Eyes to the Past Exhibit Draws Large Crowd

Candy may have been involved, but the UMass Memorial Eye Center played no tricks when they treated visitors to their Eyes to the Past presentation at the Lamar Soutter Library at the UMass Chan Medical School. After receiving a fascinating collection of ophthalmology-related artifacts from the Hartford Medical Society Historical Library at UCONN Health, Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, planned an informational meeting where guests were invited to view the ophthalmic tools of the past and listen to a few presentations on how advancements in technology have altered and improved the way eye care is delivered today.

Lauren Colwell, MD Candidate 2020, UMass Chan Medical School; Hemant Khanna, PhD, principal investigator and associate professor, UMass Chan Medical School; and Haijiang Lin, MD, PhD, ophthalmologist, UMass Memorial Medical Center and associate professor and director of translational research, UMass Chan Medical School; presented to an attentive crowd in the overflowing Rare Books Room in the library. Ms. Colwell reviewed the various relics included in the historical collection, followed by Dr. Khanna who discussed the learnings gathered from gene therapy over the years, and Dr. Lin concluded the presentation with a glimpse into how computer technology/artificial intelligence has opened the door to more precise treatments and faster recovery times.

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Lamar Soutter Library would like to thank and acknowledge the Hartford Medical Society Historical Library at UCONN Health for the loan of the collection of historical ophthalmology items. Special thanks to Mary Piorun, PhD, director of the Lamar Soutter Library at UMass Chan Medical School; Jessica Kilham, manager, Library Education and Clinical Services, Lamar Soutter Library, UMass Chan Medical School; Themia Pappas-Fillmore, coordinator, Publications and Design, Surgical Administrative Service Group (ASG), UMass Chan Medical School; Maria LeitaoPina, academic administrator, Surgical ASG, UMass Chan Medical School; and Sharon Furbish, executive assistant, UMass Memorial Medical Center; for their assistance in coordinating this wonderful program.