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This year’s awardees are tackling some of the most urgent life science challenges with projects spanning novel therapeutics to AI-powered medical solutions.

Today’s health headlines are all about the eyes. Dr. Vicente Diaz, an eye doctor at Yale Medicine and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Yale School of Medicine, discusses how safe colored contacts are and whether Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs could cause eye issues.

Seven Yale School of Medicine faculty receive Yale Faculty Innovation Awards.

Alden Mead, JD has been promoted to Associate Clinical Professor on the voluntary track in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Yale School of Medicine, recognizing his over 50 years of dedication to the department. He also recently began serving as Section Program Manager for the Section of International Ophthalmology and Global Eye Health, where he continues as Associate Director. Alden’s leadership has enhanced the department’s global presence, and his contributions are expected to further advance the mission of delivering care to underserved populations worldwide.

Dr. Ninani Kombo has been promoted to Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Yale, in recognition of her exceptional achievements in clinical care, education, and research. She is highly regarded for her expertise, compassionate patient care, and leadership as Chief of Ophthalmology at the VA, where she has improved care for veterans. Dr. Kombo is also a dedicated educator, receiving awards like the Leah Lowenstein Award and the Bruce Shields Resident Teaching Award. Her research contributions continue to influence the field of ophthalmology. This promotion acknowledges her significant impact on the department and medical community.

Funded by the National Library of Medicine, the project aims to improve the reliability of AI-generated responses in medical applications, ensuring more accurate and trustworthy information to support better health care decisions.

Qingyu Chen, PhD, Assistant Professor at Yale's BIDS, has received a $746,960 grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his project, “Natural Language Processing and Medical Imaging Analysis for Multi-Modality Computer-Assisted Diagnosis of Ophthalmic Diseases.” This three-year research will focus on developing advanced AI models to enhance the accuracy and reliability of eye disease diagnoses.

Dr. Christopher Teng will depart from Yale’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science in December 2024 to become Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. As Director of Yale’s Glaucoma Service, Dr. Teng expanded the program and made significant contributions to patient care and surgical advancements. He also played a pivotal role in mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, enhancing the department’s education programs. Dr. Teng was recently promoted to Professor in recognition of his achievements. His leadership, mentorship, and clinical expertise will be missed, but his legacy will continue to shape the department. Yale celebrates his...

The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale is pleased to announce the eleven 2024 Yale projects selected for their promising research in autoimmunity and allergic diseases. In addition to grant funding, Colton Center awardees receive mentorship, access to industry expertise, and feedback on their potential commercialization.