Kentucky Lions Eye CenterUniversity of Louisville301 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd.Louisville, KY 40202Adult Clinic (502) 852-5466Pediatric Clinic (502) 852-7818

The Springs Medical Center6400 Dutchmans Parkway Suite 310 Louisville, KY 40205Adult and Pediatric (502) 742-2848

Summit Office 9700 Park Plaza Avenue Suite 110 Louisville, KY 40241 Pediatric Only (502) 852-7818

EditorsHarry H. Schulman,

Executive DirectorCynthia Brock,

Executive Assistant Lauren Williams,

Communications & Marketing Specialist

2Eye to Eye Vo l . 4 , No .1 Sp r i ng /Summer 2011

A p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e K e n t u c k y L i o n s E y e C e n t e r a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f L o u i s v i l l e

We enter 2011 amid an ever-changing health care landscape, spurred by political and economic trends. Unchanged is the commitment of the University of Louisville’s Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences to outstanding research, clinical care and training of the next generation of physicians.

Last year we saw an explosion of growth clinically within the department, particularly with regard to our pediatric services, with the addition of Rahul Bhola, MD, to our faculty. Dr. Bhola, who trained at UofL as an ophthalmology resident and had previously completed fellowships at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and at the University of California, Los Angeles, assumed the roles of director of pediatric ophthalmology and chief of ophthalmology at Kosair Children’s Hospital this past summer. In the last couple of months, we have opened pediatric clinics at The Springs Medical Center on Dutchmans Parkway and in Louisville’s East End at The Summit. Together with our flagship clinic at the Kentucky Lions Eye Center downtown, the addition of these new locations allows us to conveniently serve more pediatric patients from all over the metropolitan area, with a variety of conditions including refractive errors, tear duct obstruction, strabismus, amblyopia, diplopia, cataracts, glaucoma and other ocular disorders. We are also more readily accessible for families seeking well-eye care and school eye exams for their children.

Dr. Bhola also has a special interest in international outreach; as a resident here at UofL, he completed a rotation in India and was moved by the experience, which he said allowed him not only to serve in a teaching role, by bringing newer treatments and techniques to this remote area of the world, but also to learn from the patients and providers with whom he interacted, who

were dealing with illnesses and conditions we don't see frequently in the States. Together with Ali Haider, DO, Dr. Bhola is heading up our efforts to help more of our residents participate in international rotations as part of their training.

Since our last issue of Eye to Eye, many of our faculty members have won grants for their ground-breaking research, from institutions

and organizations including the National Institutes of Health, Research to Prevent Blindness, the Rounsavall Foundation and the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation. We have seen research from our department published in prestigious journals. We have received notable philanthropic gifts, and marked the retirements of esteemed colleagues. We have, sadly, marked the passing of a pioneer in the field of ophthalmology and a noted leader of this department, Thom Zimmerman, MD, PhD, and also were sad to learn of the tragic death of one of our former residents, Eric Schwietz, MD.

I invite you to read on for more information, stories and tributes as our department commemorates 2010 and looks ahead to the future.

Five faculty members honored as Best Doctors in America 2010Five department faculty members have been recognized as Best Doctors in America, an honor conferred by their national peers, who view them as being among the top three to five percent of physicians in their specialties.

The 2010 honor was given to:

• Henry Kaplan, MD, FACS• William Nunery, MD, FACS• Charles Barr, MD• Tongalp Tezel, MD• Gary Foulks, MD, FACS

Chairman’s Perspective

Introducing our new Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology

Contact Information

Donor Geneva Matlock continues to make significant contributions to the department... See page 10.

2

Henry J. Kaplan, MD, FACSChair and Director of the Kentucky Lions Eye CenterEvans Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Kentucky Lions Eye Center

Faculty(By Specialty)

Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery

M. Ali Haider, DOAssistant ProfessorMedical Director, Kentucky Lions Eye Bank Director, Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery

Glaucoma

Judith Mohay, MDAssociate ProfessorDirector of Primary Care Center Chief of Ophthalmology, University of Louisville Hospital

Joern B. Soltau, MDAssociate ProfessorDirector of Glaucoma Service and Residency Program Director

Oculofacial Plastic & Orbital Surgery

William R. Nunery, MD, FACSAssociate ProfessorDirector of Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital SurgeryDirector of Fellowship Program in Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgery

Pediatrics and Adult Strabismus

Rahul Bhola, MDAssistant ProfessorDirector of Pediatric Ophthalmology Chief of Ophthalmology, Kosair Children's Hospital

Retina and Uveitis

Charles C. Barr, MDProfessorDirector of Retina Service

Henry J. Kaplan, MD, FACSEvans Professor Chair, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhDAssistant Professor Director, Diabetic Retinopathy Service

Tongalp H. Tezel, MDAssociate Professor Kentucky Lions Eye Research Endowed ChairJoint – Department of Anatomical Sciences and NeurobiologyDirector of Fellowship Program in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery

Research Faculty

Douglas Borchman, PhDProfessorJoint – Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physiology and Biophysics

Douglas Dean, PhDRounsavall Professor of Ocular Molecular OncologyJoint – James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Henry J. Kaplan, MD, FACS Evans Professor Chair, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Qiutang Li, PhDAssistant ProfessorJoint – James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Yongqing Liu, PhDAssistant Professor

Qingxian Lu, PhDAssistant ProfessorJoint – Biochemistry

Maureen McCall, PhDProfessorJoint – Anatomical Sciences & Neurobiology

Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhDAssistant Professor Director, Diabetic Retinopathy Service

Hui Shao, MD, PhDProfessorJoint – Microbiology and Immunology

Shigeo Tamiya, PhDAssistant ProfessorJoint – Biochemistry

Gülgün Tezel, MDProfessorJoint – Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology

Tongalp H. Tezel, MDAssociate Professor Kentucky Lions Eye Research Endowed ChairJoint – Department of Anatomical Sciences and NeurobiologyDirector of Fellowship Program in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery

Wei Wang, MD, PhDInstructor

Emeritus Faculty

Parimal Bhattacherjee, PhDEmeritus Professor

Gary Foulks, MD, FACSEmeritus Professor

John W. Gamel, MDEmeritus Professor

Marcia Jumblatt, PhDAssociate Professor

Christopher A. Paterson, PhD, DScEmeritus Professor

Visiting Scholars

The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences was pleased to welcome the following visiting scholars for grand rounds in 2010:

Pedram Hamrah, MD Assistant Professor, Henry Allen Cornea ScholarHarvard University

Dale Heuer, MD Professor and Chair of OphthalmologyMedical College of Wisconsin

Mark Johnson, MD Professor University of Michigan

Ron Klein, MD Professor University of Wisconsin

Lanning Kline, MD Professor and Chair of OphthalmologyUniversity of Alabama – Birmingham

Anat Loewenstein, MD, MHA Professor and Chair of OphthalmologySourasky Medical Center at Tel-Aviv University

John Shore, MD Adjunct Clinical Associate ProfessorUniversity of Texas

Dov Weinberger, MD Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology Rabin Medical Center – Beilinson Campus Tel-Aviv University

Thomas Weingeist, MD, PhD Emeritus ProfessorUniversity of Iowa

3

Purpose. To demonstrate the production

of hemoglobin by human retinal

pigment epithelium (RPE).

Methods. Proteomic analysis using 10

donor eyes identified hemoglobin as a

major constituent of soluble human RPE

proteome. Western blotting, RT-PCR

and immunocytochemistry were used

to confirm the results. Presence of

erythrocyte-specific proteins within

primary human RPE cytosol was

investigated to rule out phagocytosis as

the source of hemoglobin. ELISA was

used to determine the rate of hemoglobin

secretion from human RPE cells. Globin

mRNA expression of human RPE was

studied in comparison with a human

erythroblast cell line and a spontaneously

transformed human RPE cell line

(ARPE-19).

Results. Hemoglobin is a regular constituent

of soluble human RPE proteome.

RT-PCR and western blotting confirmed

the presence of hemoglobin in human

RPE. No other erythrocyte-specific

proteins were detected within human RPE

cytosol. Hemoglobin expression persisted

up to seven passages in vitro. Human RPE

globin expression was exceeding human

erythroblast and ARPE-19 cells. Immuno-

histochemistry revealed the presence

of hemoglobin within RPE and Bruch’s

membrane. Hemoglobin release rate was

calculated to be 1.9 ± 1.2 attamoles per cell

per hour.

Conclusions. Hemoglobin expression by

human RPE brings a new perspective on

our understanding of oxygen transport to

the outer retina. Malfunction of RPE-

hemoglobin production may underlie

the pathophysiology of ocular diseases

characterized by subfoveal hypoxia and

VEGF upregulation, such as age-related

macular degeneration and diabetic

retinopathy. Pharmacological modulations

of local hemoglobin production in RPE

cells will create new opportunities to

interfere with the course of these diseases.

Visionary Research

Synthesis and secretion of hemoglobin by retinal pigment epithelium

“The main oxygen consumers in the

retina are photoreceptors. Their oxygen

demand is the highest in the whole

body and even exceeds brain cells.

Impairment of oxygen delivery to retinal

cells is the common denominator for

several blinding disorders of the eye,

such as age-related macular degeneration,

diabetic eye disease and retinal vascular

occlusions. The high oxygen demand of

photoreceptors is supplied by a layer of

blood vessels underneath the retina.

However, the details of oxygen transport

to metabolically highly active photo-

receptors have not been explored in

detail. Hemoglobin is the most common

oxygen-transporter in the human body

and was accepted to be present solely

in the red blood cells. In this study, we

challenged this concept by demonstrating

synthesis and secretion of hemoglobin

in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Local

production of hemoglobin in the outer

retina revolutionized the view of oxygen

transportation to the outer retina. Our

findings will allow us to understand

the pathogenesis of several macular

diseases and develop effective preventive

and treatment strategies for currently

incurable macular diseases, such as

age-related macular degeneration.”

-Tongalp Tezel, MD, Lead Investigator

Macular Degeneration

Tezel TH, Geng L, Lato EB, Schaal S, Liu Y, Dean D, Klein JB, Kaplan HJInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Apr;50(4):1911-9. Epub 2008 Dec 5.

Diabetic Retinopathy

4

Bhola and Haider join faculty

Rahul Bhola, MD, and M. Ali Haider, DO, joined the faculty of the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences last summer.

Dr. Bhola is the director of the pediatric ophthalmology service and specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and treatment of adults with strabismus and diplopia. He is also the chief of ophthalmology at Kosair Children’s Hospital. He completed his residency training in ophthalmology at UofL where he served as chief resident, and completed fellowships in pediatric ophthalmology at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Iowa.

Dr. Haider specializes in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery and is the new director of the cornea service. He recently completed a fellowship in cornea at the University of Rochester. Before that he completed a general ophthalmology residency at the University of Louisville, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Haider is medical director of the Kentucky Lions Eye Bank.

Dr. Bhola and Dr. Haider jointly direct the newly established Division of International Ophthalmology which coordinates outreach programs in other countries.

Paterson and Foulks retireThe department celebrated the careers of Christopher Paterson, PhD, and Gary Foulks, MD, in 2010, when both announced their retirements. Dr. Paterson has served on the research faculty since 1986 and made many important contributions both to the department and to the field of oph-

thalmology as a whole. He held the Kentucky Lions Eye Research Endowed Chair and is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the area of lens and cataract research, and ocular inflammation.

Dr. Foulks has been a member of the clinical faculty since 2003, and served as the medical director of the Kentucky Lions Eye Bank and as director of the cornea service. He received the Castroviejo Medal in 2005 – awarded to the most outstanding individual in the field of cornea and anterior segment of the eye by The Cornea Society.

Vice President of Ghana visits Louisville

Department Chair Henry Kaplan, MD, met with former Vice President Aliu Mahama of Ghana and his guests during a November, 2010 visit to the University of Louisville hosted by the Pan-African Studies Department. Mahama and his associates were in town for four days of events highlighting various aspects of Africa and its connection to the Western world.

Former resident killed in California car accident

We are sad to report that Eric Schwietz, MD, a former resident in the department, was killed on September 18, 2009 in a single-car accident in California. He was 45. Dr. Schwietz was born in Maine but moved to Louisville when he was a teen, graduating from St. Xavier High School

in 1982. He attended Stanford University, and graduated from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 2004, going on to com-plete an ophthalmology residency. He joined an ophthalmology group on the north coast of California in 2008.

Former director of the Eye Bank passes away James Martin, who served as director of the Kentucky Lions Eye Bank from 1986 until he retired in 2009, passed away on November 12, 2010. He was 64. Jim was a dedicated employee of the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and the UofL Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences for over 20 years and will be missed.

Contribution honors memory of Lion Linda Smith

The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences made a $100 contribution to the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation in memory of Lion Linda Smith, a past president of the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation who passed away in January. Linda was very active in the world of Lionism and conducted leadership training as recently as last year at the 2010 International Lions Convention in Australia. Linda was well-respected and is missed by all of those who knew her.

Rahul Bhola, MD M. Ali Haider, DO

Christopher Paterson, PhD Gary Foulks, MD

Eric Schwietz, MD

Linda Smith

Representatives of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences conducted an outreach clinic through the Adult Social Club at Louisville’s Jewish Community Center as a service to the Jewish Community of Louisville.The clinic served about 30 elderly, non-English speaking Russian immigrants, providing eye exams and facilitating their access to eye care. With the help of an interpreter, DOVS staff assisted the attendees with their benefits and coordination of care.

News

Dr. Henry Kaplan gives Aliu Mahama and Nat Green, a trustee of the University of Louisville, a tour of the Kentucky Lions Eye Center.

5

Hui Shao, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences, has received a $60,000 Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) organization. The grant will help fund Shao’s research of Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic auto-immune disease that targets the salivary and lacrimal glands – the glands that produce saliva and tears, respectively – resulting in dry mouth and dry eye symptoms.

Shao and her team recently discovered a protein, called Klk22, that appears to play a role in the development of Sjögren’s Syndrome.

Qingxian Lu, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences, has received the $60,000 William and Mary Greve Special Scholar Award from the RPB organization. The funds will go toward Lu’s research in retinitis pigmentosa, a group of genetic disorders that can

lead to night blindness, loss of peripheral vision and total blindness.

Lu’s research focuses specifically on a cellular receptor called MerTK, which may play a role in limiting the duration of immune response, leading to the development of retinal inflammation. Understanding this mechanism of action may lead to better prevention and treatment techniques in the future.

Qiutang Li, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences, has received a four-year grant of over $370,000 annually from the National Institutes of Health for a study aimed at elucidating the role of a family of proteins, known as 14-3-3σ, in the regenerative nature of the corneal epithelium, which serves as a barrier between the eye and the outside world. Li and her team have already shown that

14-3-3σ plays a crucial role in corneal epithelial differentiation, the self-renewal process by which a reservoir of limbal stem cells in the corneal epithelium migrates to sites of injury and replaces the damaged epithelium. The current study seeks to further explain the roles 14-3-3σ plays in the development of the corneal epithelium and in the wound healing process. The information that Li and her colleagues gather through their cell

line and mouse studies could be useful in treating corneal epithelium damaged by chemical burns or other trauma. The integrity of the cornea, the most anterior part of the eye, is indispensible for vision and approximately 45 million people worldwide are blind and another 135 million have severely impaired vision as a result of damage to the corneal epithelium.

Douglas Dean, PhD, Robert W. and Gretchen Rounsavall Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, has received an award of $217,923 to fund a project that will utilize a novel method of inducing the expression of potentially regenerative stem cell-specific genes to stimulate retinal function. This has possible implications for patients who suffer from retinal degeneration, which damages the eye and can cause loss of vision. Dean and his team are varying cell culture conditions in such a way as to induce expression of four critical stem cell genes in skin cells without the need for viral infection, a traditional method of introducing genes into cells, which can have the potential side effect of introducing cancer as well. The current project will test the ability of the stem cells created from skin cells to differentiate into retinal photoreceptors and potentially restore vision in an animal model of retinal degeneration.

Theo Hagg, MD, PhD, professor of neurological surgery; Henry Kaplan, MD, Evans Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences; and Hui Shao, MD, PhD, associate professor in the departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Immunology & Microbiology, have received a $196,078 award for a project that will test novel drugs shown to be effective in reducing inflammation in both traumatic spinal cord injury and in animal models of autoimmune uveitis – inflammation of the middle layer of the eye – in combination, targeting autoimmune inflammatory disease of the retina, optic nerve and spinal cord. The drugs were developed at UofL and this interdepartmental collaboration pairs two NIH-funded groups with translational research goals. The project will use an animal model to test whether the two drugs, individually and in combination with one another, can

reduce progression or reverse disease course once the disease has started.

Henry Kaplan, MD, also received a one-year CTSPGP award of $50,000 and a Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation award of $50,000 which will fund a project aimed at developing novel therapies for age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The investigators have created an animal model of hereditary retinal degeneration in which animal offspring bear genes responsible for the development of loss of retinal function. The team will characterize the retinal degeneration as the animals age. This model will be used by the vision research community for the development and testing of novel therapies, including stem cell, drug and bioengineering-based interventions. The CTSPGP grant will fund the project for one year and the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation award will support the project for two years.

Shao and Lu win awards from Research to Prevent Blindness

Li receives NIH grant for Corneal Epithelial studies

DOVS faculty members receive Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Grant Program (CTSPGP) awardsThe program is a Commonwealth of Kentucky-funded program at UofL and each award provides one year’s worth of funding

Awards and Recognitions

6

Thom Zimmerman, who served as

chair of the University of Louisville

Department of Ophthalmology & Visual

Sciences from 1986 to 2001, died at

home on August 4, 2009. Thom was a

remarkable individual.

Thom was committed to excellent and

compassionate patient care and he had

a burning passion for basic research,

clinical research and outcomes research.

He was a true leader in what we now

call translational research. It was through

all of those activities that Thom made

his enormous and lasting contributions

to worldwide vision care. Thom served

with me as co-chair of the Helen Keller

Foundation Annual Prize Selection

Committee, and I believe Helen Keller

herself would have been proud of Thom’s

efforts. Thom’s own contributions

paralleled those who were selected for the

prize over the years. He authored more

than 300 peer-reviewed articles and a

collection of books and he served on

many editorial boards. He was the

recipient of numerous national and

international awards and was active in the

leadership of professional societies. To say

the least, Thom Zimmerman was a visible

force in ophthalmology, worldwide.

Perhaps Thom’s most highlighted

accomplishment was his role in

identifying and developing the use of a

beta-blocker for the treatment of glaucoma.

Indeed timolol, originally marketed as

Timoptic by Merck, became the leading

glaucoma medication for more than two

decades, preserving the vision of millions

of people around the world.

Thom’s academic pathway was stunning.

He received his undergraduate and

medical degrees from the University of

Illinois and then interned at Presbyterian

– St Luke’s Hospital in Chicago.

Following a two-year stint in the Public

Health Service, Thom did his ophthal-

mology residency at the University of

Florida in Gainesville where he also

completed a corneal fellowship and

earned his PhD in pharmacology under

the mentorship of Tom Maren. He then

completed a fellowship in glaucoma at

Washington University in St. Louis under

the leadership of Bernard Becker. This

exceptional course of training prepared

Thom for what was to be an exceptional

career as a clinician-scientist in oph-

thalmology. In 1977, Thom moved to

Louisiana State University as associate

professor of ophthalmology and phar-

macology. It was in New Orleans that

Thom began a lasting relationship with

Professor Herbert Kaufman.

In 1986, Thom was appointed chair of

the University of Louisville Department

of Ophthalmology. Just prior to that

Thom had been the chair of ophthalmology

at the Ochsner Clinic and professor

at Louisiana State University in New

Orleans. I had known Thom for many

years before 1986. Our closer relationship

was ignited during the American

Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in

1985, in San Francisco. Thom told me

he was moving to Louisville in January

1986 and asked if I might be interested in

joining him. I decided to make the move

from Denver in July 1986, accepting the

Kentucky Lions Eye Research Endowed

Chair. Our partnership in Louisville was

a great experience, full of surprises and

successes and genuine fun. I came to

appreciate that Thom was a brilliant

and original thinker, and a wellspring of

ideas. Thom did not just think out of the

box but barely recognized that any box

existed. Thom generously shared his ideas

and prodigious knowledge with all of his

colleagues and, in fact, with almost

anyone who met with him.

Thom J. Zimmerman, MD, PhDA Tribute to

by friend and colleague Christopher Paterson, PhD

1942 – 2009

7

With newly recruited faculty and staff the

department in Louisville grew quickly,

bringing in more federal and private

research money than any other department

at the University of Louisville. Together

with the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation

we raised funds, including a large

construction grant from the National

Eye Institute, to build a three-story

addition housing a new clinic and two

floors for research. We had become the

University of Louisville Department

of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

and the combined building was now

the Kentucky Lions Eye Center. Thom’s

unswerving support and unbridled

enthusiasm during all of this was

phenomenal. The expansion of research

and patient care was infused with Thom’s

zest for social life, with frequent gatherings

at private homes, ballparks, volleyball

courts and the suchlike. Halcyon

times, indeed.

Thom was, in so many ways, a colorful

character. He enjoyed and collected fast

cars; Ferraris and Lamborghinis

frequently appeared in the parking lot

of our building attracting considerable

attention. He, and we, enjoyed his

allegiance to Versace fashion. When he

gave up tennis, he became a fanatic of

cushion billiards, playing anywhere in

the world that he could. Yet, Thom was

a modest, kind and very thoughtful man,

always happy to share his time and

talents with others. Thom was a life tonic

to many people; stop by his office (the

door was generally open), catch up with

him by the pool at an ARVO meeting,

bump into him at an airport, and it was

a guarantee that you would be cheered

up, invigorated and have a smile on

your face. Thom had a wonderful sense of

humor and warmth that was hard to miss.

In 2001, Thom stepped down as chair

of the department, assuming the title of

professor and chair emeritus. He then

took on the role of global ophthalmic

medical director at Pharmacia (later to be

taken over by Pfizer). Thom often chose

to rename the position “Inter-galactic

Ophthalmic Director;” he continued to

stimulate, challenge and astonish his

colleagues at Pfizer.

Above all else was Thom’s fierce devotion

to his family and his abundant love for

Tinker, his irrefutable soul-mate. His

lovely daughter, Jessica, his granddaughter,

Elsa, and grandson, Maslin, were the

lights of his life. I remember walking into

the Delta Air Lines lounge in Atlanta and

finding Thom surrounded by a group of

fellow travelers totally engaged with

photographs of Thom’s grandchildren.

Thom was the quintessential traveler

accumulating some eleven million miles

on Delta. Soon after Thom’s passing, I

was in the Delta Sky Club in Cincinnati

and asked one of the agents if she had

heard the sad news; she was visibly

shocked and immediately brought

to tears.

For me it was a joy to spend so much

of my career with Thom; it was a great

partnership. But, how can I sum up

Thom’s life? Well, I have a wooden

sculpture hanging in my home; it was

actually purchased at an airport. The

sculpture is a very colorful and funky

angel bearing the words: “Most people

don’t know that there are angels whose

only job is to make sure that you don’t

get too comfortable and fall asleep and

miss your life.” We can only surmise that

Thom had a host of angels looking out

for him. He grasped life with much relish;

he did not miss his life.

“Thom was a modest, kind and very thoughtful man, always

happy to share his time and talents with

others.”

8

The term “retirement” is defined by

the Merriam-Webster dictionary as

“withdrawal from one’s position or

occupation or from active working

life.” With that definition, “retirement”

might not be the best word to describe

the transition Dr. Gary Foulks made on

December 31, 2010.

“I am now an emeritus faculty member,

and I am continuing to see patients two

half days a week at the VA hospital,” he

says. “I am also continuing my

collaborative research with some of my

colleagues here, devoting more time to

my editorship of the journal The Ocular

Surface, and there are a couple of book

chapters I have been asked to author.”

Not exactly a life of leisure dozing in

a hammock between two shade trees,

but Dr. Foulks wouldn’t have it any

other way.

Conceding that his plans don’t

necessarily sound relaxing, he laughs.

“Eventually, our plan is to retire to the

North Carolina coast to be closer to our

children, who are all on the east coast.”

“Gary Foulks exemplifies all of the

characteristics of an outstanding academic

professor in medicine,” said Henry J.

Kaplan, MD, Evans Professor and Chair

of the Department of Ophthalmology &

Visual Sciences at UofL. “He is a gifted

clinician, scientist and mentor who is

thoughtful and considerate of all – his

patients, colleagues, students and staff.

Gary is a beloved figure who was relied

upon for insightful advice in complex

situations and he will be missed as a full-

time member of the department and the

UofL Health Sciences Center.”

It has been 32 years since Dr. Foulks,

who held the titles of Arthur and Virginia

Keeney Professor of Ophthalmology at

the University of Louisville, director of

the cornea and external disease service

and medical director of the Kentucky

Lions Eye Bank, finished his fellowship

training and began a distinguished

academic career, starting with 18 years

on the faculty of Duke University School

of Medicine, where he was director of the

cornea service and medical director of the

contact lens service. In 1996, he left Duke

to assume the chairmanship of the

ophthalmology department at the

University of Pittsburgh, where he served

for five years before joining the UofL

faculty in 2003.

Dr. Foulks grew up in Salt Lake City,

Utah, and then moved to New York City

to attend Columbia University, where he

earned his bachelor’s and MD degrees.

He completed a surgery internship at the

University of California in San Diego, a

residency in ophthalmology at Duke and

a fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and

Ear Infirmary.

Dr. Foulks’ main area of research and

clinical interest has been dry eye and ocu-

lar surface disease.

“It’s been interesting to see how far the

field has come since I started in 1978,

and these types of conditions were seen

as sort of a nuisance,” he says. “Over

the years there has been a growing

recognition of just how prevalent these

problems are, and how limited our

treatments for them were.”

Treatment of ocular surface disease, he

says, has seen a dramatic evolution.

“We have gone from looking at these

patients and basically telling them,

‘you’re getting older, here are some eye

For Dr. Foulks, a working retirement, with more time for fishing

“Gary Foulks exemplifies all of the characteristics of an outstanding academic professor

in medicine.”Henry J. Kaplan, MD

Faculty Profile

9

drops,’ to developing some really effective

treatments,” he says. The FDA approval of

the drug cyclosporine (Restasis) to treat dry

eye was a huge milestone.

In his role as medical director of the

Kentucky Lions Eye Bank, Dr. Foulks also

saw vast improvements in the field of

corneal transplantation over the years.

“When I was starting my career at Duke,

we had to use donor tissue within

72 hours, preferably 48 hours of

collection,” he says. “This led to calls for

patients to come in in the middle of the

night, and we had to operate potentially at

any hour of the day.” This small window

of opportunity, he says, also limited the

number of patients who could be helped

by this treatment.

With the development of intermediate

term storage solutions, doctors now have

up to two weeks to use corneal tissue, he

says, making corneal transplant an option

for more and more patients worldwide.

Dr. Foulks’ route to a career in ophthal-

mology took some twists and turns along

the way.

“Initially I went to Columbia because I was

going to be a biochemical researcher and

they had the best program for that in the

country,” he says. “I realized that I liked

being around people and wanted to find a

way to combine a research career with one

that allowed me more human interaction,

so I focused on cardiovascular surgery.”

During his internship year in surgery at

UCSD, Dr. Foulks came to the realization

that he wanted to focus on a specialty

that would allow him to really improve

people’s quality of life, and a decision

between orthopedic surgery and

ophthalmology eventually led him to an

esteemed career in eye care. He hasn’t

looked back since.

And though his “retirement” might not fit

the dictionary definition, he is looking

forward to a new focus.

“Aside from the work that I will continue

to do, I am looking forward to spending

more time gardening, fishing and visiting

my three children,” he says. “I’m ready.

It’s been a tremendous experience, working

here – the residents and medical students

are stimulating and challenging, and the

collaborative nature of the faculty is what

really makes an academic career soar.

It’s been a great seven years to culminate

my career.”

A testament to a stellar career, Dr. Foulks has received some very prestigious awards and recognitions:

• The Castroviejo Medal in 2005 – awarded to the most outstanding individual in the field of cornea and anterior segment of the eye by The Cornea Society

• Claes H. Dohlman, MD, Lecture Recipient, awarded by the Schepens Eye Research Institute

• Appointment as editor-in-chief of the journal The Ocular Surface in 2006

• Morton Grant Lecture Award Recipient, 2003, awarded by Tufts University

• Whitney Sampson Lecture Award Recipient 2003 awarded by the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists

• Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology, 1977

• Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 1979

• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, 1982

• Past President of The Cornea Society, 1997 – 1999

• Past President of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, 2001 – 2002

• Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation, 2008 -2010

• Election to honor societies Alpha Omega Alpha in 1969; and Sigma Xi, 1979

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Grant from Lions Club International will help expand low vision servicesThe Kentucky Lions Eye Center has received a $158,384 grant from the Lions of Kentucky and the Lions Clubs International Foundation to fund enhancements to the low vision clinic, improving and augmenting services avail-able to patients in the metro and regional area who suffer from low vision. Fifty-thousand dollars will come from the Lions of Kentucky and $108,534 will come from the Lions Clubs International Foundation.

“The term ‘low vision’ generally describes vision disorders that cannot be corrected with medical treatment, surgery or conventional eyeglasses,” said Kentucky Lion Thomas Matney, past director of the International Association of Lions Clubs. “It’s typically associated with an aging population but also affects children, and our returning veterans. We’re proud and thankful that our Kentucky Lions and Lions Clubs International Foundation in collaboration with the research and medical capabilities of the UofL Department of Ophthalmology allows us to collectively serve the needs of this population.”

The funds will go toward increasing staff so that clinic hours can be extended, as well as renovations to the clinic, including the provision of state-of-the-art equipment. According to the National Eye Institute, by the year 2020, the number of people who are blind or have low vision is projected to increase substantially. Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over. Low vision and blindness increase significantly with age, particularly in people over 65.

“Expansion of the low vision clinic will dramatically increase treatment and rehabilitation services for this patient population and help those individuals maximize their remaining vision, eliminate needless disability, and help each individual continue to be as productive as possible,” said Matney.

Generosity of Geneva Matlock spurs research in macular degenerationDepartment of Ophthalmology benefactor, Geneva Matlock, MD, a retired anesthe-siologist and graduate of UofL’s medical school, has made contributions totaling $1 million to fund macular degeneration research.

“Dr. Matlock’s most generous support of our research in macu-lar degeneration and retinal regeneration is a capstone to the compassionate and selfless career she had as a physician,” said Henry Kaplan, MD, Evans Professor

and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. “We are most grateful for the confidence she has shown in us.”

Dr. Matlock, who resides in San Clemente, Calif., was diagnosed with wet macular degeneration ten years ago and through treatment she has retained her vision and is still able to drive. Dr. Matlock’s mother, who died at the age of 99, was blind for the last ten years of her life, and though she was never officially diagnosed, the family believes she may have suffered from the disease as well.

“The reason I’m focusing on the eye is because of my personal experience,” Dr. Matlock said. “I’m hoping that no one else will go blind as my mother did or as I probably would have if I were not getting the care that I’m getting now, because of what has been learned through research that is preventing blind-ness due to wet macular degeneration.”

Zimmerman honored twiceAnonymous gift to create Thom Zimmerman Research Fund

An anonymous gift of $600,000 will be designated to provide an endowment to continue to enhance research efforts in UofL’s Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. The fund will be named in honor of former department chairman Thom Zimmerman, MD, PhD, who

led the department from 1986 to 2001. Additional funds will continue to be raised to support this effort. Dr. Zimmerman was a respected leader, outstanding clinician and dedicated scientist, for whom research was a passion.

Endowed lectureship created in Zimmerman’s honor by his fellows

Former fellows of Dr. Zimmerman, led by his colleague and partner, George Nardin, MD, have created the Thom Zimmerman Endowed Lectureship in honor of the former department chair and mentor to many. The Thom Zimmerman Lecture will be given once a year, with the first unof-ficial lecture in Dr. Zimmerman’s honor given by Dr. Itzchak Beiran on October 17, 2009 during the Glaucoma Symposium at UofL. The 2010 Thom Zimmerman Lecture was given by Dr. Anat Loewenstein on October 2, 2010 at the Fall Update at UofL, and this year’s Thom Zimmerman honoree will be Dr. James B. Aquavella, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Rochester, who will deliver his lecture at the fifth annual Fall Update.

“I was among the first batch of fellows to work under Thom in New Orleans in the 1980s,” said Dr. Nardin, who is now prac-ticing in Hawaii. “I joined him at UofL as a faculty member and partner in 1986 and Thom was a strong and valuable influence in my life and in the lives of all those with whom he worked.”

When Dr. Zimmerman passed away, Dr. Nardin and peers including Stuart Ball, MD, Tom Mundorf, MD, and Richard Patchett, MD, felt the need to create some-thing significant and lasting in his honor.

“You feel orphaned in the academic world when your mentor is gone,” Dr. Nardin said. “We all still go to meetings and kind of look around for him.”

Because Dr. Zimmerman valued education so highly, the group felt that an endowed lectureship would be an appropriate way to pay tribute.

“I called the former fellows, and we said let’s do something for Thom, and for his wife, Tinker,” Dr. Nardin said. “We considered several things and thought this would be the most to his liking.”

Geneva Matlock, MD

To make a gift, or for more information about giving, please contact:Larissa F. Reece, Executive Director, DevelopmentUofL Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences502-852-8910 Cell 502-821-5700 l.reece@louisville.edu

Giving...

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This publication was prepared by the University of Louisville and printed with state funds KRS 57.375.The University of Louisville is an equal opportunity institution. 203035/5-11

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Kaplan, Henry J.Miniature swine model of retinitis pigmentosaKentucky Science and Engineering Foundation7-1-10 to 6-30-12

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Grants & Awards

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Eye Specialists of Louisville, located in the Kentucky Lions Eye Center in downtown Louisivlle, is the patient-care provider of the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences.

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