UAB’s Curcio and Owsley Named ARVO 2009 Fellows

Christine Curcio, Ph.D., and Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., professors in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have been named to the inaugural class of Fellows of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

April 16, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Christine Curcio, Ph.D., and Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., professors in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have been named to the inaugural class of Fellows of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Curcio and Owsley were among those recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the Association.

ARVO Fellows serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in vision and ophthalmology research and contribute to ARVO's mission of advancing basic and clinical knowledge and serving as the leading international forum for vision research and the primary advocate for vision science worldwide.

"We are very excited to offer this new honor to our membership. We know that it will galvanize current members and inspire future ones," said Todd P Margolis M.D.,  Ph.D., ARVO president.

Curcio obtained her undergraduate degree in biology from Brown University in 1972 and received a Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Rochester in 1981. After beginning retina research at the University of Washington, she joined UAB in 1990. Her research interests include pathobiology of age-related macular degeneration, human retinal neurobiology and aging. In 2002, Curcio became the first recipient of the Roger Johnson Prize for Macular Degeneration Research

Owsley received her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, Ma., in 1975 in psychology. She received a Ph.D. in psychology from Cornell University  in 1980 and did post-doctoral training in vision and aging at Northwestern University and in epidemiology at UAB, where she received an M.S.P.H. Owsley is director of the Clinical Research Unit in Ophthalmology and is a senior scientific investigator for Research to Prevent Blindness. Her research focuses on aging, eye disease and vision impairment.

The ARVO fellows will be officially inducted at the Association's annual meeting this May in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. For more information, visit www.arvo.org.

About UAB

The UAB Dept. of Ophthalmology serves the eye health needs of the people of Alabama and beyond through excellence in patient care, research and education.