News

July ushers in the hottest, sunniest weeks of the year (in the northern hemisphere) and marks a point mid-summer when UV-blocking practices should be in place to shield one’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has designated July as UV Safety Month and has...

When 2021-2022 Glaucoma fellow Josh Paul, MD, finished interviews, he knew UNC’s program would push him hardest over 12 months of learning his subspecialty. For 2020-2022 UNC Vitreoretinal Surgery fellow John Deans, MD, the UNC Ophthalmology faculty who had introduced him to retinal disease fundamentals during residency were the very...

On Saturday, June 11th, at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill, UNC Ophthalmology faculty, residents and fellows gathered to celebrate the end of the academic year and to honor four departing residents and two fellows at the Department’s annual graduation banquet. Several graduating residents were honored with awards for teaching,...

Each year, three-quarters of fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms occur between mid-June and mid-July. Fireworks are advertised like toys around the Fourth of July, and many consumers do not realize that severe eye injuries can result from the combination of force, heat and chemicals in these explosives. UNC Department...

Professor of Ophthalmology Steven Flynn, MD, PhD, has joined the UNC Ophthalmology faculty team as a comprehensive ophthalmologist. He earned his medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, where he also completed a residency in ophthalmology. Prior to joining UNC Ophthalmology, Dr. Flynn was Service Chief of Ophthalmology at the...

UNC Department of Ophthalmology Chair and Kittner Family Distinguished Professor Don Budenz, MD, MPH, has been elected President of the 580-member Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO). The AUPO is the professional organization for Chairs of Ophthalmology and is comprised of 140 academic medical centers across the US and...

  When UNC Ophthalmology Associate Professor Matt Hirsch, PhD, completed his doctoral and post-doctoral training in 2008, his passion for pursuing study of bacterial- and viral-driven therapeutic gene delivery had been profoundly influenced by his doctoral and post-doc mentors. Ten+ years later, Hirsch is a leading genetic engineer at UNC,...

UNC Department of Ophthalmology congratulates third-year post-doctoral fellow Yong-Su Kwon, PhD, for receiving a BrightFocus Foundation Macular Degeneration Research Award in July 2022. Each year, BrightFocus Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program grants are awarded to post-doctoral fellows pursuing pioneering research leading to greater understanding, prevention, and treatment of age-related macular degeneration...

UNC Ophthalmology was thrilled to match four diverse and driven M4s via the 2021-2022 Ophthalmology Residency Matching Program (OMP)! Residency Program Director Dr. Alice Zhang thanked the many department members whose efforts made a critical difference in achieving a successful 2021-2022 recruitment season: “I would like to express gratitude to our chief...

UNC Department of Ophthalmology congratulates Professor of Ophthalmology Beth Friedland, MD, for her nomination as one of 15 leading female physicians nationwide for the 2022 Women in White Coats Heroes award. Every year, the WomenInWhiteCoats.com blog hosts online voting and selection of a Women in White Coats Heroes awardee from...

  Dr. Keirnan Willett has joined the faculty at UNC Ophthalmology as a retina and uveitis specialist. Dr. Willet earned his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania and completed fellowships in Vitreoretinal Surgery and Uveitis at the Mayo Clinic. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Willett at the UNC...

Special thanks to the runners who participated in the Glasses for Good (G4G) 5k, raising $1,500 to purchase prescription eyeglasses for children seen at the Kittner Eye Center who cannot afford them.