Message From the Chair: New Horizons Lead to Sustainable Eye Health for All

I am deeply honored to serve as the new chair of the University of Utah Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center during a period of extraordinary change for eye care.

As I step into this role at an institution I respect, surrounded by colleagues I admire, I reflect with gratitude on the legacy of Dr. Randall J Olson. His inspirational leadership transformed a one-person ophthalmology division into a Top 10 national eye center over his remarkable 46-year career. Most importantly, he left the Moran Eye Center uniquely positioned to shape the future of vision research and care.

The stakes have never been higher. With visual impairment worldwide projected to reach 1.8 billion people by 2050, we face a global challenge that requires us to develop new ways to fight the rising rates of vision loss. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health are powerful tools, but I believe they must be combined with systems that prioritize public health and universal care to improve eye care delivery and accessibility.

At the Moran Eye Center, we are rising to meet this moment. We are working to integrate technology and AI into our clinical infrastructure to enhance disease diagnosis, improve surgical outcomes, and tailor treatment strategies for each patient. These new tools also enable us to expand eye care access in low-resource and rural areas in Utah and around the globe.

In the pages ahead, you will read about what we are doing to enhance:

• early disease detection and diagnosis,

• personalized treatment plans,

• remote screening and teleophthalmology,

• continuous monitoring and home-based care,

• drug development and clinical trials,

• accessibility and affordability, and

• education and training.

With support from our talented faculty, staff, and generous donors, we dedicate ourselves to new horizons that lead to sustainable eye health for all.

Join us as we work to restore sight, push the boundaries of discovery, train the next generation of ophthalmologists, and meet real-world needs with lasting impact. Together, we will expand access to care, accelerate research that changes the course of a disease, and reimagine what it means to deliver hope and healing on a global scale.

Sincerely,

Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA

Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

CEO, John A. Moran Eye Center

CEO, University of Utah Vision Institute

Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Endowed Chair

Moran Advisory Council 2026

TONI BLOOMBERG, La Jolla, California

WILLIAM “BILL” CHILD, Salt Lake City, Utah

THOMAS “TIM” DEE III, Salt Lake City, Utah

CHRISTENA HUNTSMAN DURHAM, Salt Lake City, Utah

SPENCER F. ECCLES, Salt Lake City, Utah

CHRISTINE A. FAIRCLOUGH, Salt Lake City, Utah

WAYNE A. IMBRESCIA, John A. Moran Eye Center

CLAUDIA S. LUTTRELL, Salt Lake City, Utah

KELLIE MORAN, Bedford, New York

MARISA MORAN, Stamford, Connecticut

RANDALL J OLSON, MD, John A. Moran Eye Center

JEFF PETTEY, MD, MBA, John A. Moran Eye Center

LYNN WARD, John A. Moran Eye Center

NORM A. ZABRISKIE, MD, John A. Moran Eye Center