Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine has kicked off a yearlong celebration of its centennial, highlighting 100 years of excellence and clinical breakthroughs in ophthalmology. The institute has approximately 1,000 faculty and staff members across 10 clinical locations.

William Holland Wilmer, one of America’s leading ophthalmologists, founded the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute in 1925 on the Johns Hopkins University medical campus, following a $3 million fundraising campaign led by a former glaucoma patient whose vision was saved by Wilmer. After a few years of construction, the Wilmer Eye Institute officially opened its doors and began caring for patients immediately.

In its 100-year history, Wilmer Eye Institute and its faculty members have been behind many landmark moments in ophthalmology. Such accomplishments include developing the first oral glaucoma treatment and creating laser technology and treatments for diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and more. Additional achievements include establishing the James P. Gills Jr., M.D., and Heather Gills Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center and the Wilmer Genetic Eye Disease Center, a pioneering model in the United States with global collaboration and multidisciplinary excellence in the treatment of genetic eye disease.

“For a century, the world-class clinicians, scientists and educators of the Wilmer Eye Institute have been redefining how we understand and protect the gift of sight,” says Theodore DeWeese, M.D., dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “As we celebrate 100 years of excellence, we also look forward to the next era of discovery, innovation and impact in ophthalmology.”

Over the years, the institute has remained at the forefront of ophthalmology research and training, helping Wilmer faculty provide life-changing treatment and care to patients around the world. The Rising Professorship Program, established in 2020 (which has equipped multiple assistant professors with resources and mentorship to start their own laboratories and clinics), entrepreneurial endeavors including faculty startups that market treatments discovered at the Institute and other new research centers continue this legacy, ensuring that Wilmer will remain a beacon of innovation and patient care.

“This is a story of 100 years of excellence and the incredible possibilities that exist when passionate experts have the tools and support needed to care for people, advance scientific discovery and train future generations of providers. Wilmer Eye Institute’s enduring success demonstrates the power of academic medicine to meet current needs while ushering in advancements to benefit future generations,” says Kevin Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., president of Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Wilmer Eye Institute has also trained 100 years of residency classes, as well as developing, supporting and employing many leaders in ophthalmology, including winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, multiple American Academy of Ophthalmology presidents and recipients of Lasker Awards for medical research.

Looking ahead to its next century, Wilmer will continue its mission of leading the way in understanding disease, developing novel therapies and providing world-class care.

“Our founder envisioned an institute that would combine patient care, teaching and research under one roof. That combination has resulted in a worldwide reputation for advancing knowledge of eye disease, setting the standard for caring for patients and training the future leaders of our field,” says Peter McDonnell, M.D., the Alan and Marlene Norton Director of the Wilmer Eye Institute and the William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “We at Wilmer today are focused on what we can do to ensure that Wilmer’s next century is even more productive than its first 100 years, and that one day we will have eliminated blindness!”