Loris Rich photo

Remembering Loris Rich​

Every great cause needs a great patron, and the International Retinal Research Foundation has been fortunate in having two of the most generous. Dr. David Rich and his wife, Loris, were active in philanthropy for more than four decades, generously sharing their time and gifts throughout the Birmingham community. Before the incorporation of the International […]

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Charles D. Kelman portrait photo

Remembering Charles D. Kelman, M.D

In the medical and scientific world, Charles D. Kelman, MD was known as “the father of phacoemulsification,” inventor extraordinaire, and a visionary pioneer whose technological ideas propelled the practice of ophthalmology into the realm of precision surgery. A 20th century Renaissance man, Dr. Kelman approached his varied interests with equal exuberance. A talented musician, he […]

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Alston Callahan portrait painting

Remembering Alston Callahan, MD, FACS

Alston Callahan, MD was an established pioneer of ophthalmic plastic surgery, having been thrust into the forefront of reconstructive surgery of the eyes during World War II. As chief of the ophthalmology service at Northington General Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, one of the five United States General Hospitals that were designated as eye centers, he […]

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Photo of Tia J. Kowal, PhD

2018 Loris and David Rich, MD Postdoctoral Scholar

Tia J. Kowal, PhD Stanford University Palo Alto, California Project Title: The Role of Primary Cilia for Retinal Ganglion Cells Palo Alto, California After graduating from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with a PhD in cell and molecular biology, Dr. Kowal began her postdoctoral career at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.  Her research interests are […]

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2018 Alston Callahan, MD Postdoctoral Scholar

Omar Moinuddin, MD University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Institute Project Title: Metabolic Activation to Prevent Photoreceptor Cell Death in a Preclinical Model of Macular Degeneration Dr. Moinuddin is embarking on his first year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, Kellogg Eye Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after graduating from Oakland University William […]

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Right: Allie McBrayer, Dr. Laura Dreer, Director, UAB Connections; Sandra Blackwood, IRRF Executive Director; and Molly Cox, Connections Program Director.

UAB CONNECTIONS: Dedicated to the well-being of visually challenged individuals

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB): The IRRF is pleased to continue its support of UAB Connections, an innovative, facilitator-led psychoeducational support group for patients and their families living with vision loss. This program serves Alabamians with various eye diseases unlike any other eye care facility or traditional eye care efforts in Alabama or across […]

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