Summer 2023
Message from the Chairman
D
ear Alumni and Friends, I hope you are all enjoying your summers and hopefully getting
some
much-needed
vacation
and
relaxation time with your family and friends. It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year we once again find ourselves at the academic crossroads. With familiar faces graduating and moving on, and new faces joining the Department, I remain as excited as always about the life-changing work being performed by our excellent faculty here in Pittsburgh, as well as all our incredible alumni around the country. It has been a busy spring here in Pittsburgh as we’ve celebrated the grand opening of our new Vision Institute
at the UPMC Mercy Pavilion. With our
inaugural Alumni Reunion Weekend at
clinical activities in full swing and our
the new Vision Institute at the UPMC
researchers
labs
Mercy Pavilion. Alumni from around the
to the new facility, it is wonderful to
country came back to Pittsburgh for a
have the full scope of our Department
weekend of education, networking, and
activities in one space, advancing the
fun with their fellow trainees. Attendees
collaboration and innovation we take
included resident and fellow alumni
such pride in. This beautiful hospital is
spanning six decades of training in the
an exceptional addition to the Pittsburgh
Department of Ophthalmology. Eye & Ear
community and we hope you all get an
Foundation board member and resident
opportunity to come visit us and see it
alumnus Dr. E. Ronald Salvitti delivered
for yourselves!
the keynote lecture on the history of
transitioning
their
In this issue, we bid farewell to our outgoing residents and fellows as they take the next step in their ophthalmology careers. We also have the privilege of welcoming a new class of doctors to Pittsburgh to continue their training
phacoemulsification. I would like to extend a special thanks to our planning committee members for making this first event such a great success! We hope to see you all at the next one! Sincerely,
and education, and we are excited to add them to our illustrious alumni group. You’ll also have the opportunity to read about the research of Dr. Xing Chen, a phenomenal researcher who joined our
José-Alain Sahel, MD
Department last year. We also get an
Distinguished Professor and Chairman
update from one of our distinguished
of Ophthalmology
alumni, Dr. Dave Verdier, who, after his
Eye & Ear Foundation Endowed Chair
time in Pittsburgh, has had a long and
University of Pittsburgh School of
successful career in Michigan.
Medicine
This past weekend we, along with the Eye & Ear Foundation, held the
Director, UPMC Vision Institute Emeritus Exceptional Class Professor at Sorbonne Université, Paris
In This Issue Message from the Chairman
1
Incoming Residents
7
Graduating Residents
2
Incoming Fellows
9
In Rememberance: George Gerneth
4
11
In Rememberance: David A. Hiles
5
Save the Dates/Publications Social Media Accounts
Research Spotlight
6
Ophthalmology Alumni Spotlight Webinar Information
12
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 1
Back Cover