Effective July 1, 2021, Demetrios Vavvas, MD, PhD, will serve as the next incumbent of the Solman and Libe Friedman Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.
This professorship was created in 2011 to honor the parents of Ephraim Friedman, MD, a former retina specialist and researcher in age related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as a former president of Mass Eye and Ear who, together with his sisters, established a foundation to honor their parents’ legacy. The Friedman Professorship was established through the generosity of the Solman and Libe Friedman Foundation and Mass Eye and Ear using Ophthalmology departmental royalties from the invention of verteporfin photodynamic therapy for AMD.
Dr. Vavvas upholds the legacy of the Friedman Professorship of Ophthalmology in every aspect. A key member of the Retina Service at Mass Eye and Ear and an outstanding clinician scientist, he has made significant contributions to the field through his research in innovative therapies for retinal disease, including AMD. He lends his expertise in a number of important leadership positions across the ophthalmology department and Mass Eye and Ear. Dr. Vavvas is also a dedicated and generous teacher, who is devoted to helping his trainees advance their knowledge and develop their professional careers.