Welcome to the Spring 2026 edition of the Department of Ophthalmology InSight Newsletter. We are looking forward to our class of 2026 residents and fellows graduating next month and welcoming our new class in July.
The first of this issue's research spotlights is on Graham and Brenda Siddall Endowed Chair Tueng Shen, MD, PhD, who is guiding the design of a microscopic wireless biosensor that would sit in a tear duct, a space roughly 1 to 2 millimeters across, and continuously monitor the fluid for signs of disease. This work was recently featured on KING5 News.
The other research spotlight is a project of my lab for many years, a novel experimental therapy developed from foundational research here at UW that has reached an important clinical milestone, with results from a first-in-human study published on April 14 in Nature Medicine. The paper reports early clinical findings for KIO-301, a light-activated small molecule designed to ultimately restore some vision in people with advanced retinitis pigmentosa.
On June 13, we will honor Emily Chew, MD, the Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications (DECA) and Distinguished Investigator at the National Eye Institute, the National Institutes of Health, as the recipient of the 2026 Roger Johnson Award for Macular Degeneration research. She will present a lecture as part of the 52nd annual Resident Alumni Day at the South Lake Union campus.
Our Patient Care Spotlight welcomes a new pediatric vitreoretinal surgeon, Tammy Hsu, MD and a new optometrist, Riley Forbes, OD. With Dr. Hsu’s arrival, we will be able to offer pediatric retina surgery on the Seattle Children’s team. Dr. Forbes will serve patients at the UW Primary Care Ravenna Clinic, the Eyes on James Optical Shop and the 4-West Clinic at Harborview.
In Education, we are proud of our residents volunteering at the annual Seattle/King County Clinic, which provided free medical, dental and vision care to thousands over four days in April at the Seattle Center.
Finally, in our philanthropy spotlight, learn more about the Sinskey Foundation, which has partnered with our department for many years, supporting cutting-edge research and clinical advances that are shaping the future of eye care.
Russ Van Gelder, MD, PhD,
Boyd K. Bucey Chair, UW Medicine Department of Ophthalmology