Department of Ophthalmology In the News

Maternal asthma could increase the likelihood of a blinding eye disease in premature infants, according to a new study by investigator led by Zafar Gill, MD, a vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology. 

Riaz Qureshi, PhD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, recently published a paper in Annals of Internal Medicine that features an international team of researchers that has established a framework providing guidance to authors, peer reviewers, and editors to rectify spin of harms in systematic review.

An international group of medical researchers led by Riaz Qureshi, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, is calling for a better understanding of “spin” in research papers.

“I think their position is ridiculous and negligent,” said Dr. Michael Puente, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora. “It’s ridiculous that a policy still exists with no scientific evidence to support it.”

Leonard Seibold, MD, joins Neda Shamie, MD, to discuss the results of a retrospective observational study that investigated the relationship between limited English proficiency and diabetic retinopathy in patients presenting for cataract surgery.

Orbis International and its Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) have a strong focus on education and training, spanning across several continents. “Our FEH is a fully equipped teaching hospital onboard a converted aircraft that travels globally. It serves as a facility where local eye care professionals receive hands-on training and mentorship,” Malik Y. Kahook, MD, board director and chair of the medical advisory committee at Orbis, said.

This retrospective case series consists of patients from the University of Colorado Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center from 2015 to 2020 who were diagnosed with uveitic glaucoma. Micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation may safely reduce intraocular pressure in some patients with uveitic glaucoma without exacerbation of intraocular inflammation. 

Ram Nagaraj, PhD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and chief scientific advisor for EyeGenex, has obtained new patents in the pursuit of pioneering drugs for glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy to prevent blindness. 

Researchers from the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine describe how they use retinal organoids to screen drugs and hope to transplant them into the eyes of people with blindness in the coming years.

Leqembi is not a cure for Alzheimer’s. But it’s the first FDA-approved drug that has shown evidence of slowing cognitive declines. UCHealth medical experts have now set up a safe system to screen patients and give infusions of Leqembi to those who qualify.

Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO, Melissa Engle, OD, FAAO, and Emily McCourt, MD, present a challenging case of a boy aged 3 years with a refractory neurotrophic ulcer secondary to congenital trigeminal anesthesia treated with recombinant human nerve growth factor and corneal neurotization surgery.

Research shows this Colorado program has helped lower anxiety, depression and PTSD among health professionals.

Victoria Pelak, MD, professor of ophthalmology and neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, offers insights into how Alzheimer disease — and the drugs used to treat it — can affect eye health.

“If you have geographic atrophy, you may notice that you’re missing details,” says David Simpson, OD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. “You may notice that you aren’t looking directly at what you’re trying to see, but rather are looking off to the side.”

In a new paper, Alison Liu, MD, PhD, assistant research professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, investigates whether there is a connection between fluoroquinolone use and increased risk of retinal detachment. 

Michael Puente Jr., MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, explains the patchwork of donor guidelines for gay men. “A gay man can donate their entire heart for transplant, but they cannot donate just the heart valve,” he says. “It’s essentially a categorical ban.”

Michael Puente, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said the current patchwork of donor guidelines is nonsensical considering advancements in the ability to test potential donors for HIV.

Department of Ophthalmology faculty members Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, and Sophie Liao, MD, discuss the intersection of mental and ocular health. 

Clinicians often lack an understanding of the pathogenesis of TED and its relationship with hyperthyroidism, leading to less desirable outcomes in patients, explains Department of Ophthalmology professor Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD. 

Miguel Flores Bellver, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the CU School of Medicine, has been granted the Dr. Joe G. Hollyfield New Investigator Award for Macular Degeneration Research from the BrightFocus Foundation. The award is presented annually to the top-rated New Investigator Grant recipient for exceptionally promising and forward-thinking ideas in age-related macular degeneration.

The latest episode of the Health Science Radio podcast explores the devoted passion of Department of Ophthalmology researcher Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD,  and her team to fulfill her long-held dream.

According to Darren Gregory, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, stress triggers elevated levels of inflammation in the body, which can worsen dry eye symptoms.

According to Naresh Mandava, MD,  chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the West Nile virus is a neurotrophic virus which means it primarily affects the nervous system. For patients like Sonny Hutchison with immunosuppressed systems, it can lead to temporary or — in rare instances — permanent vision problems.

Department of Ophthalmology resident Dallin Milner, MD, explains the perils of looking directly at the sun during a partial solar eclipse and how doing so can cause permanent eye damage. 

Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center specialists Niranjan Manoharan, MD, and Marc Mathias, MD, offer tips for safely viewing the eclipse and explain how retina tissue can be damaged — and will not regenerate, leading to permanent vision loss — if a person looks directly at the sun for too long.

Cecilia Koetting, OD, an instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology, discusses the management of dry eye using conventional and new pharmacological treatments, as well as strategies for tailoring treatment approaches to individual patient characteristics.

On March 5, the Sterling Lions Club received an award of appreciation from the Rocky Mountain Eye Institute Foundation for its generous gift of $5,000 over the past five years. The institute operates under the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. 

Leo Seibold, MD, professor of ophthalmology, emphasizes the importance of these findings, highlighting the robust sample size and the pivotal role this research plays in the ongoing debate on the optimal size of trabeculotomy for glaucoma treatment.

The Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine added the portable cameras more than a year ago to the backpacks of residents working on-call, kicking off a new era for both resident training and patient care.

In a literature review, CU Department of Ophthalmology faculty members Deidre St. Peter, MD, and Cara E. Capitena Young, MD, explain that physicians and patients may experience stress or confusion over glaucoma diagnosis and the decision of when to initiate treatment, prompting the question of when and how to treat glaucoma. 

“We do a good job taking care of these babies,” Jung said. “That’s why we thought it would be great if we could extend the good job we do into other parts of Colorado so we can raise the standards of how ROP is taken care of, and overall, really help these babies who are the most vulnerable population.”

Zach Pierce found Kia Washington, MD, professor of ophthalmology and plastic and reconstructive surgery at the CU School of Medicine. Washington is working to restore vision with whole eye transplants, a procedure never successful when done in humans, but holds promise. 

There is plenty of evidence in the literature to support reimbursement for goniotomy, according to Hawaiian Eye 2024 speaker Leonard K. Seibold, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the CU School of Medicine. 

Victoria Pelak, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology and ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, explains that she looks for signs of impaired judgment or a lack of insight in her patients with diseases such as posterior cortical atrophy. “When they exhibit poor judgment or have no insight about their deficits, I work with them and their families on a plan that removes access to firearms,” she says.

Researchers from the CU Department of Ophthalmology write that sub-Tenon’s triamcinolone acetonide is an effective therapy for treating uveitic macular edema, particularly for patients with lower baseline central subfield thickness.

Alan Palestine, MD, director Center for Ocular Inflammation at the University of Colorado Department of Ophthalmology expresses optimism that the field is closer than ever to controlling inflammation without increasing the risk of glaucoma.

"Whenever I see a patient with dry eye, I need to establish the type and cause — in other words, whether the eye is suffering from insufficient tear production or from lack of oil on the ocular surface and excessive tear evaporation," explains CU Department of Ophthalmology professor Richard Davidson. 

Brain tumor segmentations are integral to the clinical management of patients with glioblastoma, the deadliest primary brain tumor in adults, Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, PhD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and other researchers write in findings on experts’ perceptions of segmentation quality that will allow the design of improved frameworks for expert-centered evaluation of brain tumor segmentation models. 

Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, PhD, was granted $300,000 from the Michael J Fox Foundation to examine key data put together at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center with artificial intelligence in an effort to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease.

“This is a huge deal,” Kia Washington, MD, a professor of surgery and secondary DOO faculty member at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, who has been working in the same field for 15 years, told AFP, commending her peers.

Cara Capitena Young, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, was featured in the September/October edition of Glaucoma Today's Case Files and weighs in on how she would proceed after intraoperative malignant glaucoma derails cataract surgery.

CU ophthalmology researcher Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, PhD, was granted $300,000 by The Michael J. Fox Foundation this fall to analyze clinical data curated at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center using artificial intelligence (AI) in an effort to identify biomarkers of Parkinson's disease.

The accuracy of ChatGPT in diagnosing patients with primary and secondary glaucoma, using specific case examples, was similar or better than senior ophthalmology residents, according to researchers, including CU Department of Ophthalmology professor Malik Kahook, MD. 

Kahook Dual Blades, created by CU Department of Ophthalmology professor Malik Kahook, MD, may be effective in improving IOP and drop scores regardless of preoperative IOP, and the extent of TM incision and occurrence of a spike may have little effect on the postoperative course. 

"Somewhere between 40 and 50 we all start to lose the ability to adjust to see up close," says Cecelia Koetting, MD, instructor in the CU Department of Ophthalmology. "This is a normal physiological change. It will continue to change until you're around 65 and it is time for cataract surgery. The two are actually related, and a completely normal process that we all go through."

ARVO President Patricia A. D’Amore along with Executive Vice President J. Mark Petrash, CU Department of Ophthalmology professor and vice chair of research, joined representatives from the SJEHG as they were presented with their award on Sept. 6 at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal.

Several risk factors were noted by CU Department of Ophthalmology researchers for delayed DR presentation, including lack of PCP, lack of screening referral, and uninsured/underinsured status. Patients with advanced DR at presentation had worse final visual outcomes despite aggressive treatment.

A new study by researchers, including from the CU Department of Ophthalmology, published in JAMA Network Open claims that the quality of artificial intelligence (AI))-generated responses to patient eye care questions is comparable to that written by certified ophthalmologists.  

Findings by researchers in the CU Department of Ophthalmology  demonstrate a systemic immunological difference between iAMD and GA, indicating IL-4 may be a systemic biomarker for GA development.

The researchers compared responses to 200 questions from an online advice forum. For the most part, researchers found that ChatGPT was accurate and in line with current medical guidance.

Understanding the OCP disease process is key in effectively managing the related OSD, says CU Department of Ophthalmology faculty member Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO. It’s important to remember that this also presents a unique and complex challenge, and that a multidisciplinary approach is likely needed when approaching such cases.

“We get 10,000 applications a year,” says Jeff SooHoo, MD, MBA, associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and who oversees admissions for the CU School of Medicine. “There are thousands of people in that applicant pool that could successfully navigate our medical school, and that would be great physicians, but we have a class of 184.”

Researcher Hongan Chen, MD, associate professor in the CU Department of Ophthalmology, led a team in investigating factors associated with completing teleretinal screening for diabetic retinopathy.

CU Department of Ophthalmology professor Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, discusses innovative therapies for patients with diplopia and ptosis caused by myasthenia gravis.

In the context of glaucoma, the use of IOP-lowering eye drops remains the main threat to the ocular surface, says CU Department of Ophthalmology assistant professor Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO. Prostaglandins upregulate matrix metalloproteinases, compromising the membrane integrity of conjunctival cells and damaging corneal epithelial cells.

Sophie E. Smith, BA, and colleagues from the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, examined a population of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and reported that better general health and ability to drive were each separately associated with a lower risk of death.

SpyGlass Pharma, co-founded by University of Colorado Department of Ophthalmology professor and Slater Family Endowed Chair Malik Kahook, MD, announced closing $90 million in Series C financing to help support clinical trials of its drug delivery system in the United States.

CU Department of Ophthalmology faculty members investigate the relationship between visual functioning as measured by the National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and risk of mortality in patients with various stages of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

Especially in Colorado, sunglasses are an important part of daily accessories, said Richard Davidson, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “We are definitely exposed to more UV than people in other parts of the country. It has a cumulative effect over time. Even on cloudy days, it's worth wearing that protection,” Davidson said.

Department of Ophthalmology assistant professor Michael A. Puente Jr., MD, discusses historical challenges for LGBTQ+ ophthalmologists, navigating medical school and residency, and his optimism for the future of the profession.  

Researchers say they have evidence that an experimental drug may prevent or slow vision loss in people with diabetes. CU Department of Ophthalmology faculty Miguel Flores-Bellver, PhD, and Maria Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD, contributed to the study with other researchers, finding a compound called 32-134D, previously shown to slow liver tumor growth in mice, prevented diabetic retinal vascular disease by decreasing levels of a protein called HIF, or hypoxia-inducible factor. 

CU Department of Ophthalmology Professor Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, discusses a double-masked randomized placebo controlled trial of the use of TEPEZZA in patients with a much longer duration of thyroid eye disease than those who are enrolled in the phase 2 and phase 3 studies that lead to FDA approval.

Researchers, including the Department of Ophthalmology's Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, examine how artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in medical imaging provide important methods for leveraging large amounts of data to build models to detect disease and provide diagnosis, prognosis, and risk assessment tools to support decision-making in medicine. 

The University of Colorado Ophthalmology Social Media Research Group, led by Anne Lynch, MD, publishes a Letter to the Editor in the Retinal Issue of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 

Today, eye cosmetics, or makeup, comprise a diverse array of products. They include concealers, conditioners, creams, extensions, eyeliners, foundations, glues, mascaras, primers, removers, serums, shadows, and toners. A number of the ingredients in these products may be harmful to the ocular surface and adnexa.

Results suggest that AI-based assessment of ROP severity may be a useful epidemiologic tool to evaluate geographic and temporal changes in ROP incidence, severity, and risk.

After decades of collecting data about how astronauts' vision is affected by spaceflight, scientists have identified a set of microgravity-induced changes to the human eye known as Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome, or SANS. This condition is considered a risk to human health in long-duration spaceflight. 

Melanie Akau, OD, FAAO, Clinical Instructor and Medical Director, Staff Education in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has been featured as "One to Watch" in Modern Optometry. 

Malik Y. Kahook, MD, delivered the Sutro Memorial Lecture, the keynote address at the 12th Annual Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum. The lecture covered current drug delivery mechanisms as well as new ways to deliver known therapeutics to targeted tissues.

Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD, and her team have innovated the use of stem cells to successfully grow light-sensing human retinas in petri dishes. At CellSight, she collaborates with a cross-disciplinary team of investigators where they are using this breakthrough technology to develop novel stem cell-based therapeutics to save and restore sight in patients with blinding diseases.

Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) announced today that it has received a transformative grant from The Salah Foundation. Emily McCourt, MD, Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Michael Puente, MD, pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, are key collaborators.

Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO, ophthalmology instructor at the CU School of Medicine, was featured on the American Academy of Optometry's Optometry 365 Podcast, discussing age-related changes in corneal sensitivity. 

Optometrist Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO, an assistant professor in the CU Department of Ophthalmology, joins the Optometry365 podcast to discuss a study on graft-versus-host disease.

I. Paul Singh, MD, and Leonard Seibold, MD, sit down on Eyetube's Innovation Journal Club to discuss two innovations in the MIGS pipeline: Streamline (New World Medical) and MIMS (Sanoculis Ltd). Emerging over the course of their conversation is how MIGS in general is redefining the definition of a successful outcome.

New 6-month results from a first-in-human trial investigating the SpyGlass drug delivery platform indicated continued reductions in intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The data were highlighted in an oral presentation at the Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum in San Francisco on February 3.

When these types of eye solutions don’t have preservatives, it usually means that they have a shorter shelf life and it will take less time for them to start to grow bacteria as compared to eye solutions with preservatives, said Michael Wildes, MD, clinical director for the UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center and ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

We would like to congratulate two new members of the Board, Mr. James Knight and Dr. Malik Y. Kahook, MD. Dr. Kahook has authored over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters, and is editor of Essentials of Glaucoma Surgery, and Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma. He was named to the top- ten list of The Ophthalmologist’s Power 100 List in 2020. Dr. Kahook serves as Chair of Orbis International’s Medical Advisory Committee and is a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration’s Ophthalmic Device Division.

People with diabetes who experience periods of low blood sugar — a common occurrence in those new to blood sugar management — are more likely to have worsening diabetic eye disease. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the University of Maryland, say they have linked such low blood sugar levels with a molecular pathway that is turned on in oxygen-starved cells in the eye.

People with diabetes who experience periods of low blood sugar — a common occurrence in those new to blood sugar management — are more likely to have worsening diabetic eye disease. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and University of Maryland, say they have linked such low blood sugar levels with a molecular pathway that is turned on in oxygen-starved cells in the eye.

Leo Seibold, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the CU School of Medicine, discusses the importance of Glaucoma Awareness Month while also sharing new advancements in diagnosis and treatment with Ophthalmology 360.

Malik Y. Kahook, MD, the Slater Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the CU School of Medicine, is featured in Glaucoma Physician discussing how artificial intelligence tools could help increase glaucoma drop compliance.

According to researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Colorado School of Medicine, a newer, faster technique for preparing corneal tissue for transplantation has been shown to be safe and effective.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) announced the winners of the 2022 Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Surgery and the 2023 Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina recently in a press release. Miguel Flores-Bellver, PhD, is the recipient of the 2023 Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina.

Thanks to a sight-saving surgery for pontine tegmental cap dysplasia (PTCD) by Emily McCourt, MD, chief of pediatric ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Eve can now see the world clearly and just be a kid.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation congratulates Miguel Flores-Bellver, PhD, recipient of the 2023 Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina. The award recognizes an early-career investigator who has made a novel discovery that impacted the understanding and/or treatment of a retinal disease or condition.

“There is a laundry list of dry eye masqueraders,” Richard S. Davidson, MD, cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery specialist at the CU Department of Ophthalmology, said at Hawaiian Eye 2023. For example, conjunctivochalasis is often an overlooked cause of foreign body sensation.

A newer technique for preparing corneal tissue for transplantation has been shown to be safe and effective, while providing a faster and smoother process than the traditional technique, according to researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) or Trabectome with cataract surgery is safe and effective at lowering IOP and medication burden, with KDB resulting in a greater reduction in medications and Trabectome more frequently achieving success with an increased incidence of hyphema.

The University of Colorado Retina Research Group found lower level of RANTES in patients with GA AMD compared with controls, which is consistent with findings from their previous intermediate AMD study. However, in contrast to the results of our previous research, when moderated by sex there was no statistical difference between male and female GA patients.

The number of ophthalmology training slots available through the San Francisco Match has increased slightly in the past decade, from 461 to 509, both due to the opening of new programs and increased class sizes at existing programs. However, it is difficult for ophthalmology residency programs to scale quickly and maintain the quality of their education, especially in times of economic uncertainly, explains Jeffrey SooHoo, MD, MBA, associate professor of ophthalmology.

Climate change has important implications on human health, affecting almost every system in the body. Multiple studies have raised the possibility of climate change impacting eye health. In this review, we aimed to summarize current literature on the impact of air pollution and climate change on eye health. 

A first-in-human feasibility trial of SpyGlass Pharma’s drug-delivery platform demonstrated a 45% drop in mean IOP at 3 months, according to a news release. The platform consists of a single-piece, hydrophobic acrylic IOL with drug-eluting pads attached to the haptics. It is implanted into the capsular bag during cataract surgery and designed to deliver multiple years of bimatoprost to lower IOP in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

A study led by Mihyun Nam, PhD, instructor at the CU Department of Ophthalmology, was published in Nature's Cell Death & Disease Journal and found peptains protected primary rat RGCs against neurotrophic factor deprivation. 

Ocular hypertension is a significant risk factor for vision loss in glaucoma caused by the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). We investigated whether small heat shock proteins (sHsps) expressed in RGCs protect those cells against ocular hypertension in mice.

Interview with Tianjing Li, MD, MHS, PhD, author of Prevalence and Incidence of Dry Eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Hosted by Neil Bressler, MD.

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis reported uncertainty on the estimates of the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) in the United States population. Investigators at the University of Colorado Anschutz noted this wide range of prevalence – from 5.3% to 14.5% – estimates for dry eye reflected the notable clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies.

Sustainable impact comes when global partners in ophthalmology have a healthy care delivery ecosystem. This means establishing sustainable financial models that deliver high-quality care to all patients in need. 

Leo Seibold, MD, glaucoma fellowship director and professor of ophthalmology at the CU School of Medicine, has been featured in Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today's September Issue for his article on physician burnout in ophthalmology and how the prevalence of this work-related condition is increasing.

“We are pleased to share the 3-month results from our First-in-Human clinical trial. The SpyGlass drug delivery platform holds great promise for patients living with glaucoma and other chronic eye conditions,” said Malik Y. Kahook, MD, Co-Founder, President and Executive Chairman of the Board at SpyGlass Pharma, and Vice Chair of Translational Research and the Slater Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center.