A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Neeru Gupta as Head, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, effective from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.
Dr. Gupta joins UBC from the University of Toronto, where she is currently a professor of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences and Chief of the Glaucoma Service. She also serves as the Dorothy Pitts Chair in Ophthalmology at St. Michael’s Hospital, President of the International Council of Ophthalmology, and President of the World Glaucoma Association.
As a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Gupta’s research aims at new targets to fight blinding disease and investigates the relationship between the eye and other health conditions. Her work in this area, including pioneering a minimally invasive glaucoma surgical technique, has been recognized through the World Glaucoma Association Research Award, the New York Academy of Medicine Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Research Prize, as well as recently becoming a Gold Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Dr. Gupta is also a consultant to the World Health Organization and contributed to the development of the landmark WHO Eye Care Guide launched in 2022.
In her role as Head of the UBC Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Dr. Gupta will provide strategic leadership to the Department to foster excellence and innovation in education, research and service. She will be working part-time for the month of January, assuming the role full-time February 1.
Dr. Gupta’s appointment follows the interim leadership of Dr. Christopher Lyons. I wish to thank Dr. Lyons for his leadership and support.
Please join me in welcoming and congratulating Dr. Gupta in her new role.
