Dr. Van Gelder named to ophthalmology chair at UW

St. Lous, MO-Of the three new department chairs named at Seattle's University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, Russell Van Gelder, MD, PhD, will head the Department of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Van Gelder's aspirations include the building of a new eye institute where "cutting-edge, state-of-the-art research" can take place. He hopes to use the university's resources to build a first-rate eye department.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to be a part of [rebuilding a great program]," Dr. Van Gelder said in an article appearing in The Daily, UW's independent student newspaper. "I don't think there's any other opportunity like this in the country, where we can bring together this top-notch faculty and research together in one place."

Dr. Van Gelder hails from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was named a Bernard Becker professor.