Schepens to join MEEI

Boston-In a move that the institutions say will create the world’s largest ophthalmology research center, Schepens Eye Research Institute will become part of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) on June 30.

Schepens will remain a non-profit entity and retain its name, but both institutions will operate under the direction of the MEEI board of directors.

According to Schepens Eye Research Institute, this union will enrich both its basic research and the clinical research performed at MEEI.

“This creates a powerhouse in vision research that we are confident will accelerate the eradication of blinding diseases,” said Wycliffe “Wyc” Grousbeck, chairman of MEEI’s board of directors.

“Together, we will cover the spectrum of scientific disciplines and eye diseases,” said Joan W. Miller, MD, chairwoman of ophthalmology at MEEI and Harvard Medical School and a member of the Ophthalmology Times editorial advisory board. “Massachusetts Eye and Ear has strong research programs in retina, glaucoma, and genomics. Schepens Eye Research Institute is a world leader in ocular surface disease, immunology, stem cell therapies, regeneration, and mobility rehabilitation. Working together, we will provide an even stronger basic and translational science engine with a powerful clinical team to produce an environment that is primed to solve the problems of and find cures for blinding eye diseases.”

Both Schepens Eye Research Institute and MEEI are Harvard Medical School teaching affiliates. They will be located on one campus in downtown Boston.

“This scientifically rich and diverse alliance will have a powerful impact on our ability to attract the best and the brightest young scientists as well as encourage other seasoned world-class eye researchers to join us in our fight to eradicate devastating [eye] diseases,” said Kenneth Fischer, president and chief operating officer of Schepens Eye Research Institute.“ And it will increase our joint capacity to obtain funding from federal and industry sources.”