Year in Review: 2023

A Note from Ophthalmology Leadership

The UPMC Vision Institute is a recognized leader in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and disorders. The mission of the Department of Ophthalmology is to improve quality of life through the preservation and restoration of vision.

The mission of the UPMC Vision Institute is to improve patients’ quality of life through vision preservation and restoration. As members of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology and affiliated with UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, UPMC Vision Institute physicians are also leaders in research and education, and are extensively trained in the use of state-of-the-art ophthalmic technologies and procedures.

An extra exciting highlight this year was the opening of the UPMC Vision Institute on April 20, 2023. This opened as a part of the new UPMC Mercy Pavilion next to UPMC Mercy. The nine-story tower now serves patients who have diseases of the eye or vision impairment and those who need physical rehabilitation. Highlights of the new nine-story tower include:

410,000 square feet of collaborative space for clinicians, researchers, educators, and industry partners;
A state-of-the-art facility to deliver gene ad cell therapy for the eye;
An innovative, fully mocked-up apartment where patients can relearn critical life skills;
A 3-D street lab with simulated city streets, offices, and meeting rooms to help patients with low vision navigate their surroundings.

Other areas in the building include exam rooms, an optical shop, a pharmacy, therapy stations, and a UPMC Center for Rehab Services gym. Training ramps and stairs in a healing garden on the roof terrace offer patients a safe environment in which to prepare for real-life experiences. Learn more about the new UPMC Vision Institute here.

We welcome the opportunity to tell you more about our efforts in 2023 and hope you'll consider voting for UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" survey.

Image of José-Alain Sahel, MD.

José-Alain Sahel, MD

Director, UPMC Vision Institute

Distinguished Professor and Chair, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Exceptional Class Professor at Sorbonne Université, Paris

The Eye and Ear Foundation Endowed Chair

Research News and Noteworthy Accomplishments

Dr. Benowitz Appointed Co-Director of Louis J. Fox Center | UPMC Physician Resources

Larry Benowitz, PhD, has been appointed co-director of the Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. An expert in optic nerve regeneration, Dr. Benowitz has spent his career exploring the basic mechanisms that control the growth of nerve connections and how to reestablish connections between the optic nerve and the brain.

Marlene Behrmann, PhD, Received 2023 Howard Crosby Warren Medal | UPMC Physician Resources

Marlene Behrmann, PhD, professor of ophthalmology, received the 2023 Howard Crosby Warren Medal from the Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP) at its annual meeting in Philadelphia this May. The SEP has awarded the medal in recognition of outstanding achievement in experimental psychology in the United States and Canada since 1936.

José-Alain Sahel, MD, Receives International Honors | UPMC Physician Resources

José-Alain Sahel, MD, chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, together with his collaborator Botond Roska, PhD, of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, received the 2023 International Prize for Translational Neuroscience of the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation, which is administered by the Max Planck Society. Dr. Sahel was also promoted to Commander in the National Order of Merit by the government of France.

José-Alain Sahel, MD, Received 2023 Corinne Kirchner Research Award | UPMC Physician Resources

José-Alain Sahel, MD, chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, received the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) 2023 Corinne Kirchner Research Award.

Pitt Neuroscientist at Forefront of Artificial Vision | UPMC Physician Resources

Dr. Xing Chen is a neuroscientist who joined Pitt’s Department of Ophthalmology as an assistant professor late last year. In her latest study, which was published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, Chen developed and tested a neuroprosthesis system with many times more electrodes than anything attempted by other research groups ever before, allowing monkeys to recognize artificially generated letters. Chen is gradually refining and improving the existing technology by pushing the system to its limit, with the intention of restoring rudimentary vision in blind people.

SparingVision Named One of 2023’s Fierce 15 | UPMC Physician Resources

SparingVision, a genomic medicine company founded by José-Alain Sahel, MD, and the late Thierry Lèveillard, PhD, was recently named one of Fierce Biotech’s Fierce 15 for 2023.

Yam Lab Receives National Institutes of Health U01 Grant to Explore Stem Cell-based Therapy for Cornea Scarring Disorders | UPMC Physician Resources

Gary (Hin-Fai) Yam, PhD, and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology have received a National Institutes of Health U01 grant to explore the development of a new stem cell-based approach to treat cornea scarring disorders, which can lead to corneal blindness. Their development could reduce dependence on donor tissues and give more people options for effective treatment.

Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, L.Ac, to Receive ISRS Founders’ Award | UPMC Physician Resources

Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, L.Ac, received the International Society of Refractive Surgery’s Founders’ Award at Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day on Friday, November 3. The Founders’ Award recognizes the vision and spirit of its founders by honoring an ISRS member who has made extraordinary contributions to the growth and advancement of the Society and its mission.

UPMC Vision Institute Investigators Receive National Science Foundation Grant to Study Optimal Treatment Patterns for Diabetic Retinopathy | UPMC Physician Resources

Taewoo Lee, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, and Andrew M. Williams, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to study treatment optimization for patients with diabetic retinopathy, a chronic condition that can lead to vision loss in individuals with diabetes.

UPMC Top Doctors List

21 UPMC ophthalmology physicians are part of the Top Doctors® list, which is compiled by Castle Connolly. The Castle Connolly Top Doctor selection process is entirely merit-based. Castle Connolly’s peer-to-peer nominations and rigorous research process ensure only the most qualified physicians are included.

José-Alain Sahel, MD, Named to French Presidential Council for Science | UPMC Physician Resources

José-Alain Sahel, MD, distinguished professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, has been appointed to the newly created French Presidential Council for Science.

José-Alain Sahel, MD, Named National Academy of Inventors Fellow | UPMC Physician Resources

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named José-Alain Sahel, MD, distinguished professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, as an NAI Fellow.

UPMC Vision Institute Opens Urgent Eye Care Clinic

The UPMC Vision Institute opened a new clinic where patients can be treated for a variety of acute ophthalmology emergencies. It is one of the few clinics nationwide dedicated to urgent care of eye problems and the only one in Pennsylvania.

How Guerilla Eye Service Provides Eye Care to People in Need | UPMC

Evan “Jake” Waxman, MD, remembers one of his earliest missions with the Guerilla Eye Service (GES) company he helped create.

CME Courses

Common Eye Concerns in Pediatrics | UPMC (upmcphysicianresources.com)

In this CME, Amgad Eldib, MD, discusses some of the more common pediatric eye concerns, the basic management of common pediatric eye concerns on outpatient basis, and reviews the basic concepts of vision, refractive errors, and optical correction.

Conferences, Symposia, and Annual Meetings

Vishal Jhanji, MD, Delivers Presidential Lecture at All India Ophthalmological Society Meeting | UPMC Physician Resources

Vishal Jhanji, MD, FRCS(Glasgow), FRCOphth, FARVO, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a cornea specialist at the UPMC Vision Institute, presented the Presidential Guest Lecture on Advancements in Management of Keratoconus at the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) Meeting in Kochi, India on May 11, 2023.

Pitt Neuroscientist at Forefront of Artificial Vision | UPMC Physician Resources

José-Alain Sahel, MD, Delivered Keynote at Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Biennial Scientific Meeting | UPMC Physician Resources

José-Alain Sahel, MD, chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, delivered the keynote presentation Gene-independent Strategies in Retinal Degenerations at the Association for Ocular Pharmacology & Therapeutics (AOPT) 16th Biennial Scientific Meeting in Indianapolis on Sunday, Aug. 13.

UPMC Vision Institute Brings Vision Restoration Experts Together for Annual Event | UPMC Physician Resources

More than 20 vision restoration experts from multiple disciplines in ophthalmology convened at the UPMC Vision Institute’s new headquarters, the UPMC Mercy Pavilion, on October 10 – 11 for the Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration Conference. This annual event began in 2010 and explores the latest research and developments in vision restoration.

Ophthalmology Researchers Host Students from Hillman Academy Program | UPMC Physician Resources

Yuanyuan Chen, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, and her colleagues hosted six students from the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy this summer to further their understanding of ophthalmology and scientific research.

UPMC Experts Deliver Free Vision and Hearing Care at Annual Mission of Mercy Event | UPMC Physician Resources

The seventh annual Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh took place on Oct. 27 and 28 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, attracting hundreds of volunteers from the UPMC Vision Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, as well as the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

UPMC Physician Journal

Improved Drugs for Eye Care | UPMC Physician Resources

In this UPMC Physician Journal Feature, meet researchers who have joined forces to improve drug therapies and how they’re delivered to patients who experience low vision and blindness each year due to disorders of the eye. This story features Morgan DiLeo, PhD, and Yuanyuan Chen, PhD.

About the UPMC Vision Institute

About the UPMC Vision Institute | UPMC HealthBeat

The UPMC Vision Institute brings together experts from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology. We strive to deliver cutting-edge care, develop new and better treatments, and improve the quality of life for people with visual impairments.

“Our goal is to prevent vision loss and restore sight,” says José-Alain Sahel, MD, director, UPMC Vision Institute, and chair, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Sahel leads a team of more than 70 ophthalmologists at UPMC Vision Institute. His team also includes optometrists, residents, nurses, and other health care professionals who are specially trained in eye care. The team cares for the most common and most complex conditions.

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Year in Review: 2023

A Note from Ophthalmology Leadership

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