Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., MSPHChristopher A. Girkin, M.D., MSPH, the Eyesight Foundation of Alabama chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, has been elected to lead the American Glaucoma Society as president beginning in 2022. Girkin will serve as president-elect for the 2021-2022 term.
“I am humbled to have been elected vice president/president-elect of the American Glaucoma Society and fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to work with the leadership of the society during a period of profound growth in the organization over the past two decades in terms of membership, scope and impact,” Girkin said. “These advancements were possible due to the dedicated membership and leadership that have continued to drive the mission of the AGS since its foundation. I look forward to the opportunity to serve this vital organization in its efforts to advance our profession, educate the next generation, support glaucoma research and protect our patients.”
The AGS was founded in 1985 and has grown from its original 13 founding members to more than 1,450 members today. AGS is composed of glaucoma specialists dedicated to sharing clinical and scientific information for the benefit of patients, colleagues, fellows and residents.
Girkin has written or co-written more than 200 journal articles, with research focusing on the mechanisms underlying the greater predilection to develop optic nerve injury in individuals of African ancestry. Girkin founded the UAB Glaucoma Division and Fellowship in 1999, which has grown to 14 faculty and has trained more than 25 glaucoma fellows. Under Girkin’s direction, UAB Ophthalmology’s clinical and research programs have grown rapidly, with a fivefold increase in National Institutes of Health funding during the past five years, and is now ranked in the top 10 in NIH-funded ophthalmology research.