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April Is Sports Eye Safety Month!

March 29, 2023

It’s a busy carpool day with the kids’ sports practice. Packing safety gear competes with dropping each at practice on time. Your high schooler’s got his bucket helmet for lacrosse. Your middle schooler’s excited to wear her new shin guards to soccer. For your fifth grader, however, you’ve not yet invested in those “rec specs” … Continued

Zongchao Han: Advancing Ophthalmic Nanomedicine Delivery to Counter Degenerative Effects of Inherited Retinal Disorders

March 20, 2023

Over almost a decade at UNC, gene and drug delivery expert Zongchao Han, MD, PhD, has conducted translational research focused on developing novel and alternative therapies to treat retinal diseases via biomedical nanoparticle applications.  Most recently, the March 2023 issue of Gene Therapy* published a study led by Dr. Han that achieved intact genomic nanoparticle … Continued

2023 UNC Eye Symposium is Saturday, April 1st at the Friday Center!

March 17, 2023

Join UNC Department of Ophthalmology on April 1st, 2023, for the annual UNC Eye Symposium at the William & Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education. This conference is designated for Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Ophthalmic Technicians, and Photographers. Please click on the registration links on this page to register early for the 2023 UNC Eye Symposium and … Continued

UNC Ophthalmology Welcomes Comprehensive Ophthalmologist Dr. Marc Booth

March 16, 2023

UNC Department of Ophthalmology is pleased to welcome Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Marc Booth, MD, as the newest faculty member to join the Comprehensive Eye Care team. Dr. Booth joins UNC Ophthalmology on the heels of 20 years in ophthalmology private practice with physician groups nationwide. He brings a broad fund of ophthalmic knowledge … Continued

March 23rd is World Optometry Day!

March 16, 2023

March 23rd is World Optometry Day! Each year, the eye specialist community pauses to recognize optometrists worldwide and their critical role as highly trained providers of comprehensive eye care. Assistant Professor Michael Mendsen, OD, is a UNC Department of Ophthalmology faculty optometrist and Comprehensive Eye Care team provider at UNC Kittner Eye Center. Dr. Mendsen … Continued

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Awareness Month!

February 27, 2023

When the 2020 pandemic made working remotely the new normal, millions of Americans found themselves adjusting to the home as their full-time workplace and. Displaced desk sitters spent extended periods in front of screens logging longer hours, and reports of suffering symptoms of digital eye strain became more common. A new era of remote workers … Continued

Starting Early: Learning Clinical Research and Workflow as a UNC Undergraduate

February 26, 2023

As a UNC freshman, Nicholas Ilgandi was a familiar face around UNC Kittner Eye Center. By graduation, the well-liked, motivated undergraduate’s primary role within the department had expanded to assisting a wide range of faculty-led clinical studies serving as a Clinical Research Assistant.  Nicholas is now a first-year medical student at Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, … Continued

February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month!

January 29, 2023

Advanced-age adults who face increased odds of developing a degenerative eye disease frequently narrow their worries to conditions that are most in the spotlight and/or prevalent, such as the world’s two leading causes of blindness — cataract and glaucoma. Lost in this mix among senior Americans is adequate awareness of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In … Continued

Agreement of Diagnostic Classification Between Structural Parameters in Pre-Perimetric and Early Perimetric Glaucoma

January 11, 2023

A UNC Ophthalmology faculty-mentored, resident-led study published in the December 2022 Journal of Glaucoma assessed how well glaucomatous changes detected to the optic disc, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) parameters agree among them in pre-perimetric and early perimetric glaucoma, based on optical coherence tomography (Cirrus HD-OCT) normative database classification. … Continued

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month!

December 30, 2022

An adult who faithfully visits his PCP for annual well-checks shows no signs of mid-life worsening vision and falls short of scheduling a first-time comprehensive eye exam in his 40s. At age 50, he is diagnosed with glaucoma at an overdue screening, 10 years past the recommended age. The asymptomatic patient is shocked to learn … Continued

December is Safe Toys and Celebrations Month!

December 2, 2022

In December, merry-making at all turns can induce careless behavior in the most cautious individuals. Accordingly, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has declared December as Safe Toys and Celebrations Month. The AAO has outlined a range of common sense, eyesight-preserving practices during the holidays, from selecting non-shooting gifts for children, to practicing significant caution when … Continued

Budenz Receives Life Achievement Honor Award from American Academy of Ophthalmology

November 8, 2022

UNC Ophthalmology congratulates Department Chair and Kittner Family Distinguished Professor Donald L. Budenz, MD, MPH, for receiving the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)’s 2022 Life Achievement Honor Award. Among eight highly achieved ophthalmologists worldwide, Dr. Budenz was awarded this career honor at a ceremony held at the AAO’s Annual Meeting (AAO 2022) in October 2022. … Continued