Later in life, Mrs. Perkiss lost her vision due to age-related macular degeneration. While forced to give up some of her favorite activities, she never lost her giving nature. She passed away in 2008, and this professorship honors her generosity of spirit through its intent to spare others the pain of losing their sight.

David Zacks, M.D., Ph.D., has long been committed to saving sight and improving vision through his innovative research focusing on methods to prevent retinal cell death and damage before it leads to blindness. “We hope to develop core knowledge to allow for a greater understanding of how disease results in cell death, allowing for the creation of new treatments to improve vision,” he says.

An internationally renowned retina specialist, Dr. Zacks has identified key molecular pathways that control retinal cell health and therapeutic targets to help keep these cells alive. He has published over 115 peer-reviewed articles,holds numerous patents, has received the Macula Society W. Richard Green and the Terry J. Bergstrom Faculty Teaching awards, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Retina Society. He is also co-founder of ONL Therapeutics, an Ann Arbor based biotech company developing a first-in-class neuroprotective agent for patients with retinal disease. Dr. Zacks joined U-M as an assistant professor in 2002 and was promoted to professor in 2015. He was inaugurated as the Edna H. Perkiss Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences on July 19, 2023.

Header image caption: John Chase, David Zacks, M.D., Ph.D., and Shahzad Mian, M.D.