On Saturday, April 18th, 2026, UNC Ophthalmology and other UNC Health teammates came together to support research efforts and raise awareness of Inherited Retinal Disease (IRD)s at the 2026 Triangle South Region Vision Walk. Hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness (est. 1971), this annual fundraising event supports the organization’s mission of driving “the research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.” 
UNC Professor of Ophthalmology and world-renowned IRD expert Alessandro Iannaccone, MD, MS, FARVO, joined UNC Ophthalmology’s 2026 Vision Walk team as a long-time supporter of the work and mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In 2025, Dr. Iannaccone was named a 2025 Ophthalmology Research All-Star and top 3% contributor to ophthalmology healthcare research by healthcare data analytics corporation Avant-Garde Health*.
Dr. Iannaccone reflected: “This beautiful, annual day of caring and giving provides tremendous support for the urgent mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness to find treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases. In our own collegiate setting, our team proudly represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We were humbled to be surrounded by so many patients and their families, colleagues, volunteers, and friends who came out to support the work and mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
Many, many thanks to [UNC Ophthalmology Administrative Support Specialist] Pamela Saraphis for her dedication to our team, for being the 2026 top fundraiser, and for her tireless support of UNC Ophthalmology’s patient care mission. We’re grateful to [UNC Ophthalmology faculty members ] Drs. David Fleischman and Beth Friedland for their support, as well as the 20+ others from across UNC Health who joined our team and/or generously contributed. All of us were so proud to make a significant contribution to the overall $176K+ funds raised for the 2026 Triangle South Region Vision Walk. We look forward to doing even more and better next year!”
UNC Department of Ophthalmology news (June 2nd, 2025):
Iannaccone Named 2025 Ophthalmology Research All-Star By Healthcare Data Analytics Corp