Stuart Fine, MD, Emeritus Chair and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Emeritus Professor at Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute, was recently featured in the prestigious “History of Retina’s Leaders and Legends” series, highlighting his transformative contributions to ophthalmology spanning over four decades.
Dr. Fine's career has seen many achievements in clinical research, particularly in the treatment of retinal diseases. Dr. Fine played a pivotal role in organizing the landmark Airlie House Symposium, which revolutionized the approach to diabetic retinopathy treatment and established the foundation for modern clinical trials in ophthalmology. The Symposium's outcomes led to the development of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS), which demonstrated that pan-retinal photocoagulation could reduce blindness risk by over 50% in patients with proliferative retinopathy.
In the wake of the successful Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) publication in 1976, Dr. Stuart Fine launched a pioneering investigation into laser photocoagulation applications for choroidal neovascularization (CNV), targeting Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome (OHS).
As Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Fine transformed Scheie, expanding the faculty, research budget, and educational programs. His vision established centers of excellence in retina, epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical trials, and neuro-ophthalmology. He recruited pioneering researchers in gene therapy, leading to breakthrough treatments for inherited retinal diseases.
As President of the University Professors of Ophthalmology, Dr. Fine continued to innovate—establishing the annual AUPO resident and fellow research forum. Dr. Fine’s legacy continues through his ongoing work as Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he continues to mentor the next generation of retinal specialists to this day.
Dr. Fine's career work has synthesized tripartite foci of clinical excellence, research innovation, and educational leadership—representative of the Department of Ophthalmology and the Scheie Eye Institute’s own values, which he helped to shape in foundation.