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university of michigan kellogg eye center
A Report on Vision
from the University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
RP Treatment Is Tested. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Treating the Unexpected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
People with RP have very few treatment
A grandmother knew something was
options. Dr. John Heckenlively is leading
wrong with her grandson’s vision, but
a clinical trial that offers one of the first was surprised to learn that a baby could
glimmers of hope for RP patients.
have glaucoma.
New Data on Glaucoma...........................4
Taking Eye Care to Guatemala.. . . . . . . . . 11
Long-term study on glaucoma treatment
Dr. Del Monte sees patients by day,
yields new answers about surgery vs.
lectures by night during a medical
medication.
mission trip in Guatemala.
Training for Techs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Blind Mice Can See.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
One-on-one training sets this program apart.
Genetic Counseling.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mice regain visual function in research
study. What’s next in transplantation?
A Legacy of Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Kari Branham provides patients with
Long-time faculty member Dr. Bartley
plenty of support and a short course Frueh establishes professorship to honor
in genetics.
his parents.
Touring the Eye Center.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A visitor reflects on Kellogg’s training and research programs.
Published by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
marketing staff. Design by David Murrel, Creative Director.
Photography by Scott Galvin, Paul Jaronski, Lin Jones,
Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services; Lin Goings, Robert Prusak,
U-M Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
We are pleased to be ranked among the top
hospitals in the nation for Ophthalmology in
the 2007 U.S.News & World Report survey.
Reaching for New Heights
A sign of hope and advancement, the Kellogg
Eye Center expansion is now under way
After years of planning, the new Kellogg Eye Center addition has risen from the ground
with remarkable speed. By the time you receive this report, the eight-story steel frame
will be complete. With the structural framework in place, it becomes a little easier to
imagine the extent to which clinical, research, and educational programs will grow.
Realizing the dream of expanding the Eye Center has required vision and a strong
commitment from individuals. “We could not have reached this point without the
support of our patient community,” says Dr. Paul Lichter, Chair of the Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of the Kellogg Eye Center. “Many have partnered with us
as we strive to build a brighter future for people with eye disease, and we could not be more grateful.”
The Eye Center’s goal is to raise $40 million in support of the building and expanded programs, and more
than half of this amount has been raised to date. To learn more about our plans for the Eye Center, please visit
our web site at www.kellogg.umich.edu. You’ll find facts and photographs as well as information on how you can
support the building project. And next time you come to the Eye Center, take a look at the building model just
inside the lobby.
When the new building opens in 2010, it will be the culmination of years of dreaming, planning, and dedicated
effort. It is a center that will set the standard in eye care and will make a difference in the lives of people in
Michigan and beyond.
The expansion, just north of the current Kellogg tower, will provide 230,000 square feet of additional space for eye clinics, medical education, and research labs.
“In light of the preliminary work on
CNTF, there are high expectations for
this new therapeutic technology. This is
the first non-specific therapy to emerge
with promising experimental results.”
—John R. Heckenlively, M.D.
Clinical Testing to Start on Treatment for RP
Evaluating RP therapy with
hope and caution
People with retinitis pigmentosa have watched and
waited for news of any treatment that might stop the progression of the disease or even allow them to recover lost
vision. Now there is some reason to hope that a sustainedrelease implant being evaluated at the U-M Kellogg Eye
Center and 13 other centers across the nation could deliver
the long-awaited therapy.
Participants whose condition meets specific criteria will
have surgery to receive an implant that releases a naturally
occurring protein known to retard retinal degeneration.
Pamela Titus, C.O.T., is Clinical Coordinator for the treatment trial.
Today patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) have
very few treatment options. Antioxidant vitamins may
help, but they do not cure. There are no known effective
“In light of the preliminary work on CNTF, there are
treatments for these degenerative eye diseases that affect
high expectations for this new therapeutic technology,”
100,000 Americans and, over time, can lead to blindness.
says Dr. Heckenlively. “This is the first non-specific therapy
John R. Heckenlively, M.D., an internationally known
to emerge with promising experimental results.” He adds
expert on inherited retinal disease, will lead the study for
that RP is difficult to treat, in part, because there are so
the U-M Kellogg Eye Center. He is cautiously optimistic
many genetic forms. “Rather than targeting a particular
about the prospects for the new treatment because earlier
type of RP,” says Dr. Heckenlively, “this new therapy
research has demonstrated that the
focuses on the endpoint of all RP types:
protein, ciliary neurotrophic factor
“I’m hoping that if this vision loss due to degeneration of
(CNTF), has the ability to slow the
photoreceptors.”
study
is
successful,
the
degeneration of photoreceptors, the
In 2005, a Phase I Clinical Trial
light-sensing cells essential for sight.
concluded that the CNTF implant
treatment will become
Dr. Heckenlively, Paul R. Lichter Profesexhibited a safe profile for humans.
routine
for
people
with
sor of Ophthalmic Genetics, explains
Currently, two Phase II/III clinical trials
that after a promising start in the early
are evaluating two different doses of
RP and other types of
1990s, the research on CNTF stalled for
CNTF: a high dose or a low dose in one
eye
diseases.”
lack of a practical method to deliver the
eye, as well as a sham surgery in the
— Vicki parker
therapeutic protein to the eye. With the
other eye so participants will not know
development of encapsulated cell technology by Neurowhich eye has been treated with CNTF.
tech USA, Inc., the delivery problem appears to have
Vicki Parker, whose mother and grandmother both
been solved.
had RP, hopes to participate in the trial. “With my family
The symptoms and severity of RP can vary, but the dishistory, I’m lucky. My mother and grandmother both had
ease often begins with the loss of peripheral or side vision
some vision in their final years,” she says. “Naturally, I’m
and difficulty seeing at night. As the disease progresses, an
always interested in the latest research. I’m hoping that if
individual will have a narrower range of vision, resulting
this study is successful, the treatment will become routine
in tunnel vision. The remaining vision may or may not be
for people with RP and other types of eye diseases.”
clear and sharp.
university of michigan kellogg eye center
national clinical trial
directed by kellogg
Long-term study on
glaucoma treatment
yields new answers
In 1989, researchers at the U-M
Kellogg Eye Center set out to
determine the best treatment
for patients who were newly diagnosed
Coordinating the clinical trial requirements among 14 centers and over 600 glaucoma patients across
with glaucoma: eye drops or surgery.
the country are Paul R. Lichter, M.D., Carol L. Standardi, R.N., and David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H.
They led a national study, the Collaboravisual field data, Dr. Musch has some pertinent take-home
tive Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study
messages. “For starters, both groups did well. Intraocular
(CIGTS), that would ultimately follow the care of 607
pressure reduction from treatment was substantial in both
patients at 14 clinical centers around the U.S. Now, after
groups, but significantly more so in the surgery group.
following these patients for many years, researchers have
Visual field loss was less than expected, likely due to the
found that the data continue to reveal unexpected findings.
superb treatment and follow-up care these patients re
Paul R. Lichter, M.D., Principal Investigator on the
ceived
throughout the trial.” He surmises that the regular
original CIGTS grant and Director of the Kellogg Eye
clinic visits and frequent calls from
Center, was hoping to put the coninterviewers might have encouraged
troversy to rest once and for all. “For
“It appears that patients
the patients to comply better with
years, practitioners have wondered
who
had
more
visual
field
instructions and treatment.
which initial treatment was better
loss at the time of diagnosis There was, quite unexpectedly, an
for our patients. Some were sure it
was medicine, others were sure it was
ultimately do better if they intriguing finding within the surgery
arm of the trial. According to Dr.
surgery. But there were no data that
are
treated
initially
with
Musch, the data show that smokcould prove either side.”
ers had substantially higher intraNow we have data. With fundsurgery rather than with
ocular pressures than non-smokers.
ing from the National Eye Institute
medication.”
A smoker who underwent surgery
for the original grant and a subsefor glaucoma was worse off than a
quent grant for data analysis, Dr.
— Paul R. Lichter, M.D.
patient in the surgery arm who did
Lichter and colleagues have had the
not smoke. Whether this has any effect on long-term visual
opportunity to follow patients for over a decade. “While
field loss remains to be determined.
early reports indicated that initial surgery and medications
Although Dr. Musch and his colleagues will continue
yielded similar outcomes, analyses of longer term follow-up
to analyze the data, one finding appears to be indisputable.
data have revealed an important result,” says Dr. Lichter.
Intraocular pressure fluctuation is a strong independent
“It appears that patients who had more visual field loss at
predictor of visual field loss. Thus, consistent control of
the time of diagnosis ultimately do better if they are treated
pressure remains vital. The better and more reliable the
initially with surgery rather than with medication.”
pressure control, the less loss of visual field. Pressures that
From the beginning David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H.,
fluctuate increase the risk that the patient will lose visual
has directed what is now a huge database, produced study
function.
reports, and crunched the numbers. After evaluating the
university of michigan kellogg eye center
Training technicians
On-the-job clinical experience
sets program apart
Ophthalmic technicians are an integral
component of the clinical team at Kellogg, working
closely with physicians in the evaluation and management
of patients with a variety of ocular problems. Because of
the critical role they play, only the most competent and
highly skilled technicians are asked to join the staff of the
Eye Center. Finding this kind of talent has been an increasingly difficult challenge for Jennifer Ziehm-Scott, Clinic
Operations Manager at Kellogg. A one-time practicing
technician herself, she has witnessed the demise of many
ophthalmic technician training programs across the country
over the past decade.
Because the need is great and the pool of qualified candidates small, Ms. Ziehm-Scott teamed with Amy Steele,
Lead Technician in Kellogg’s Comprehensive Ophthalmology Clinic, to develop an in-house training program for
ophthalmic technicians. The program was established on a
trial basis four years ago and became official in 2006.
Training for this six-month program begins with Ms.
Steele in the Comprehensive Clinic, which tends to be the
first stop for many new Kellogg patients. It offers trainees
the opportunity to see a wide variety of ocular conditions.
The trainees also work with physicians who understand
that they and their patients will benefit directly from the
assistance of a highly competent technician. Ms. Steele
observes that this kind of physician involvement makes
for a great learning environment.
During the first few months of the program, the trainee
reviews written material and learns basic skills like vision
testing and taking patient histories. In the next few months,
technicians in one of Kellogg’s subspecialty clinics will introduce the trainee to procedures and diagnostic tests typically administered for patients with more complex diseases.
By the end of the program, the trainee will be shadowing a
physician and tracking patient visits from beginning to end.
“The program we’ve created at Kellogg has the benefit
of on-the-job, clinical training, which many formal programs lack,” says Ms. Steele. “I’ve heard from trainees and
established technicians that this is one of the most valuable
parts of our program.” She also observes that both staff
and physicians have the opportunity to spend one-on-one
time with the trainees, getting to know them and finding
out if they will be a good fit for Kellogg.
To qualify for training, a candidate must have completed two years of college and have a health care or
science background. After completing the program, the
technician joins the Kellogg staff and makes a two-year
commitment. After one year (or 1,000 hours), he or she
has the opportunity to become a Certified Ophthalmic
Assistant (COA) by taking the national examination. To
date, seven trainees have completed the program and four
of them have gone on to pass the COA exam. The remaining three trainees will take the exam this year.
Typical of the intense one-on-one training, Amy Steele, C.O.T., demonstrates
the proper use of the hand-held keratometer to Karen Schneider.
university of michigan kellogg eye center
“Genetic counselors are trained to
explain these complex, scientific issues
to people in a way that will help them
understand more about their disease.”
—Kari E. Branham, M.S.
GENETIC COUNSELORS ARE ADVOCATES
FOR PATIENTS and their families
Kellogg’s counselors give patients
a short course in genetics
There are only 10 ophthalmic genetic counselors in the United States and two of them reside
at Kellogg. According to Kari Branham, M.S., Kellogg’s
comes to sharing the most up-to-date information on
their disease, and I’m there to help them find the support
they need.”
Kellogg’s genetic counselors see about 400 patients per
year. They also work with clinicians and genetic counselors
throughout the country to help patients get the information
they need. In addition, they are involved heavily in research
and clinical trials.
Donald Moore, 64, has been diagnosed with Stargardt
disease—a disease characterized by progressive loss of central vision. He is one of many patients who find Kellogg’s
genetic counseling valuable. “I am so surprised that other
lead genetic counselor, genetic counseling is an integral part
of caring for patients who have inherited retinal diseases.
“Genetic counselors are trained to explain these complex,
scientific issues to people in a way that will help them
eye centers don’t have counselors to help patients with their
understand more about their disease,” says Ms. Branham.
diseases,” says Mr. Moore. “Having genetic counselors
Most of the patients Ms. Branham sees are referred
really increases a person’s confidence in an eye center.”
by Kellogg retina specialist John R. Heckenlively, M.D.
Currently, Mr. Moore’s vision is stable and he visits
They see Ms. Branham as part of their comprehensive
Kellogg once a year for a routine eye examination. He
first visit. During a typical appointment, Ms. Branham
hopes to see a cure for his disease in his lifetime and says,
talks with patients about their diagnosis and reviews
if that happens, he believes that Kellogg will have played a
information about their disease. She also explains how the
key role in the discovery. “I’ve never heard of an eye center
disease is inherited and informs them of available genetic
more on top of these diseases,” says Mr. Moore. “I have a
testing, describing its benefits and limitations. Lastly, she
feeling they’re going to solve the next big thing.”
spends time talking about how to understand the genetic
test results.
Ms. Branham explains that some
patients will decide to have testing even
though treatment is not yet available
for many inherited eye diseases. They
may figure that the results will help
them make career or lifestyle decisions
and that a genetic diagnosis will
provide the information needed when
treatments begin to emerge.
If patients proceed with genetic
testing, the analysis takes place in
Kellogg’s state-of-the-art Ophthalmic
Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. The
services include Ms. Branham’s on-site
genetic counseling, both before and
after the testing.
“I like to think of myself as an
advocate for my patients,” says Ms.
Branham. “I am their resource when it
Donald Moore has a greater understanding of his disease after speaking with genetic counselor Kari Branham.
university of michigan kellogg eye center
Touring the Eye Center
An appreciation for
high standards in
education and research
On a recent tour of the Kellogg
Eye Center, Mary June Wilkinson
listened to a scientist describe a study on
retinal cell transplantation. She wondered
if the findings might relate to a friend
whose daughter has retinitis pigmentosa.
Mrs. Wilkinson was right on the mark.
The ability to transplant retinal cells
could one day make a difference in the
lives of people with eye diseases such
Mary June Wilkinson listens as scientist Mohammad Othman talks about research on inherited eye disease.
as RP.
Mrs. Wilkinson, along with her late
whose research involves high-speed imaging of cellular
husband, William C. Wilkinson, M.D.,
activities. She was impressed by his clear-cut presentation of
has been a longtime friend of the Kellogg Eye Center.
a complicated field of research. “This is someone who loves
In addition to supporting research for many years, the
his work and has the ability to make a difference,” she says.
Wilkinsons made the very first gift to the Eye Center
“Not every person with a Ph.D. has the combination of
building project, well before architects were commissioned
inventiveness and technological knowledge that can make
to draw up building plans. The Wilkinsons’ gift grew out
research turn into reality.”
of their deep appreciation for the high standards in educaIt is not a surprise that Mrs. Wilkinson would apprecition and research that they recognized in the Department
ate enthusiasm and creativity. She is an
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
energetic woman with wide-ranging
Dr. William Wilkinson com“Not every person with a
interests. Several years ago, she enpleted his ophthalmology residency at
Ph.D.
has
the
combination
rolled in an art class for the first time.
Michigan, and, some 28 years later,
the couple’s son, W. Scott Wilkinson,
of inventiveness and tech- Each year since she has added another
course or two, and now painting has
M.D., followed in his father’s footnological
knowledge
that
become a passion. She also travels
steps. “My husband was so pleased
with her family and talks with pride
that Scott could experience the same
can make research turn
and enthusiasm of her grandchildren’s
excellent training,” she says. Today she
into
reality.”
accomplishments.
notes that her son, whose practice has
Mrs. Wilkinson is quick to return
rapidly expanded, seeks partners who
to the role the Department has played in her life. “I am so
share the training standards and philosophy he found at
proud of the training and research that goes on here,” she
Michigan. Mrs. Wilkinson explains, “My son and I
says. “And I am fortunate to have had a unique view of the
have continued the legacy of supporting the Eye Center.”
development of this wonderful place.”
During another stop on the Kellogg tour, Mrs.
Wilkinson met with Howard Petty, Ph.D., a biophysicist
university of michigan kellogg eye center
recognizing Pediatric Glaucoma
A grandmother’s concern
and a physician’s expertise
help save a baby’s vision
When people commented on her baby
grandson’s big blue eyes, Audrey Smith
felt uneasy. From the time Jackson was born,
she had worried that the eyes everyone noticed
looked different than other children’s eyes. In
addition to being big, they were cloudy and had
a film over them, she says. She finally suggested
that her daughter-in-law ask Jackson’s doctor
about it.
Maya Eibschitz, M.D., with Jackson and his mother, Sharen Smith, after successful glaucoma surgery.
“I kept watching his eyes, because I had
never seen anything like that before,” she says.
says Dr. Eibschitz, who is one of just a few dozen pediatric
“I wanted them to be checked.”
glaucoma specialists in the country.
Mrs. Smith, who has glaucoma, never dreamed Jackson
Jackson was in that successful majority, Dr. Eibschitz
might have a congenital form of the disease. The child’s
reports. “He is doing very well. His vision is normal,
parents took him to see his pediatrician, who then referred
his intraocular pressures are normal, his corneal edema
him to the Kellogg Eye Center, where the condition was
has resolved, and his optic nerve cupping has returned
diagnosed.
to normal.”
In pediatric glaucoma, pressure builds up in the eye and
His parents, Sharen and Almount Smith, are grateful
can damage the eye and lead to vision loss. The key sympto Dr. Eibschitz and Jackson’s grandmother. “We thought
toms include pain, abnormal sensitivity to light, tearing,
his eyes were beautiful,” Sharen Smith says. “We just
enlarged corneas, and redness of the eyes. Jackson’s tests
didn’t know.”
revealed high intraocular pressure, corneal swelling, and
signs of optic nerve damage, says Maya Eibschitz, M.D.,
a pediatric glaucoma specialist in Kellogg’s Skillman
Children’s Eye Care Clinic.
Primary congenital glaucoma is relatively rare, appearing in only one in 10,000 births. “But when that one
patient walks into your office, prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial to preserving vision,” Dr. Eibschitz says. Jackson had surgery at the age of five months, the day after
he was seen in the clinic.
While adults with glaucoma usually try medication to
lower intraocular pressure first, the primary course of treatment for infants is typically surgery to improve drainage in
the eyes. The success rates for such surgeries in infants are
as high as 75 percent to 95 percent. But children have to
Audrey Smith, Jackson’s grandmother, is delighted that her grandson is doing so well.
be followed closely by their physicians after an operation,
university of michigan kellogg eye center
During a trip that was “not only
gratifying but enlightening,”
Dr. Del Monte performed multiple
surgeries, including a complex
procedure for a mother and son
suffering from a rare genetic
syndrome.
—Monte A. Del Monte, M.D.
rare eye muscle syndrome treated
Kellogg Expert Takes Eye Care
to Guatemala
Among the many surprising moments for
Monte Del Monte, M.D., on a recent trip to Guatemala
was his encounter with a family who had a rare hereditary
syndrome. Dr. Del Monte, the Skillman Professor of Pediatric Ophthalmology at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center, traveled
under the auspices of the World Eye Mission for a week
of teaching, examining patients, and performing strabismus
surgery to correct vision problems related to abnormal
eye alignment. He visited two hospitals in Guatemala City
and one in the Petén, a remote jungle region of northern
Guatemala.
The family had a hereditary syndrome known as
congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 1. The
mother and son had severely limited visual function due to
restrictive strabismus, in which the already misaligned eyes
have such limited movement that affected individuals must
assume abnormal and uncomfortable head positions in
order to see. Because corrective surgery is complex and not
available in Central America, the family accompanied Dr.
Del Monte to the Petén, where he performed the complicated procedure. The surgery was successful in establishing
eye alignment and in improving the range of eye movement—and thus vision—in both patients.
In a fortuitous coincidence, Dr. Del Monte has been
involved with a research project that isolated the gene for
one form of the syndrome. He sent blood samples to the
laboratory of his long-time collaborator Dr. Elizabeth Engle
at Harvard Medical School. If the gene affecting this family
can be identified, Dr. Del Monte will have contributed
useful knowledge about a region where little is known
about genetic patterns of this disorder.
The entire trip was, according to Dr. Del Monte, “not
only gratifying but enlightening.” At the Visualiza Clinic in
Guatemala City, Dr. Del Monte examined 15–20 clinic patients, and performed or assisted in half a dozen eye muscle
procedures in a surgical suite within the clinic.
Edwin Arias, M.D., (left) and Monte Del Monte, M.D., (center) explain how they will
treat congenital cataract to this baby’s mother.
At his second stop in Guatemala City, Roosevelt
Hospital, Dr. Del Monte spent a great deal of time working with the local residents. They presented complicated
cases at a special Grand Rounds and also assisted Dr. Del
Monte in the surgical procedures performed at that hospital. In the evenings, Dr. Del Monte led teaching conferences
and presented several lectures each night, which often led to
lengthy question-and-answer sessions, especially concerning
those procedures that were new to this part of the world.
After leaving Guatemala City, Dr. Del Monte traveled
to the remote northern province of Petén to visit the stateof-the-art Vincent Pescatore Eye Clinic, a unique clinical
model for developing countries. The clinic has two fee
structures: the revenue from “private” patients helps fund
care for “social” patients who are unable to pay. The care,
of course, is the same. This model is being duplicated in
other countries in Central America, including Nicaragua
and El Salvador.
At the Pescatore Clinic, Dr. Del Monte examined strabismus patients, children and adults, and performed surgeries assisted by one of his hosts, Dr. Edwin Arias. Despite
being the only eye clinic in this poor jungle area, the rural
Pescatore Eye Clinic was observed by Dr. Del Monte to be
“well equipped with most modern instruments and supplies so I needed to bring only a few specialized instruments
and sutures.” He added, “This clinic really did have almost
anything you would need.”
university of michigan kellogg eye center
11
Blind mice can see — or at least
regain visual function
What’s the next step in making
retinal cell transplantation
a reality?
Transplanting retina cells to restore vision
has been an aspiration of vision scientists for years. In
November 2006, scientists at the University of Michigan
Kellogg Eye Center attracted international attention when
they demonstrated that transplantation can be successful
if the cells are introduced to the mouse retina at a very
particular point in their development.
Anand Swaroop, Ph.D., had devoted many years to
investigating the development and life cycle of rods, a type
Anand Swaroop, Ph.D., leads the team that made marked progress on the problem
of photoreceptor transplantation.
of photoreceptor cell that is essential for sight. Eventually
he discovered that each rod starts out as an unspecified stem
exciting time for scientists who hope to see their research
cell and then evolves into a “precursor,” at which point it
translated into treatments for degenerative retinal diseases.”
signals its intent to become a particular type of cell. When
Kellogg scientists will continue to study rod
transplanted at its precursor stage, the rod continues to
transplantation with the goal of increasing the rate of
develop and is successfully integrated into the mouse retina.
cell integration. Meanwhile Dr. Swaroop, currently on
Some reports claimed that “blind mice could see,” although
leave from the Department, has joined the Neurobiology,
it would be more accurate to say that these mice had
Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory at the National
“regained visual function,” as measured by the pupillary
Eye Institute. In the midst of the
response to light.
A
young
man
from
Brisbane,
transition, Dr. Swaroop and Kellogg
The research findings immediately
colleagues
have initiated a study
struck a chord among people with eye Australia wrote, “Your reto ask the next big question: If rod
diseases like retinitis pigmentosa, in
search
holds
much
promise
precursors can be transplanted, why
which vision loss is caused by the loss
not cones? “The early data suggest
of rod photoreceptors. They emailed
and it is hoped that I could
we can rescue cone function,”
their congratulations and wanted to
be
a
recipient
of
the
technolsays Hong Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.,
know when human testing would
researcher in the Swaroop laboratory,
begin. A young man from Brisbane,
ogy in the not too distant
who spoke at a recent Kellogg
Australia wrote, “Your research holds
future.
Best
wishes
for
your
Research Symposium.
much promise and it is hoped that I
continued research success.”
Cones are the light-sensing
could be a recipient of the technolcells concentrated in the macula.
ogy in the not too distant future. Best
If researchers replicate their success and demonstrate that
wishes for your continued research success.”
cones, too, can be transplanted, Dr. Swaroop and colleagues
Dr. Swaroop replied with cautious optimism. “It will
will have good news for people suffering from another
take time,” he said, “to make the transition from mouse
devastating eye disease: age-related macular degeneration.
models to human eye disease. Nonetheless, this is a very
12
university of michigan kellogg eye center
Legacies of love, achievement
Physician honors parents by
establishing professorship fund
While neither of Dr. Bartley R. Frueh’s parents attended
college, they both valued education and knowledge—and
they imparted the importance of both to their children. Dr.
Frueh, a Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences,
and his wife, Cheryl, have decided to honor those values by
establishing a fund to create the Lloyd and Virginia Frueh
Research Professorship in Eye Plastics and Orbital Surgery
at the University of Michigan. Dr. Frueh’s father, Lloyd, a
business owner, passed away in 1994. His mother, Virginia,
lives in Massachusetts.
“When I was growing up, I thought everyone’s parents
were like mine, but I realized later that I was extremely
lucky,” Dr. Frueh says. “My parents taught me values,
integrity, and independence, and they always supported my
decisions.”
“They wanted their children to be successful and
happy,” adds Cheryl Frueh, an occupational therapist and a
consultant with Vision Care, Inc.
Dr. and Mrs. Frueh will contribute to the professorship
until it is fully funded. They hope it will then serve as a tool
to enable the Department to recruit outstanding physicians
who are interested in research, Dr. Frueh says. “One of the
goals of academic medicine is to advance the field and ask,
‘How can we do what we do better?’ Only through asking
questions and examining data to answer those questions
can we push the boundaries forward.”
Dr. Frueh earned an undergraduate degree in chemical
engineering from Cornell University before deciding to attend medical school at Columbia University. He completed
his ophthalmology residency at U-M in 1970 and served
as the Director of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery at the University of Missouri Medical Center from
1971 to 1979. He then returned to U-M to start the Eye
Plastics and Orbital Surgery Service. Under his leadership
it has grown to four ophthalmologists. His own research
has sought to define the uniqueness and the properties of
eye movement muscles, including the eyelid lifting muscle.
Cheryl Frueh also has a long history with the Kellogg Eye
Center. Hired as an ophthalmic technician in 1984, she
later became an occupational therapist and added this
new skill to Kellogg’s low-vision program.
“I have been able to thrive in this environment,”
Dr. Frueh says, “and I would like to see it continue as
a center of excellence.”
Dr. Bartley and Cheryl Frueh have established a professorship.
university of michigan kellogg eye center
13
Rajani Aatre-Keshavamurthy, Cynthia Abejuro, C.O.M.T., James Adams, M.D., Omar Ahmad, M.D., Lauri Allis, Scott Almburg, Tanya Andrzejewski, Steven Archer, M.D., Robert Arends, M.D., Kristen
Atwell, Katherine Augustaitis, Radha Ayyagari, Ph.D., Theresa Banas, Sheryl Bates, Wendy Beeker, C.O.A., Melissa Bergeron, C.O.A., Michael Bergiel, Aimee Bergquist, Terry Bergstrom, M.D.,
Christine Beser, R.N., Donald Beser, M.D., Zong-Mei Bian, M.D., Susan Bistrow, C.O.A., Renee Blosser, C.O.M.T., Christopher Boehlke, M.D., Sharon Boyk, C.O.T., Ruth Brakoniecki, C.O.T., Kari
Branham, M.S., Michael Breider, Matthew Brooks, Deborah Brown, C.O.T., Rebecca Brown, Rose Bugis, Lisa Burke, Lisa Burkhart-Hunt, Jennifer Burkheiser, Jennifer Burrows, Amy Butala, Nicolle
Campbell, Patricia Carbary, Caitlin Cashin, Murthy Chavali, Lianchun Chen, Hong Cheng, M.D. Ph.D., Deborah Chong, M.D., Carrie Chrisman-McClure, Jared Chrispell, Linda Cirenza, Andrea
Clark, Julie Clay, Laurie Clayton, Radu Cojocaru, Ph.D., Jennifer Cole, Grant Comer, M.D., P. Conrad, M.D., Theresa Cooney, M.D., Wayne Cornblath, M.D., Deborah Cox, Sonya Craig, Ph.D.,
Tiffany Craig-Buers, C.O.A., Christine Crilly, MargaretAnn Cross, Cathy Culver, Larisa Czabaniuk, Debra Darragh, Hermalinda Davis, C.O.M.T., Ruth Davis, Virginia Davis, Sherry Day, O.D., Janet
Deja, Monte Del Monte, M.D., Jonathan Demb, Ph.D., Matthew Demeester, Gayle Dickerson, Trinity Dobson, Gregory Dootz, Leslie Dudderar, Robert Duerr, Donna Duffy, Casandra Dunham, Deborah
Eadie, Maya Eibschitz-Tsimhoni, M.D., Neddou El-Awar, Carolyn (Cara) Elmer, Susan Elner M.D., Victor Elner, M.D., Ph.D, Karen Elve, C.O.T., Zachary Ernst, Alejandro Estrada Cuzcano, Marilouise
Fall, Kecia Feathers, Sharyn Ferrara, Kelly Ferrentz, Elena Filippova, M.D., Jerome Finkelstein, M.D., Leigh Flagel, Gretchen Ford, C.O.T., Linda Fournier, C.O.A., James Friedman, Ph.D., Muriel Fritz,
Bartley Frueh, M.D., Cynthia Furca, Bruce Furr, C.O., Philip Gage, Ph.D., Alberto Ruiz Galvez, M.D., Beverly Gauthier, Amy Geering, Hume Getchell, Teresa Gibbons, C.O.A., Mitchell Gillett, Courtney
Godfrey, Linda Goings,C.R.A., Robert Goldsmith, M.D., Julie Gothrup, C.O.A., Hilary Grabe, M.D., Daniel Green, Ph.D., Jill Green, M.D., Richard Hackel, C.R.A., Edward Hall, M.D., Ying (Lisa) Han,
M.D., Hong Hao, Adam Hassan, M.D., Shirley He, John Heckenlively, M.D., Peter Hitchcock, Ph.D., Daphne Hoffman, Jackielee Hoffman-Kurish, C.O.A., Marian Hoppes, C.O.A., Linda Hosman, Jibiao
Huang, Ph.D., Catherine Huebner, C.O.A., Bret Hughes, Ph.D., Theresa Hunt, Tony Huynh, M.D., Ida Iacobucci, C.O., Marilyn Irwin, Eisuke Ishizaki, M.D., Ellinor Israel, Diane Jacobi, O.D., Shaylynn
Jean, Laurie Jessup, C.O.M.T., Jamie Jett, Lin Jia, Kathy Johnson, Mark Johnson, M.D., Diane Jones, Ning-Ju Juang, Laura Kakuk-Atkins, Roheena Kamyar, M.D., Atsuhiro Kanda, Ph.D., Athanasios
(AJ) Karoukis, Harjeet Kaur, M.D., Naheed Khan, Ph.D., Hemant Khanna, Ph.D., Ritu Khanna, Bethany Kimlin, James Knaggs, M.D., Piyush Kothary, Ph.D., Sharon Kotus, L. (Cathy) Kowalak, C.O.A.,
Charles Krafchak, Mary Ann Krolczyk, Jennifer Kromrei, Sharon Kruse, Tabitha Kucka, Jennifer Kuzminski, Deborah Langrill Beaudoin, Ph.D., Yvonne Leonard, Helios Leung, O.D., Ph.D., Thellea
Leveque, M.D., M.P.H., Erika Levin, M.D., Mark Lewis, Ph.D., Paul Lichter, M.D., Austra Liepa, Laurie Linton-Miller, Donna Lipke Michael Lipson, O.D., Ying Lu, M.D., Ph.D., Susan Ludwig, Erin Manno,
A.S., C.O.A., Michael Manookin, Edward Margolin, M.D., Velma Markins, DaNita Martin, Yvonne Mason, Diana Mathis, Tanya McClendon-Hubbard, C.O.A., Carrie McIntyre, Kathleen Meyer,
Shahzad Mian, M.D., Barbara Michael, C.O.T., Helen Moore, Sayoko Moroi, M.D., Ph.D., Patricia Moses, Alison Murchie, Carlos Murga, David Murrel, David Musch, Ph.D., Christine Nelson, M.D.,
Tammy Nguyen-Reifler, Betsy Nisbet, Leslie Niziol, Cynthia Noland, Omondi Nyong’o, M.D., Brian O’Keefe, Nancy Oberlin, Margaret Ochocinska, Edwin Oh, Gale Oren, Kathy (Skip) Osterberg,
Mohammad Othman, Ph.D., Jeanette Ouellette, Jill Oversier, Sunil Parapuram, Ph.D., Seung Park, Jared Parker, M.D., Emily Parus, Jennifer Patrick, Bikash Pattnaik, Ph.D., Margaret (Peg) Pennington,
Penny Persinger, Howard Petty, Ph.D., Laura Pfleger, B.S, Jean Pietrzak, Sheryl Podlewski, A.S., Carol (CJ) Pollack-Rundle, C.O.M.T., Cindy Pope, C.O.A., Jonathan Pribila. M.D., Ph.D., Mireille Prusak,
Robert Prusak, C.R.A., Donald Puro, M.D., Ph.D, Min Qian, Paulina Radenbaugh, Linda Raser, Tamera Reames, Stephen Reck, M.D., Venkat Reddy, Ph.D., David Reed, Ph.D., Margarete Ribianszky,
Richard Rice, Julia Richards, Ph.D., Christopher Rodarte, M.D., Jerome Roger, Ph.D., Shawn Ronan, M.D., Jodi Rosa C.O.A., Frank Rozsa, Ph.D., James Salisbury, O.T.R., Shannan Saltz, Jennifer
Samples, Gary Sandall, M.D., Mary Kay Sarazin, Hilary Savage, Stephen Saxe, M.D., Dwight Scales, Perry Schechtman, Tara Schmitt, Ronald Schmit, Karen Schneider, Nancy Schneider, Kai-lyn
Schroeder, Garret Scott, M.D., Kathleen Scott, Roni Shtein, M.D., Cindy Siegel, Susan Simpson, Deanna Sizemore, C.O.A., Justin Skrzynski, Ron Slocumb, M.D., Dannielle Smail, Camille Smith, Dianna
Smith, Jeanne Smith, Michael Smith-Wheelock, M.D., Marty Soehnlen, H. Kaz Soong, M.D., Michelle Sovel, C.O.T., C.O.S.T., Phyllis Spencer, Roslyn Stahl, M.D., Carol Standardi, R.N., Kimberly
Starnes, Amy Steele, C.O.T., Brendan Stern, Amy Stheiner, Mary Katherine Stringer, Bradley Strong, M.D., Alan Sugar M.D., Anuradha Swaminathan, Anand Swaroop, Ph.D., Scott Szalay, Alexander
Taich, M.D., Amit Tandon, M.D., Kristina Tarrant, Bradley Taylor, O.D., M.P.H., Laurie Taylor, Patricia Taylor, Joanne Teall-Timlin, C.O.T., Michelle Tehranisa, C.O.T., Nicole Thomas, Debra Thompson,
Ph.D., Matthew Thompson, M.D., Susan Thoms, M.D., Pamela Titus C.O.T,, Patricia Tongusi, Edward Trager, Jonathan Trobe, M.D., Daiva Turuta, Pornchanok Udomlapsakul, Mary Jo Ulrich, Therese
Van Heck, C.O.T., Sylvester Van Horn, Jr., Vidyullatha Vasireddy, Ph.D., Andrew Vine, M.D., Susan Vitous, Michael Wade, Randall Wallach, Trevin Wallin, M.D., Shirley Wargo, Jennifer Weizer, M.D.,
Linda Weller, Megan Wellman, C.O.A., Adrienne West, M.D., Molly Wheaton, Alyce Whipp M.P.H., Margaret (Peg) White, Katherine Whitney, Donna Wicker, O.D., Diana Williams, John Williams,
Julie Willis, C.O.A., L.P.N., Stacey Willis, June Wilson, Kim Wisniewski, N.C.L.E., Abigail Woodroffe, David Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Rebecca Wu, M.D., Dongli Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Jingyu Yao, M.D., Hawke
Yoon, M.D., Jindan Yu, David Zacks, M.D., Ph.D., Jia Xin Zhang, Xiaoming Zhang, Qiong-Duan (Jean) Zheng, Aiping Zhu, Ph.D., Dongxiao Zhu, Ph.D., Jennifer Ziehm-Scott, C.O.A., Marsha Zielinski
university of michigan kellogg eye center
Learn More about the U-M Kellogg Eye Center
You can find many resources at our website:
www.kellogg.umich.edu
Useful links from the front page include:
Call us if you wish to:
Make an appointment with a specialist
Patient Services ........................... 734.763.8122
“Patient Care” for listings of our clinics
Request Advances newsletter or other publications
“Find a Physician” for information about your physician
Marketing .................................. 734.647.5586
“Eye Conditions” for information on specific eye diseases
Learn how you can support the Kellogg Eye Center
“Expansion” for the latest on our building project
Office of Charitable Giving ........... 734.647.7382
The Regents of the University of Michigan Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor; Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms; Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich; Rebecca McGowan, Ann Arbor;
Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor; Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park; S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms; Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor; Mary Sue Coleman, Ph.D., ex officio