ARVO Foundation for Eye Research to present Dr. David L. Epstein Award at ARVO 2016

To honor the memory of a longtime leader in glaucoma treatment and research, the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research will present the Dr. David L. Epstein Award. The new award — a $100,000 prize — was established by the late Dr. Epstein's family and will be presented annually to a senior-level glaucoma researcher at the ARVO Annual Meeting. The first award will be given at ARVO 2016 in Seattle, Wash.

"David always valued the ARVO Annual Meeting for the intensity of the exchanges; he and his colleagues talked science all day, every day," says his widow, Susan Epstein. "He always returned inspired and full of new ideas for his work. So we knew this ARVO award was what he would want. We hope it will help David's colleagues make advances in glaucoma research that could one day contribute to effective treatments."

Prior to his passing in March 2014, David L. Epstein, MD, was the Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology. He was chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine for 22 years. During his long career, Dr. Epstein was an active member of ARVO, where he served on the ARVO Board of Trustees and as president (1992 - 1993). In 2013, he received the association's Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology for his distinguished scholarly contributions to the clinical practice of ophthalmology.

He was the author of more than 230 scholarly papers and consulted in glaucoma clinical care while maintaining an active glaucoma research program. Dr. Epstein developed novel drugs for the treatment of glaucoma, leading to 10 patents that involve all aspects of ophthalmic patient care and treatment. In 2012, he received Duke University School of Medicine Medical Alumni Association's Distinguished Faculty Award.

"David Epstein was a giant in the field of glaucoma research, as well as being an inspiring mentor to young researchers and a valuable leader within ARVO," says Mark Petrash, PhD, FARVO and chair of the ARVO Foundation. "The ARVO Foundation is grateful to the Epstein family for allowing us to help carry on his legacy through this award. It demonstrates how enduring a leader's influence can be."