Vision Research Workshop

The Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences is organizing its 13th Annual Vision Research Workshop on October 21, 2026, to highlight the research accomplishments of our graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants and associates, medical students, and ophthalmology residents.

The goal of this workshop is to provide an outstanding opportunity for members of the Wayne State University vision research community to interact with one another, exchange ideas, showcase innovative research, and foster future collaborations.

The workshop will feature the Linda D. Hazlett Vision Science Mentorship & Innovation Lecture, celebrating the critical role of mentorship, innovation, and scientific discovery in advancing

vision research and developing the next generation of vision scientists.

James T. Handa, MD    

James T. Handa, MD is the Robert Bond Welch Professor and Chief of the Retina Division, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University. He attended Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, did his Ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital and Vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the Duke Eye Center and an intraocular oncology fellowship at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Handa is an active Vitreoretinal surgeon who manages all types of complex vitreoretinal disorders, and was an implanting surgeon for the Argus II retinal chip implant that led to its FDA approval. Dr. Handa’s laboratory focuses on the critical events due to cigarette smoking that trigger the onset of macular degeneration (AMD). For his work, he has had continuous NIH funding for over 25 years and has received the Green Award from the Macula Society. His H-index is 78 with 31,870 citations and an i10-index 200. He was one of 9 scientists selected to serve on the NEI AMD Pathobiology Group that developed a roadmap for accelerating the development of AMD treatment. Currently, he is on the FFB SAB and chairs the Family Tree AMD award committee, and is an executive committee member for the Ryan Initiative for Macular Research (RIMR). Dr. Handa was a former NIH/NEI study section Chairperson, and a study section member for the Thome Foundation, RPB, and BrightFocus Foundation. He is on the scientific advisory board for several companies including Character Biosciences, Cirrus Biotechnology, and FerRx Inc.