The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah has appointed two new vice chairs to lead its clinical care and outreach efforts.
Craig J. Chaya, MD, will serve as Vice Chair of Community Outreach, leading efforts to expand access to eye care in Utah and worldwide. William R. Barlow, MD, will serve as Clinical Vice Chair, ensuring the highest standards of patient care.
Since joining the Moran Eye Center faculty in 2012, Chaya has shaped Moran’s Global Outreach Division through a series of leadership roles, including co-medical director and division chief of global ophthalmology.
Chaya has led and participated in outreach programs across Micronesia, Guam, Africa, Haiti, Thailand, Nepal, and the Navajo Nation to deliver sight-saving care while building sustainable training partnerships for local ophthalmologists. His work reflects Moran’s commitment to eliminating preventable blindness and to developing education programs that strengthen eye care systems worldwide.
A highly skilled glaucoma surgeon, Chaya most recently launched a glaucoma fellowship training program at Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania. In partnership with Moran faculty and alumni, he provides ongoing surgical training and mentorship to local ophthalmologists as part of an effort to expand access to glaucoma care across the region.
In his new role, Chaya will strengthen Moran’s outreach efforts by expanding sustainable eye care programs locally and globally.
In addition to his outreach leadership, Chaya is an associate professor and a clinical investigator with Moran’s Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation. His research focuses on improving outcomes for glaucoma patients by advancing surgical techniques and evaluating new surgical devices and therapies.
Chaya earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University. He completed his residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a glaucoma fellowship at Moran, and a small incision cataract surgery fellowship with the Himalayan Cataract Project.
Barlow currently serves as chief of the Cataract Surgical Division and OR medical director, as well as co-chair of the General Ophthalmology Division. In these roles, he has been instrumental in guiding clinical performance, surgical quality, and operational efficiency across Moran’s growing clinical enterprise.
His ability to align physicians, clinical teams, and operational priorities is key to maintaining excellence while expanding capacity. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Moran Eye Center No. 9 nationwide among eye centers for its exceptional care.
In his new role, Barlow will further strengthen clinical operations at the Moran Eye Center, the largest eye care and research facility in the Mountain West, with more than 180,000 patient visits annually. He will support strategic growth by ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for patients across Moran’s 11 clinic locations.
Barlow has been a member of the Moran faculty since 2011, following his residency training at the Moran Eye Center. Over more than a decade, he has held numerous leadership roles, including as division chief of comprehensive ophthalmology, where he has contributed to clinical program development and improvements in care delivery.
In addition to his leadership, Barlow is a highly skilled surgeon specializing in complex cataract surgeries and refractive surgeries. He has served as a team ophthalmologist for the Utah Jazz and has also conducted clinical research focused on cataract surgery techniques and efficiency to improve surgical outcomes and patient safety.
Barlow earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his residency at the Moran Eye Center.