Rockville MD — The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is pleased to announce its 2009 award recipients. Five individuals will be recognized at the ARVO Annual Meeting, May 3-7 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- The Proctor Medal: Joe G. Hollyfield
- The Friedenwald: Award Samuel Wu
- The Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology: Alan Bird
- The Cogan Award: Marie Burns
- The Kupfer Award: Martin J. Steinbach
The Proctor Medal
Joe G. Hollyfield of Cleveland Clinic Foundation is this year's Proctor Medal recipient. Dr. Hollyfield earned a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and completed his postdoctoral research at the Hubrecht Laboratory in The Netherlands. His most recognized research at the Cleveland Clinic is on understanding the composition of drusen, the major risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Hollyfield will present the Proctor Award Lecture at the ARVO Annual Meeting this May.
The Friedenwald Award
The 2009 recipient is Samuel Wu of the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Wu received his PhD from Harvard University and completed his post doctorate fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. Using his background as a physicist and his training in neuroscience, Wu has contributed precedent-setting research in retinal signaling process systems. Dr. Wu will present the Friedenwald Award Lecture at the ARVO Annual Meeting this May.
The Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology
The 2009 recipient is Alan Bird of the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology for his multiple contributions to the treatment of retinal vascular disease and genetic and degenerative retinal disorders. Dr. Bird attended Guy's Hospital, University of London, where he received his medical degree in neurology and neurosurgery. He served as ophthalmic residency at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and a one-year neurosurgery fellowship at Bascom Plamer Eye Institute. Dr. Bird will present the Weisenfeld Award Lecture at the ARVO Annual Meeting this May.
The Cogan Award
The 2009 recipient is Marie Burns of the University of California, Davis. She received her PhD from Duke University and completed he postdoctoral work at Stanford University. Dr. Burns is continuing her investigation into the molecular mechanisms of phototransduction deactivation. Her future studies will seek to understand the mechanisms by which different G protein cascades yield signals of varying amplitudes and durations.
The Kupfer Award
This year's recipient is Martin J. Steinbach of York University in Toronto, Ontario, for promoting vision research in Canada. Dr. Steinbach earned his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then joined the faculty at York University. He served on the ARVO Board and was also a Trustee. In1988, Dr. Steinbach along with Dr. Jean Real Brunette formed the Vision Health Research Council of Canada to unify Canadian vision research and the vision advocacy. Since then, Dr. Steinbach continues to make an impact on Canadian eye research by organizing conferences between health funding officials and vision science leaders.
About the awards
Proctor Medal: Established in 1949 as a memorial to Dr. Francis I. Proctor, this award honors outstanding scientific research as applied to ophthalmology. It was the first ophthalmology-related award to honor non-clinicians in the field.
Friedenwald Award: Named for Dr. Jonas S. Friedenwald and established in 1957, the award recognizes exceptional scientific research as applied to ophthalmology. His pioneer studies on the pathogenesis of glaucoma, corneal wound healing and diseases of the retina laid the groundwork for future generations of investigators.
The Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology: As a tribute to Mildred Weisenfeld's contributions to the field, including the founding of Fight for Sight in 1946, the Weisenfeld Award was established in 1986. The award is presented to an individual in recognition of distinguished scholarly contributions to the clinical practice of ophthalmology.
Cogan Award: Established in 1988 to commemorate Dr. David G. Cogan for his outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing the understanding of human eye disease, this award recognizes a researcher who is 40 years of age or younger, and who has made important contributions to research in ophthalmology or visual science.
Kupfer Award: Since 1993, Dr. Carl Kupfer's namesake award has honored individuals who have demonstrated distinguished public service on behalf of eye and vision research.
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include some 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 73 countries. The Association encourages and assists research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. For more information, visit www.arvo.org.