#  Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD, Retires, Leaving a Lasting Legacy in Patient Care, Research, and Education 

 





June 01, 2026

 

 

 ![Dr. Evangelos Gragoudas next to a slit lamp in the clinic ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/2026-08/Gragoudas%2C%20Evangelos_next%20to%20slit%20lamp%20.png)

 

[Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD](/evangelosgragoudas "Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD"), a world-renowned retina specialist who’s clinical and research achievements have led to sight-saving treatments for millions of people, retired on May 31, 2026 after a storied 52-year career with the department.

Early in his career, he developed the use of proton beam irradiation for the treatment of uveal melanoma. In collaboration with Joan W. Miller, MD, Dr. Gragoudas also developed photodynamic therapy (Visudyne®), the first pharmacologic treatment approved by the FDA for treating AMD. He was also a key member of the group who identified the role of VEGF in retinal vascular diseases and AMD, and for his contributions, was a co-recipient of the 2014 Champalimaud Vision Award.

Dr. Gragoudas has been a generous, insightful, and patient mentor throughout his career. As director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship Program at Mass Eye and Ear for nearly 30 years, he trained more than 100 clinical retina fellows from around the world. Dr. Gragoudas has also established a series of annual scholarship awards at Mass Eye and Ear and several professional societies, which are now highly coveted.

In 2024, to celebrate 50th anniversary at Harvard Ophthalmology and Mass Eye and Ear, Dr. Gragoudas donated $1.9M to Mass Eye and Ear to endow the Evangelos S. Gragoudas Chair in Ophthalmology to celebrate his legacy in ocular melanoma research, teaching, and patient care.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Gragoudas has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and authored over 100 book chapters, reviews, and books. His many honors include the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Academy Honor Award, the Retina Research Foundation’s Jules Gonin Lectureship, the Macula Society’s J. Donald M. Gass and Arnall Patz Medals, the Harvard Medical School Distinguished Alumni Award, and the ARVO Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology.



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Faculty ](/news-categories/faculty)
- [ Evangelos Gragoudas, MD ](/news-categories/evangelosgragoudas)
 
 

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