Larry Donoso, MD, PhD Endowed Chair in Retina

The Larry Donoso, MD, PhD Endowed Chair in Retina, when fully funded, will direct the Retinal Degeneration Center, established in 2019 to coordinate Wills Eye’s efforts to advance science and inspire breakthroughs in the discovery of innovative retinal disease treatments, including gene therapy and stem cell therapy. With support from the newly established Joseph I. Maguire, MD Research Fund at Wills Eye Hospital, the Larry Donoso, MD, PhD Endowed Chair in Retina will oversee exciting evolutions in the treatment of a wide variety of devastating retinal degenerative diseases, impacting the future of ophthalmic medicine for generations to come.

A true renaissance man, Dr. Donoso’s achievements are many and varied:

· degrees in chemistry (BS), experimental biology (MS), biochemistry/biology (PhD), medicine (MD), law (JD) and business (MBA)

· a vast array of national and international awards and honors

· rights of authorship/co-authorship to more than 200 articles; service as a reviewer for more than 25 professional journals and on 2 editorial boards

· listing as an inventor in 6 patents related to ophthalmology

· recognition as an accomplished and avid photographer

Dr. Donoso completed his Ophthalmology Residency at the University of Louisville in 1978, followed by a Research Fellowship in Ocular Oncology at Wills Eye in 1979 and a Retina Fellowship in 1980 at the Vitreo-Retinal Research Foundation in Memphis,Tennessee. He was named the Thomas D. Duane, MD, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital and Jefferson Medical College.

With such an extensive, multi-faceted and highly esteemed professional career, it is only fitting that Wills Eye Hospital acknowledge his many and lasting impacts on ophthalmic medicine and research by establishing the Larry Donoso, MD, PhD Endowed Chair in Retina.

The Larry Donoso, MD, PhD Endowed Chair in Retina, established by the Philadelphia Retina Endowment Fund and its then-Director, Larry Donoso, MD, PdD, will have a lasting impact on retina research at Wills Eye. Through our strong commitment to innovative research, the Donoso Chairholder will lead research into the next evolutions and treatments for a wide variety of devastating retinal degenerative diseases, impacting the future of ophthalmic care for generations to come.