2021 UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Year in Review Callahan Eye

UAB DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCES

YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR After 10 years at the helm of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Christopher Girkin, M.D., announced he would step down as chair effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Girkin’s tenure focused on the key goals of growing a nationally prominent research program while simultaneously expanding the clinical practice. Brian Samuels, MD, PhD, has been named interim chair. A clinician scientist, Samuels currently serves as the Dennis Endowed Professor in Glaucoma Research and director of the Glaucoma Division and the Glaucoma fellowship.

Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D.

I am honored to serve as the interim chair of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Under Dr. Girkin’s leadership, the department has seen tremendous growth in all aspects of our mission during the last 10 years. His vision and leadership have fostered continued success – from consistently being named in the Top 20 for NIH research funding to growing our clinical, research, and surgical faculty and enriching our academic program to one of the top residency and fellowship institutions in the country. This success was fueled by a talented faculty and unwavering support from our donors, including the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama,

International Retinal Research Foundation, and Research to Prevent Blindness.

As you will see from the stories below, despite the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was another recordsetting year. While we are tremendously proud of all that was accomplished, we are even more excited for the things to come in 2022.

We are proud to announce our new brand – UAB Callahan Eye – which will encompass all areas of our mission under one, recognizable name. While we’ve always worked together toward a strategic vision based on our tripartite mission of excellence in clinical care, research, and education, this new brand better positions us to share that vision and create a brand that is synonymous with the preservation, treatment, and the curing of blinding eye diseases in our state, region, nation, and the world.

On the research and clinical side, we are excited to announce that we have been chosen as the newest site for Spark® Therapeutics’ LUXTURNA®, the first FDA-approved gene therapy treatment for those who have been diagnosed with Leber Congenital Amaurosis Type 2 caused by a biallelic RPE65 mutation. With only 14 site locations in the world, this announcement puts us at the forefront of ocular gene therapy.

Our residency and fellowship programs attract top recruits across the nation, and we are pleased to announce that we are expanding our residency program to a four-year integrated program. This change will allow our residents an intern year here at UAB, creating a valuable experience for our residents as we continue to educate the next generations of ophthalmologists.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is positioned to be a world leader in visionary care, groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching because of the leadership of our past chairs and the dedication of our tremendous faculty, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to build upon that tradition.

Brian C. Samuels, M.D., Ph.D. Interim Chair and Associate Professor Dennis Endowed Professor in Glaucoma Research Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

RESEARCH INNOVATION

UAB Callahan Eye Hospital has been named one of the newest sites for gene therapy treatment UAB Callahan Eye Hospital has been named one of the newest sites for Spark® Therapeutics’ LUXTURNA® (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), the first FDA-approved gene therapy treatment for a genetic disease. It is a prescription gene therapy used for the treatment of patients with inherited retinal disease due to mutations in both copies of the RPE65 gene, which can only be confirmed through genetic testing. Patients must have viable retinal cells as determined by the treating physicians.

Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) is one retinal degenerative condition and a leading cause of genetic blindness in children.

Patients with LCA start to lose their vision in the first five years of life, and it gets progressively worse as they age. Most patients are considered legally blind due to the profound vision loss it causes.

One subtype is caused by inherited mutations in both copies of the RPE65 gene. When patients have mutations in both of copies of their RPE65 gene, the normal visual cycle cannot take place, and retinal cells die over time.

LUXTURNA uses a non-disease-causing virus to deliver a normal copy of the RPE65 gene to retinal cells, enabling them to make proteins that have the potential to make the visual cycle work properly again.

Jason Crosson, M.D., and Richard Feist Jr., M.D., of Retina Consultants of Alabama will treat patients with RPE65 LCA, also known as LCA 2, at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital.

“We are excited to offer patients with this debilitating condition the opportunity to see more clearly in low light environments for the first time in their lives,” said Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation in the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.

“Patients in our area who were previously identified as good candidates for LUXTURNA have had to travel to other states to receive treatment. It is exciting that we will now not only be able to offer patients from Alabama treatment right here at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, but we will also be a destination treatment center for patients in the Southeast.”

UAB is now one of 14 treatment locations in the nation, and one of the few sites in the Southeast.

“Our location, in Birmingham, is an asset because of our reputation as a top national eye center and the accessibility of our city for those living in the Southeast,” said Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., interim chair for the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

“I am extremely proud of Drs. Paul Gamlin, Douglas Witherspoon, Dawn DeCarlo, Jason Crosson and Richard Feist Jr., who were instrumental in UAB’s becoming a designated treatment center.”

“We have already been notified there are patients from Alabama and the Southeast who are interested in receiving treatment here,” Crosson said. “We look forward to meeting our new patients soon and scheduling them for treatment.”

RESEARCH INNOVATION

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Aquires Nikon AXR Confocal Microscope The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the UAB Department of Optometry are pleased to announce the acquisition of a Nikon AXR Confocal Microscope, making UAB one of the first academic centers in the nation and first in the Southeast region to house this state-of-the-art technology. With advanced artificial intelligence built into many aspects of its function, this microscope greatly simplifies microscope setup and leads to the most optimal images for research.

This acquisition was made possible through the combined funds from the NIH P30 Vision Core Grant used by the departments, along with the Vision Science Research Center (VSRC). The P30 Center Core Grant supports UAB vision scientists’ four research support cores, which provide a variety of services at centralized locations on campus, ranging from comprehensive data analysis to basic equipment repair.

“This instrument is one of the most significant investments the P30 has made in its lifetime and should advance vision science discoveries in laboratories of researchers across campus,” said Brian Samuels, M.D., PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Dennis Endowed Professor in Glaucoma Research, and P30 director.

The microscope will be utilized in various ways as the research teams look to gain a better understanding of many eye conditions.

“The microarchitecture of anterior and posterior ocular structures and brain structures will be studied and applied to the understanding of diseases such as glaucoma and retinal degeneration, including age related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis

Five Dimensions of Age-related Macular Degeneration Provide New Insight

“The retina is like the camera chip in a smartphone — it takes pictures for the brain,” she said. “Each light-sensitive photoreceptor sits in a precise location (x,y) and connects to well-organized tissue layers (z). Because the front of the eye is clear, doctors can see retinal layers using optical coherence tomography.”

This clinical tool is a quick and painless imaging test that uses light waves to take pictures of the back of the eye. It is widely used to diagnose and manage age-related macular degeneration.

Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D. “With OCT, retina changes can be observed over time (t), giving four dimensions (x,y,z,t),” Curcio said. “Linking to a fifth dimension, (m), for molecules in affected cells, could help define new therapeutic strategies.”

Much of the large AMD population currently lacks treatment options. Curcio said bright spots in optical coherence tomography, called HRF, indicate a “high risk for” advanced AMD.

Above: Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., and Steven Pittler, Ph.D. using the Nikon AXR Confocal Microscope

pigmentosa (RP), and diabetic retinopathy,” said Steven Pittler, PhD, director of the Vision Science Research Center.

The P30 Center Core Grant, which was renewed in 2020, has continuously helped fund UAB’s vision research since the VSRC was founded in 1979. One of 24 UAB university-wide interdisciplinary research centers, the VSRC was established to draw together vision scientists from the entire campus. There are currently more than 82 appointed faculty members representing 17 departments and five schools at UAB and at the Birmingham VA Medical Center.

“We are in a unique position to have accumulated significant unused funds over the previous year as we worked to move all of the cores to a centralized location,” said Samuels. “We owe a great deal of gratitude to Drs. Nichols, Girkin, and Pittler for their generosity in matching these unused funds to cover the cost of this instrument, which will likely become a cornerstone for research laboratories across the UAB campus for years to come, as well as be an attractive resource that will help us recruit some of the most sought-after vision scientists to UAB.”

A new study — published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science from UAB researchers — suggests that linking to a fifth dimension for molecules and affected cells could help define new therapeutic strategies for those suffering from age-related macular degeneration.

Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D., White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology with UAB’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, says these findings could open new possibilities for patients with AMD.

“In new research, investigators used OCT to watch HRF moving across the retina over months,” Curcio said. “In a microscopic study of tissue specimens, scientists found that HRF corresponded to retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE, cells.”

These cells, which normally support photoreceptors, left their layer, with some contacting remote blood vessels. Further, out-of-place RPE changed their molecular character; they no longer contained proteins needed directly for vision but instead contained proteins used by immune cells. This switch suggests epithelial-mesenchyme-transition. EMT is a well-known molecular process in cancer research.

“These findings are important in suggesting that treatments already investigated for cancer might be beneficial for AMD,” Curcio said. “Results also confirm the power of OCT, which doctors use daily, for seeing cellular activity and, ultimately, treatment responses in patients.”

Above: In AMD, pigmented support cells for vision migrate into the retina and are visible in an eye exam. Migrating cells lose normal proteins (red, left) and gain new ones (red, right). New AMD treatments might prevent this molecular switch.

Cao et al, 2021, Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 62, 34.

The research team was led by Curcio and included scientists and clinicians from UAB, Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, and University Hospital Bonn, Germany. Research was funded by NIH and the Macula Foundation.

We are visionary care. We are UAB Callahan Eye. UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinics and the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences have always had one single unwavering mission – to provide pioneering, innovative, visionsaving eye care. With the same mission in focus, it is time we join together – under one name – to help people see the future through visionary care. We are excited to announce the launch of our new brand – UAB Callahan Eye.

EDUCATION

4-year Integrated Residency Program Receives Approval The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is proud to announce that it has received official approval for a four-year integrated residency program.

Graduating Residency Class of 2021

2021-22 Residents

This change will add an integrated internship year to the current three-year ophthalmology training for residents. “This has been several years in the making, and we are excited about this addition to our program,” said Russell Read, MD, PhD, Program Director of the UAB Ophthalmology Residency Program. “The department will be able to determine what rotations our interns will perform and allow us to create an outstanding experience that will directly lead to a superior training experience that will, we hope, become a major factor in our ability to recruit future residents.”

The internship curriculum will be based on the common areas of medicine outside of ophthalmology but with fields that routinely intersect with our specialty. Interns will be able to rotate through services, including neurology, neuro-radiology, dermatology, emergency rooms at UAB and Children’s, anesthesia, and internal medicine, in addition to their three-month internship with ophthalmology.

“For the three months of the ophthalmology rotation, the current plan is to have all five interns here at Callahan for the month of June, so they will be able to begin their orientation toward being full time in ophthalmology. For their other two months, each will do two one-month rotations, one in the first half of the academic year and one in the second half,” said Read. “We are excited for the opportunities this provides us to continue our mission becoming the premier ophthalmology training program.”

Jonathan Fuerst, M.D. Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery Fellowship, University of Alabama, RCA, PC Cate Gasper, M.D. Coastal Eye Group, Pawleys Island, South Carolina Cole Gross, M.D. McMinnville Eye Clinic Physicians, McMinnville, Oregon Allison McAlpine, M.D. Cornea Fellowship, University of Colorado, Denver Barrett Paulk, M.D. West Georgia Eye Care Center

ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM Krupa Patel, M.D. Named Associate Director of Residency Program Krupa Patel, M.D., has been named associate program director of the department’s residency program. Patel, who has been part of the department faculty since 2019, specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus.

June 4, 2022 Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook Featured Speakers:

Patel will work alongside Russell Read, M.D., Ph.D., providing residents robust training opportunities, as well as overseeing the newlyannounced integrated intern residency year.

Helen Keller Lecture Sophie J. Bakri, M.D. Mayo Clinic Charles J. Burnham Lecture Geoffrey Tabin, M.D. Stanford University Alumni Association Lecture Mark A. Terry, M.D. Devers Eye Institute

go.uab.edu/annualsymposium

2021-22 Residents Class of 2022 (top row)

Class of 2023 (middle row)

Class of 2024 (bottom row)

Emilee Dailey, M.D.

Nathan Fischer, M.D.

Natalie DeBolske, M.D.

Samuel Feldman, M.D.

Brett Hoffman, M.D.

Connor Dugan, M.D.

Robert Foster, M.D.

Max Musharoff, M.D.

Calvin McNelly, M.D.

John Paul Luckett, M.D. Chief Resident

Austin Nave, M.D.

Caleb Rivera, M.D.

Lauren Williams, M.D.

Tyler Rowsey, M.D.

YEAR IN REVIEW

NIH Ranking and Funding FY ’20

$8,320,292

FY ’19

12th Ranking

$8,693,016

$7,962,142

FY ’16

$4,982,803 $3,300,536

FY ’15

$2,018,914

FY ’14

Cataract

Retina

5282

3308

633

Cornea

Plastics

Other

605

205

8th Ranking

$10,609,318

FY ’18 FY ’17

14,263 Surgical Procedures

19th Ranking

$6,401,952

FY ’21

Surgeries by Type

5th Ranking

6th Ranking

17th Ranking

26th Ranking

34th Ranking

Sponsored Research Expenditures Industry $598,211

Glaucoma

4405

Non Profit $156,688

Foundations $44,128

Ambulatory Clinic Volume 129,132 Clinic Visits

Teaching Clinics Faculty Practice

Total $8,466,896

125,000 100,000 75,000 50,000

’21

’20

’19

’18

’17

’16

0

’15

25,000

’14

Federal $6,599,014

’13

Institutional $1,068,855

CLINICAL PRACTICE

Five New Providers join UAB Callahan Eye

Elise Agostinelli, O.D.

Sarah Berry, O.D.

Jeff Chaiprakob, M.D.

John Morgan, M.D.

The Journey to Save my Sight

Dona Prophitt shares her story about her glaucoma journey

Jeffrey Tapley, M.D.

Elise Agostinelli, O.D., joined our staff after completing her optometry degree and fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A specialist in low vision and pediatrics, Dr. Agostinelli sees patients at our Trussville clinic and UAB’s Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation Center, and she also treats pediatric patients at the new Pelham clinic.

Sarah Berry, O.D., received her optometry degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham before completing her optometry residency at Ohio State University. She practices at our Trussville location, where she provides comprehensive eye care for all ages, manages ocular diseases, and performs contact lens evaluations.

Jeff Chaiprakob, M.D., and John Morgan, M.D., joined our department after building a successful private practice in Trussville and Oneonta. Dr. Chaiprakob received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Baptist Health Systems and his residency in ophthalmology at UAB. Dr. Morgan is a graduate of the University of Missouri. He attended medical school at the Medical College of Georgia, where he also completed an internship, before completing his ophthalmology residency at UAB. Dr. Chaiprakob and Dr. Morgan see patients at our Trussville and Oneonta clinics.

Jeffrey Tapley, M.D., earned his medical degree with honors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and completed his ophthalmology residency with the UAB Department of Ophthalmology, serving as chief resident in his final year. He went on to complete a fellowship in cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery at the prestigious Devers Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Tapley sees patients at our downtown location, and is the primary ophthalmologist at our new Pelham clinic.

UAB Callahan Eye Pelham Clinic UAB Callahan Eye’s newest clinic, located in Pelham, provides pediatric and adult eye care, cornea and glaucoma diagnosis and treatment, a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging center, and an on-site optical store.

“We want to make sure those who need eye care are able to access it in a convenient manner,” said Rett Grover, MSHA, MBA, CEO of UAB Callahan Eye. “We are excited to build relationships in the community, deliver the best eye care for our patients, and provide exceptional patient experiences for those living in and near the city of Pelham.”

Dona Prophitt

I have had glaucoma for more than 30 years, and until recently, it had been treated with drops given by another physician. I also had a laser procedure done to help my right eye drain better, and after it, I noticed my eye was red, which had never happened before.

I called my physician and couldn’t get in to see him. I knew about UAB Callahan Eye because I have a friend who works there, so I called and was able to get an appointment to see Dr. Knox that day.

The first time I met Dr. Knox, the pressure in my right eye was higher than 40, and I couldn’t see anything on the eye chart other than the top letter. Dr. Knox was concerned, and rightfully so. While helping to get the pressure down, he explained how the eye worked and how the fluid was produced, and he gave me some drops and an oral medication and asked to see me the next day. I live in McCalla, and Dr. Knox said he would be in Trussville, which is not exactly close. When he realized where I live, Dr. Knox mentioned he knew it was out of the way for me. He took the opportunity to present to me that there may be another option where he could see me in a more convenient manner. That spoke volumes.

I didn’t care that it was a little out of the way; I just wanted my eye to be fixed, and I wanted Dr. Knox to be the one to do it.

I met Dr. Knox in Trussville the next day. He told me the only option to hopefully gain some sight back is to have surgery. He was so informative throughout the process, making sure I knew exactly what was going to happen, managing my expectations and being very clear in my prognosis. He told me what he thought he could do and that I would need to see him every week for a month after surgery.

Today, my vision is back to between 20/40 and 20/50,

depending on the day, and the redness is completely gone.

I see Dr. Knox every four months to check my pressure, manage my glaucoma, and monitor my optic nerve so any further damage can be caught in a timely manner.

I could not be happier with the results, the care, and compassion I was shown throughout my experience. Dr. Knox answered every question, and I never felt rushed, even after my eye got better.

I’ve learned a lot about Callahan throughout this journey, and the thing I appreciate most is the number of eye specialties Callahan offers. Whether you have glaucoma like me or another eye condition such as macular degeneration or corneal disease, there are physicians who specialize in specific issues related to the eye.

As a retired critical care nurse, I know you wouldn’t want to see an open-heart surgeon if you were having brain surgery. You want to see someone who specializes in neurology. I feel the same Hogan Knox, M.D. way about eye care now. When it comes to eye conditions, Callahan is the best because of the expertise in so many eye care areas.

Glaucoma is hereditary, and while my dad also has it, his case is not as severe as mine. I am so grateful I met Dr. Knox that day. His concern for my eyesight was as strong as mine, and his compassion made me feel like I was his only patient from the moment he walked into the room. And I know he doesn’t treat just me that way; I’ve seen him treat others with the same compassionate care. There are not enough words to describe how great of an experience I had and how blessed I am to have found Callahan, and specifically Dr. Knox.

PHILANTHROPY

Faculty Awards & Recognition

To view all of our outstanding faculty, go to uab.edu/medicine/ophthalmology/faculty Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D., the White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, is the recipient of the 2021 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research by senior faculty.

Curcio focuses on retinal aging and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She has authored almost 200 peer-reviewed articles on histopathology, clinical image validation, neuroscience, neurodegeneration, lipoprotein biology, and visual function testing.

Pricsilla Fowler, M.D., was named associate professior for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Fowler, who joined the team in 2012, is also the director of Cornea Services. She specializes in refractive cataract surgery, endothelial keratoplasty, infectious diseases of the cornea, and severe dry eye/ocular surface disease.

Marissa Locy, O.D., was named assistant professor for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Since joining the team in 2017, Locy has practiced in UAB’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Clinic and provided comprehensive optometric services to adults and children in need of low vision care at Callahan’s clinics.

Lyne Racette, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, was the recipient of the 2021 Dean’s Award for Mentorship, which recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments as mentors of graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows.

Douglas Witherspoon, M.D., was named professor emeritus in the School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Witherspoon, who is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellowship-trained subspecialist in the fields of vitreoretinal surgery and ocular trauma, joined the department in 1982 and retired in 2020 after 38 years of service.

Bertram Young Named Director of Development We would like to welcome Bertram Young, who has been named our new Director of Development. Bertram comes to UAB from the Boys & Girls Club of Central Alabama with more than 10 years’ experience in fundraising, public relations, and marketing. He is a proven collaborator and relationship builder.

His focus on building partnerships with corporations, individuals, and civic groups have resulted in major gifts and annual support for the organizations for which he has worked. We are excited about the talents Bertram will bring to our team.

If you would like to join our team as a philanthropic partner as we set out on the path to treat blinding eye diseases and care for those in need of specialized vision services, please contact Bertram Young at boyoung@uabmc.edu or 205-718-6697.

Why I Give:

Torrey DeKeyser shares why she feels it is important to give back I had the good fortune to serve for 22 years as Executive Director of the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama (ESFA), a health legacy foundation that provides grants to charitable organizations in eye research, patient care, and professional and patient education.

This grant-making organization was formed 25 years ago when UAB bought the former Eye Foundation Hospital—now UAB Callahan Eye Hospital. The money from that sale became the corpus of the EyeSight Foundation. UAB Ophthalmology and Callahan have been the biggest recipients of ESFA’s grants. Because of this long-term relationship, I was closely involved with the ophthalmology experts at UAB’s School of Medicine and Callahan.

Leading the EyeSight Foundation has given me the experience of seeing the impact of charitable giving on an academic medical program. For more than two decades, the foundation’s support has helped transform the ophthalmology research program, as well as attract and retain some of the brightest minds in the field while directly supporting their work.

Getting to know the clinicians and scientists, as well as the hospital administrators, has been a lesson in excellence. Their dedication is unsurpassed and their desire to prevent and cure eye disease and help patients is intense.

As a patient, I have benefited tremendously from this amazing program. I am blind in my right eye, so having access to these amazing people and this outstanding hospital to protect my “good” eye has been a true blessing. After three different surgeries with three different specialists for three different issues at Callahan, I can honestly say I had a great experience every time – not just with the surgeons but with every member of the staff. Likewise, I receive the best ongoing care from my regular eye doctors at UAB. I love telling anyone who asks about my experience because Callahan is a jewel, and I want everyone to know.

Accepting that my right eye was non-functioning when I was a child has given me so much empathy for all patients, while also having an appreciation of what the foundation has been able to do by supporting ophthalmology and Callahan.

Combine that with the generosity of grateful patients, Torrey DeKeyser family members, alumni, and friends and you have a powerful “cocktail” of support that makes almost anything possible.

That’s why I chose to make a planned gift that will direct some funds to the department after my time on this sweet earth is done. I want future generations—my children, grandchildren and others— to have access to the best eye care possible. I want them to have what I have experienced firsthand.

The planned gift I made is unrestricted because I want the money to give leadership some wiggle room for things that may not interest other donors. This is my way of saying thank you to this wonderful place and to all the people who have been taking the best care of my eyes.

I joined the EyeSight Foundation in July 1999 and retired in September 2021. While I no longer am involved professionally, I remain as enthusiastic and hopeful as when I first began. My hope is that this organization continues to become a destination for the best eye care around. I want people to think of UAB Callahan Eye when they think of eye disease. I want the UAB faculty, many of whom are my friends, to be synonymous with the prevention and curing of eye diseases. I want young scientists and clinicians to seek out UAB to learn from the best as they look to further their careers. This is already happening, and I hope that one day my planned gift can contribute to the growth and success of this wonderful organization. It is the least I can do for a place that has given so much to me.

Support the Next 50 Years of Innovation in Vision Care We have raised $15 million for the 20/20 Initiative through a commitment between the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, the International Retinal Research Foundation, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This significant commitment serves as a springboard, catapulting us to the next phase of our 20/20 Initiative: Raising $10 million from the community and individual donors.

If you are interested in supporting this initiative, contact our development office at 205-718-6697.

1720 University Boulevard Birmingham, AL 35233

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