Johanna M. Seddon, MD, ScM, Director, Ophthalmic
Epidemiology & Genetics Service at Tufts Medical Center,
named ARVO 2009 Gold Fellow
BOSTON (May 1) — The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is honored to announce this year’s inaugural class of distinguished Fellows. Dr. Johanna Seddon is among the first group of members recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the Association. ARVO is awarding two levels of Fellows for the first time, Gold and Silver, determined by a rigorous point system. Dr. Seddon has achieved the highest recognition for this new international award and officially received the Gold Fellow honor on May 4, 2009 at the ARVO meeting.
Dr. Seddon is Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, and a world leader in the research and treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). She discovered the relationship between nutritional factors and AMD, the leading cause of blindness, and has discovered four new genetic variants associated with this increasing cause of visual loss. She has shown that both nature and nurture contribute to the underlying mechanisms associated with this disease, and that both modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking, and body mass index, as well as genetic susceptibility play important roles. Her work has improved the management of patients with AMD, and she has inspired new avenues of exploration among researchers and clinicians around the world.
By accepting this honor, Dr. Seddon will continue to serve as a role model and mentor for individuals pursuing careers in vision and ophthalmology research, and will facilitate the advancement of vision research and the prevention and cure of disorders of the visual system worldwide. ARVO congratulates Dr. Seddon and thanks her for her dedication.
About Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 451-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, please visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org.
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include some 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 73 countries. The Association encourages and assists research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. For more information, visit www.arvo.org.
Media contact:
Julie Jette
617-636-3265
jjette@tuftsmedicalcenter.org