Douglas A. Jabs, M.D., honored with Jackson Memorial Lecture by the American Academy of Ophthalmology

Douglas A. Jabs, MD, MBA, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, CEO of the Faculty Practice Associates, and Dean for Clinical Affairs at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, has been selected to deliver the prestigious Jackson Memorial Lecture at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The lecture will be published in the November issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

In a presentation titled "Cytomegalovirus Retinitis and AIDS: Bench to Bedside," Dr. Jabs will discuss clinical and molecular research over the last 20 years on cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, a viral inflammation in the retina, in people with AIDS. He will provide a synthesis of what researchers have learned about the pathogenesis of CMV retinitis and its interaction with HIV, reviewing several major epidemiologic studies.

"The data we have collected over the years has helped us better understand the behavior of cytomegalovirus retinitis at the molecular level, and bring that knowledge to the clinical setting," said Dr. Jabs. "Understanding the virology of this opportunistic infection and how it interacts with HIV will help us develop optimal paradigms for treating it."

A leading expert in inflammatory disorders of the eye, Dr. Jabs has co-authored more than 200 publications and 40 book chapters. His primary research interests include the treatment of uveitis, or the inflammation of the uvea in the eye, and ocular complications associated with AIDS and autoimmune diseases. He is chair of the Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial Research Group, which is conducting clinical trials of treatments for severe uveitis, and the Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS (SOCA) Research Group, which has conducted several randomized, multicenter, controlled trials on CMV retinitis and a long-term cohort study of the ocular complications of AIDS in the current era.

"We are proud that the American Academy of Ophthalmology has recognized Dr. Jabs and his work in CMV retinitis and AIDS," said Dennis Charney, M.D., Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. "His commitment to ground-breaking translational research in ophthalmology makes him a true asset to Mount Sinai and to the field."

Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Jabs was the Alan C. Woods Professor of Ophthalmology and Professor of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Professor of Epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Director of the Division of Ocular Immunology at The Wilmer Eye Institute. After receiving his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine he completed an internship in internal medicine at Cornell Medical Center/New York Hospital, a residency in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, a residency in ophthalmology at The Wilmer Eye Institute, and a fellowship in rheumatology at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. In 1984, he joined the faculty at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he remained until joining Mount Sinai in 2007.

Dr. Jabs has received several awards for his research and clinical accomplishments, including the Research to Prevent Blindness Olga Keith Wiess Scholar Award, the Research to Prevent Blindness Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award, the Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award and Senior Achievement Award, and the Ethel Baxter Award for Excellence in Research from the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation.

The Jackson Memorial Lecture is named for Dr. Edward Jackson, who helped establish the modern ophthalmology field. He helped create the American Board of Ophthalmology and developed its first board examination. He also helped pave the way for future medical conference both within Ophthalmology and in other fields by advocating for instructional courses at the annual meeting. Previous Jackson Memorial Lecturers include: Harry A. Quigley, MD, who spoke about Angle Closure Glaucoma; Frederick L. Ferris III, MD, whose lecture focused on the benefit of clinical trials beyond evaluating treatment effect; and Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD, who discussed the role of genetic testing in finding a cure for Leber Congenital Amaurosis.

"I am honored and humbled to follow in the footsteps of the long line of research pioneers in ophthalmology who have delivered the Jackson Memorial Lecture," said Dr. Jabs. "I hope my presentation will help stimulate discussion of improving clinical outcomes in patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis."

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's best hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place.

For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org. Follow us on Twitter @mountsinainyc.