Congratulations to the recipients of the 2018 ARVO Achievement Awards.
Proctor Medal
Proctor and Friedenwald Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding research in the basic or clinical sciences as applied to ophthalmology.
Artur V. Cideciyan, PhD (RE)
Scheie Eye Institute
Dr. Cideciyan has advanced our understanding of human inherited retinal degenerations using his multifaceted skills and knowledge ranging from science to medicine and bioengineering. His most significant contributions have involved human and animal retinopathies caused by ABCA4, CEP290, RHO, RPGR or RPE65 gene mutations. More recently, his expertise is mostly directed to evaluation of gene-based treatments and their efficacy in animal models and patients with the use of novel noninvasive methods specifically designed for disease-specific aspects of the underlying pathophysiology.
Samuel G. Jacobson, MD, PhD, FARVO (RE)
Scheie Eye Institute
Dr. Jacobson, in a 40+ year career in science and medicine, has distinguished himself as a caring and compassionate physician, and a world-class scientist. He entered the field of inherited retinal diseases when clinical specialists were rare, there was little medical or scientific interest in genetic blindness, and there were no treatments. Over decades, he made stepwise advances to understand the molecular mechanisms of these disorders. He is a pioneer in the application of gene-based and other therapies for diseases previously considered as incurable.
Friedenwald Award
Proctor and Friedenwald Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding research in the basic or clinical sciences as applied to ophthalmology.
Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH, FARVO (CO)
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School
Reza Dana is the Claes Dohlman Chair in Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Cornea Service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is a clinician-scientist and pioneer in the field of ocular immunology, with a specific focus on corneal and ocular surface immunity. His contributions to the mechanisms of antigen-presenting cell activation and mobilization, leukocyte-lymphatic interactions, autoimmunity, and alloimmunity have had a profound influence on our understanding of, and therapeutic strategies for immune-based conditions such as transplant rejection, pathological angiogenesis and chronic dry eye disease.
Mildred Weisenfeld Award
The Weisenfeld Award is presented annually to an individual in recognition of distinguished scholarly contributions to the clinical practice of ophthalmology.
M. Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, FACS, FARVO (RC)
Moran Eye Center, University of Utah
Dr. Hartnett is a Professor of Ophthalmology, vitreoretinal surgeon and Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded laboratory at the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah. She identified that pathologic signaling through VEGF causes both avascular retina and intravitreal neovascularization in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and studies mechanisms to regulate VEGF signaling, reduce oxidative stress and increase cell junction integrity in ROP and age-related macular degeneration.
She has over 150 peer-reviewed articles and is Editor in Chief for Pediatric Retina, now in its second edition. She serves on ARVO committees and reviewing grants for NIH and Knights Templar Eye Foundation.
Cogan Award
The Cogan Award is recognizes a young researcher who is 45 years of age or less at the time of nomination. This person will have made important and worthwhile contributions to research in ophthalmology or visual science which is directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, and who shows substantial promise for the future.
Duke University
Dr. Medeiros is the Joseph Wadsworth Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice-Chair for Technology, and Director of Clinical Research at the Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University. He was formerly the Ben and Wanda Hildyard Chair at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Medeiros' research has been characterized by innovative and impactful contributions to methods for diagnosing glaucoma and detecting its progression. His laboratory has also pioneered the use of innovative techniques, such as virtual reality, in evaluating the impact of eye diseases on activities of daily living.
Joanne G. Angle Award
The Joanne G. Angle Award is the highest service honor to a volunteer professional bestowed by ARVO. This award recognizes outstanding leaders who have made significant, continuous contributions to ARVO in support of its mission. The recipient will show obvious personal involvement in and commitment to ARVO as well as contributions to the vision research community.
Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute
Dr. Quigley is Maumenee Professor at Wilmer, Johns Hopkins, directing its Glaucoma Center for 40 years and the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology for 20 years.
He is a past ARVO Executive Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of IOVS, and a Friedenwald Award recipient.
He has given 37 named lectures, including the 66th Edward Jackson Lecture. Dr. Quigley has trained 60 glaucoma clinician-scientists who lead glaucoma centers worldwide. His clinical research has improved the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. He pioneered studies of the epidemiology, morbidity and progression rate of glaucoma. He identified the roles of the iris and choroid in angle closure glaucoma. He was first to show has successful gene therapy in experimental glaucoma and developed the field of scleral neuroprotection.