Vickie & Jack Farber
As lifelong philanthropists, Jack, who passed away in December, 2022, and his wife, Vickie, have made a lasting impact on the Philadelphia community. Together, Jack and Vickie created The Vickie and Jack Farber Vision Research Center at Wills Eye Hospital, The Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Jefferson Health, The Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Policlinico Gemelli in Rome and the David Farber ASPIRE Center for suicide prevention and awareness, amongst others. Vickie and Jack believed strongly in the mission of all of these organizations and were proud to take an active leadership role in each, taking the same detail-oriented approach in philanthropy that they had in business and their personal lives. Their commitment to giving back also drove their support of The Liberty Museum, the American Jewish Committee, and the ALS Association, among others.
Clinical Trials
Wills Eye Research News
Dr. Joel Schuman, Vice Chair for Research Innovation and Co-Director of the Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye, will lead the comprehensive effort to improve glaucoma detection and estimates of disease progression.
Schuman’s research seeks to address substantial challenges of existing ocular imaging technology including measurement variability, image quality, level of measurable tissue, and difficulties interchanging patient scan data. Resulting success would significantly improve initial detection of glaucoma as well as the identification of its progress and any prediction of future progression of the disease.
FACULTY SEMINAR SERIES
The Wills Eye Faculty Research Seminar Series is held quarterly for Wills faculty with a strong interest in research. This series was established to create a forum for Wills faculty to present their research, provide opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas and explore potential for new collaborations.
Jordan Deaner, MD
July 22, 2025
JOSEPH MARKOFF, PhD, MD ENDOWED LECTURE
The Joseph Markoff, PhD, MD Lecture Series invites leading investigators whose research focus is in targeted areas of clinical or translational investigation to discuss their research, future directions for the field and research career journey.
Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH
April 11, 2025
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
The Scholar in Residence Program is designed to offer guidance and skills for faculty and trainees interested in exploring a research career path. This will occur through seminars and workshops on topics such as grant writing, developing impactful research questions and by offering role models for clinician-scientist career path.
Benjamin Xu, MD, PhD
December 10-11, 2025
Discovery & Innovation
Research Publications
By Wills Eye Faculty and Trainees
Institutional review board
The Wills Eye Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects. The purpose of the Board is to ensure the protection and welfare of research participants, adhering to all federal regulations, institutional policies, and professional ethical standards.