New Horizons
Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, opens a new chapter in his dynamic career at the Moran Eye Center to lead one of the country’s top-ranked institutions.
Message From the Chair
"With support from our talented faculty, staff, and generous donors, we dedicate ourselves to new horizons that lead to sustainable eye health for all."
Highlights From Our Research, Clinical, Donor, Outreach, and Education Programs
The Rise of AI in Eye Care
Adam Dubis, PhD, is driving advances for artificial intelligence in eye care and vision research.
IOLs From Space
Cataract Surgery on Mars? A unique research project offers an out-of-this-world look at intraocular lenses.
Q&A: What's Next in Retinal Eye Care?
Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, is a renowned retinal specialist and a prolific researcher whose work is shaping the future of eye care.
A Milestone in New MacTel Treatment
Retinal clinician-scientist Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, leads care and research into the rare eye disease known as Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 at Moran as part of an international initiative.
Advanced Glaucoma Care Comes Home
A handheld device that allows patients to track their eye pressure at home is transforming care and research.
Expanded Services Meet Dramatic Need
Moran's global outreach teams assist a hyena attack victim and provide oculoplastic surgeries.
A Drive to Provide Care
Moran outreach teams travel several times a year to schools and health clinics on the Utah strip of the Navajo Nation to provide eye care. Every now and then, they go even further with a house call.
Honoring a Legacy of Vision
Elizabeth Hope Armstrong Johnson’s generous donations transform lives through the gift of sight.
Glaucoma Care: Hope for Complex Cases
When Dr. Michael Stiles of Stiles Eyecare Excellence reached out for help with a teenage patient with glaucoma, Dr. Ike Ahmed was eager to step in and assist. With so much life ahead of her, preserving this young girl’s sight was of utmost importance. Through collaboration, clear communication, and Dr. Ahmed’s expertise, a complex and delicate situation became a story of hope and reassurance.
Physician Training: Surgery 3.0
Moran’s top-ranked resident education program is known for providing exceptional surgical experiences.
A curriculum revamp created regular, hands-on wet labs, including a new annual cataract symposium. Now in its second year, the event featured Moran adjunct professor and complex cataract expert Nicole Fram, MD, and Barry Seibel, MD, an expert in cataract phacoemulsification, which uses a vibrating ultrasound handpiece to break up the cloudy lens of the eye.
Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation Director Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, directed a glaucoma masterclass for practicing specialists. The event provided mentor-based didactic and hands-on training in interventional glaucoma treatments such a micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), along with wet labs and workshops. Attendees reported a 63% increase in their MIGS procedures following the class, one of several to be offered at Moran.
News and Notes
AMD Clinical Trial Advances
A new gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) developed by Moran’s Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine has successfully completed a Phase One clinical trial demonstrating safety.
The therapy, designed for patients with the most common form of AMD directed by genetic mutations on Chromosome 1, is now in a Phase Two trial to evaluate the therapy’s efficacy. It is hoped that a single injection can be given to people at high risk for AMD, the leading cause of blindness for adults 60 and older, or in the early stages of the disease to stop it from progressing or even to prevent it.
The Eye as Art
Two Moran imagers won awards in the Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society annual international competition. Richard Ordonez earned 1st place for his “Starry Eye” image in the “The Eye as Art” category, while Wara Camacho Orgaz, CRA, earned an honorable mention in the same category for her “Posterior Capsular Plaque Explosion." Both used slit lamp cameras to capture the eye images, then utilized artificial intelligence and Adobe Photoshop for artistic effects.
Vision Scientists Share Work
Moran Eye Center scientists held a reception to host colleagues from around the world at the 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting held in Salt Lake City.
More than 30 faculty members presented research at the annual meeting.
The ARVO Foundation honored Moran Vice-Chair for Clinical and Basic Science Research Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, for his efforts to bring vitreoretinal services to the developing world and for his dedicated service to the organization. A retina specialist, Bernstein works with Moran’s Global Outreach Division to train retina specialists in low-resource countries, most recently in Ethiopia.
New Horizons Illustrations Gallery
To mark our new leadership at the Moran Eye Center, we commissioned illustrations from award-winning artist Dave Cutler on the concept of New Horizons, relating to research, patient care, outreach, education, and giving.
Nationally Recognized. Locally Trusted.
Moran Eye Center at a Glance FY2025
Focus Magazine Archive
- A Fond Farewell
Message From the Chair
"They say that foundations must be built before bridges can be crossed. There are countless people I want to thank whose support was critical to creating a solid foundation: My family, the University of Utah, colleagues around the country, faculty, staff, donors, and dear friends who have believed in the dream, championed Moran’s work, and provided the resources we’ve needed to excel. I am forever grateful to all of you."
Randall J Olson, MD
Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
The Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair
CEO, John A. Moran Eye Center
Director, University of Utah Vision Institute
Retirement Tribute
John A. Moran Eye Center CEO Randall J Olson, MD, has announced his retirement after a storied 46-year career that made him the country’s longest-serving academic ophthalmology department chair.
Vision Illustration Gallery
VISION, noun
1. The act or power of seeing:
SIGHT
2. Unusual discernment or foresight:
A PERSON OF VISIONTo celebrate the career of Moran Eye Center CEO Randall J Olson, MD, we asked five artists to illustrate the word “vision” in these meanings. Enjoy the creations by Paul Wearing, David Junkin, Bill Mayer, Simon Prades, and Ann Elliott Cutting in the gallery at left.
Research and Education
Moran is home to more than 20 innovative research labs and centers, where internationally awarded faculty are developing the treatments of tomorrow.
The University of Utah Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences also offers one of the nation’s top educational programs.
Patient and Outreach Care
Moran is the largest eye care center in the Mountain West, with more than 40 specialists and 11 convenient locations offering a full range of leading-edge treatments and a robust patient support program.
Locally, Moran's donor-funded Global Outreach Division provides free or low-cost eye exams, surgeries, and eyeglasses to those in need on the Navajo Nation and around Utah, as well as training and charity care worldwide.
