Having type 1 or type 2 diabetes means your body doesn't make enough insulin or can't use it as well as it should. When there isn't enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss.

Cataract surgery has come a long way, according to Virginia Lolley, M.D., an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

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Left to right: Rett Grover, CEO, UAB Callahan Eye; Barbara Evers, Executive Director, EyeSight Foundation; Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., Ph.D., MS, MSPH; Brian Samuels, Chair, UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesAfter a distinguished career, Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., Ph.D., MS, MSPH, is set to retire from the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation. Her journey, marked by dedication and groundbreaking contributions, has left a lasting mark on the world of optometry.

The UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation was honored as the Partnership of the Year by the Birmingham Area Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. This award recognizes an organization that demonstrates a genuine concern for the well-being of people with disabilities.

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Assistant Professor 

Community Partner
TriaVision

Chris Girkin, M.D., MSPH, FACSOn August 31, 2022, Chris Girkin, MD, MSPH, FACS, served on a panel hosted by Advancing Sight Network to close out National Minority Donor Awareness Month. The goal of this annual observance is to increase organ donor registrations among communities of color, which make up nearly 60 percent of the more than 100,000 people on the national waitlist for life-saving organ transplants and to honor those who have been organ and tissue donors. Advancing Sight Network, a nonprofit headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, hopes to restore eyesight while addressing inequality in healthcare. 

Drs. Christine Curcio, Jean Bennett, Albert Maguire, and Baruch Kuppermann at the 2022 Future Vision AwardsDr. Christine Curcio has been selected as one of four recipients of the Future Vision Foundation’s 2022 Laureate Award. The Future Vision Foundation (FVF) is a non-profit organization co-founded by Cleveland-based, world-renowned ophthalmologist Dr. Suber Huang to showcase the work of extraordinary medical innovators who are making breakthroughs in vision research to restore vision or to prevent vision loss. Each year, FVF selects a group of researchers who have each made an incredible impact on the vision sciences community and highlights them with documentary-style films to celebrate and promote their contributions.

Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology, has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Eye Institute to explore the links between circadian fluctuations and glaucoma. This is Samuels’ first R01 grant.

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Pediatricians told Melissa and Brandon Glover their son Anderson had developed congenital cataracts and there was not much they could do.

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Professor

Areas of Interest
pediatric ophthalmology, pediatric and adult strabismus

“Complex Vision” has returned to its place on the side of the Callahan Eye Hospital at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The kinetic sculpture, originally installed in 1976, was taken down for restoration last April. The sculpture was created by famed artist Yaacov Agam, often called the father of kinetic art.

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It began with piercing headaches accompanied by glimpses of flashing light. Then came the memory issues. Parked cars couldn’t be found. The names of old friends couldn’t be remembered. It became hard to swallow, then hard to even talk.

Jeff Henson has been riding bikes for years. In 2012, he rode a bike coast to coast across the United States. Before that, the Army veteran did a long bike ride in France, and several in the American Northwest, always on a tandem bike and always from the back seat.

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A big round of congratulations to the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences faculty members who were selected by scEYEnce as leading scientists in vision research. scEYEnce is a campaign that aims to educate the broader public about the crucial importance of vision research. It is a working group comprised of 10 organizations dedicated to advancing the study and knowledge of vision research.

From left to right: Drs. Austin Nave, Max Musharoff, Brent Hoffman, Lauren Williams, and Nathan FischerOn Saturday, June 24, the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) gathered to celebrate the graduation of the 2023 class of fourth-year ophthalmology residents. The event was attended by faculty members, residents, and dedicated staff to honor the accomplishments of these exceptional individuals.

Congratulations to Shervonne Poleon, who has been named the recipient of the 2021 Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award.

Congratulations to the 2021 UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences graduating class.

Contact lenses can be a fantastic way to correct vision, offering convenience and comfort. However, it's crucial to use them safely to avoid potential risks and complications. In honor of Contact Lens Safety Month, we spoke to Carol Rosenstiel, OD, FAAO, an experienced eye care practitioner specializing in contact lenses. With over 30 years of experience fitting a variety of contact lens types, Rosenstiel shared her insights and best practices for safe contact lens usage.

Federal Agency Guidance Regarding COVID-19

Resident Schedule/Teaching Faculty Lectures

Hand Hygiene and PPE

Why It's Important to Wash Hands

UAB Medicine COVID-19 Update

Updates from Jennifer King

Healthcare Discounts

Student COVID-19 Emergency Fund

PPE

Safety_Updates.pdf

Grant Submission

Travel Information 

Submissions

Associate Professor; Director, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center Ophthalmology Service

Areas of Interest
comprehensive ophthalmology, cataract surgery, resident education, veterans affairs