David M. Brown, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, will present the inaugural Joan W. Miller Lecture, entitled "Pathophysiology of Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) - Revelations of the anti-VEGF Trials," today, Friday, April 15, 2016 at the New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS) Annual Meeting at the Back Bay Event Center in Boston. The lectureship was endowed with a contribution from Massachusetts Eye and Ear. John Fernandez, Mass. Eye and Ear President and CEO, noted, “This lectureship is especially fitting given the passionate commitment that both organizations have for education and collaboration. It is also testimony to Dr. Miller’s dedicated involvement with NEOS and her commitment to educating the next generation of trainees. She has supported, mentored, and inspired hundreds of trainees in their careers, and is an especially worthy candidate for this honor.”
Dr. Brown is a vitreoretinal specialist, and Vice Chair for Research at the Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital. As Director of Clinical Research at the Greater Houston Retina Research Center, he leads one of the largest clinical trial centers for retinal disease in the United States. His research and clinical interests are focused on macular surgery, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal vascular disease, and diabetic retinopathy. He has published and written over 300 national meeting presentations, abstracts, and scientific papers including many of the primary papers establishing the use of anti-VEGF agents for AMD, retinal vein occlusions, and diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. Miller is a past president of NEOS, and an internationally recognized expert on retinal disorders. She is credited with co-developing photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin (Visudyne®), the first pharmacologic treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She also co-discovered the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in eye disease, and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of VEGF inhibitors, forming the scientific basis of anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and related conditions. Dr. Miller is the first female physician to achieve the rank of Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, the first woman to chair HMS Ophthalmology, and the first woman to serve as Chief of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital. Among Dr. Miller’s numerous honors, she is a laureate of the 2014 António Champalimaud Vision Award, the highest distinction in ophthalmology and visual science.