Ophthalmology Conference Pays Tribute to Retiring Chair

By Dirk Hoffman

The June 20 event marked the final annual symposium presided over by James D. Reynolds, MD ’78, the Jerald and Ester Bovino Professor and Chairman of ophthalmology, who is retiring from his role as chair on July 1.

Reynolds joined the school’s faculty in 1988 as chief of pediatric ophthalmology and became chair of the department in 1997.

In 2004, he created the Ira G. Ross Eye Institute, now a world-class center of excellence providing comprehensive research, education, and clinical service. A year later, he founded UBMD Ophthalmology at the Institute.

In addition to his roles at the Jacobs School, he serves as chief of ophthalmology at Kaleida Health.

Reynolds is a distinguished, globally renowned expert in pediatric ophthalmology, particularly for his groundbreaking work on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that can occur in premature babies when abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina.

In her opening remarks, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, noted the roots in ophthalmology at UB and the Jacobs School run deep, dating back to 1846.

“UB Professor Dr. Lucian Howe brought modern ophthalmology to our region in the 19th century, and since then, Buffalo has consistently served as the main provider of tertiary eye care,” she said. “This deep-seated commitment to ocular health defines us, and our department has emerged as a driving force for vision research, supported by a robust, unified university-sponsored residency program.”

“It’s against the backdrop of monumental progress in ophthalmology that we celebrate Dr. James Reynolds’ distinguished career, spanning over 45 remarkable years,” Brashear added.

She noted Reynolds’ National Institutes of Health-funded research has critically shaped U.S. screening guidelines for ROP and the International Classification of ROP, making a global impact.

“He has also been a devoted educator and mentor to countless ophthalmologists and has restored sight for thousands of children through his surgical expertise,” Brashear said.

“Dr. Reynolds, your visionary leadership has profoundly shaped who we are today.”

Reynolds recently demonstrated the efficacy and safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for ROP, a potentially blinding condition in premature infants.

In his keynote address, titled “ROP — Four Decades of Discovery,” Reynolds highlighted his career in studying the disease.

He noted ROP was first recognized and named in the 1940s, but remained a mysterious disease until the 1955 Kinsey trial established a correlation with FI02 (fraction of inspired oxygen, which refers to the concentration of oxygen that a premature infant receives through a respiratory support system.

But Reynolds said the moment in time where ROP first began to be truly understood occurred in 1984 when the International Classification of ROP was established.

“It gave us a common link because up until that time, we were all using different classifications around the world,” he said.

Reynolds said since 1988, Buffalo has been involved in every international multicenter prospective trial on ROP.

“ROP is still a blinding disease. There is still no prevention,” he said. “Its natural history is well documented and well understood.”

Reynolds noted the screening paradigm for ROP has not changed since a paper he authored on it was published in 2002.

“Buffalo has been instrumental in every aspect of ROP advance and I think we should be very proud of that.”

Reynolds said he feels lucky to have come along at the right time to participate in four decades of discovery, noting ROP has an outsized influence in ophthalmological research in the U.S.

“It’s one thing to study 80-year-olds. Whatever you do for them, you will get five good years,” he said. “But whatever I do for this baby, I get 85 good years, and that is just a huge, huge difference.”

Nine alumni of UB’s ophthalmology residency program also gave talks at the conference.

The topics included open-globe injuries, treatments for pediatric myopia, artificial intelligence diabetic retinopathy screening systems and advice for residents on how to pursue business opportunities in ophthalmology.

“I have enjoyed my tenure immensely and am very proud of my tangible legacy,” Reynolds said. “But it was heartwarming and fulfilling to have so many alumni talk about my intangible memory and the legacy of so many students who carry part of me with them along their professional path. And of course, I carry parts of them. They have also taught me.”

Reynolds says the department’s mission has always been to be a “triple threat” through excellence and equity in clinical care, research and education.

“As I depart as the only leader more than a generation of Buffalo ophthalmologists have known, I am eager to watch the department continue to grow and thrive,” he said. “We have become a true triple threat department and there is no limit to what we can achieve.”

At the conference’s conclusion, Reynolds turned the spotlight onto Elaine C. Taylor, who is also retiring after a 41-year career at UB. She has served as the residency training program administrator and assistant to the chair in the Department of Ophthalmology since 1986.

“Elaine and I have been a team for 28 years and it has been an incredibly beneficial and productive relationship,” he said. “I believe that almost nothing I touched would have been as good without Elaine as it was with Elaine.”

Reynolds noted Taylor served two chairs, several program directors and graduated 118 residents during her UB career.

She was honored by UB with the James P. Naughton, MD, Award, recognizing outstanding staff members, in 2015; and by SUNY with a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service in 2022.

“Today, she is receiving from me the Chair’s Career Achievement Award,” Reynolds said. “I’ve never given it out before, but I am giving it to Elaine today.”

Reynolds said Taylor is a quintessential manager, who is goal-directed and independent.

“Much of the progress the department has made is due to her leadership and initiative,” he said. “Never content with the status quo, instead she seizes the initiative and leads our constant search for improvement.”

“Oftentimes, successful individuals such as this can be arrogant, bossy and prideful,” Reynolds added. “Not so with Elaine, she tempers her pursuit of excellence with warmth, compassion and loyalty.”

Reynolds said he simply could not imagine succeeding in his job without her.

“Thank you for 28 years of great service,” he said to Taylor, eliciting a rousing standing ovation from the conference participants.

“It wasn’t a job for me. It was something I enjoyed doing every single day,” Taylor said in response. “It’s been wonderful. Thank you.”