More than 300 Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology faculty, alumni, and trainees gathered for a three-day festival of events that included the Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion, tours of Mass. Eye and Ear and Schepens Eye Research Institute, a celebratory dinner, and visits to the Harvard Art Museum and Harvard Museum of Natural History from May 29 to 31. Annual Meeting co-chairs Ula Jurkunas, MD and Lucia Sobrin, MD, MPH kicked off the meeting Friday morning. Scientific lectures followed, given by 12 HMS faculty, showcasing current investigations in eye research. Topics included resident education, applications of telemedicine in glaucoma, complex strabismus, stem cells for retinal repair, and many more.
In the afternoon, Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD delivered the 2015 Mariana Mead lecture, describing progress within the NEIGHBORHOOD Glaucoma Genetics Consortium—a group that aims to fully understand the genomic architecture of glaucoma. This was followed by the Annual Meeting Poster Competition, which boasted a diverse range of entries. Clinical posters winners were first-year ophthalmology resident, Tomasz Stryjewski, MD and Mass. Eye and Ear research fellow, Ines Lains, MD. Additionally, Anitha Krishnan, PhD and Brinda Subbarayal, PhD, two Schepens/Mass. Eye and Ear research fellows, were selected as the research poster winners. Friday’s events concluded with a dinner at the Four Seasons.
On Saturday, the Alumni Reunion, chaired by Dr. Joseph Rizzo III, featured Dr. Joan Miller’s introductions to the graduating class of 2015, an update on the state of the department, alumni presentations, and the Distinguished Research and Clinical Achievement Award presentations. Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Clinical Care Award, presented, “Fifty-Seven Years at the Infirmary,” which received a standing ovation. Marshall G. Doane, PhD, the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Research Award, followed with a presentation on the cornea, eyeblinks, and tears. Chief and Chair Joan Miller, MD, FARVO and Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH, FARVO also honored Deborah Pavan-Langston, MD, FACS (class of 1970) for her five decade career at Mass. Eye and Ear, as she is retiring in June.
The event was sponsored by the HMS Department of Ophthalmology, Genentech, Mass. Eye and Ear Alumni Association, Mass. Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.