The Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology

Sheila West visits with patients in africa

The Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, founded by Alfred Sommer, M.D., M.H.S., is a leader in global and domestic research on blindness prevention and the only World Health Organization collaborating center in the United States. Our center guides research-based programmatic activities and educates future leaders to alleviate unnecessary blindness worldwide

Our faculty includes ophthalmologists, epidemiologists, statisticians, programmers, project coordinators and administrative personnel. Together, our mission is to prevent avoidable visual disability and blindness around the globe by conducting valuable research, using sound public health policies and programs, and training the next generation of leaders in public health ophthalmology.

Support the Dana Center Gift Fund

About the Dana Center

Our Research

Research at the Dana Center focuses on national and international public health prevention of blinding eye disease.
Our History

For over 25 years, the Dana Center has contributed to the understanding, prevention and treatment of major eye diseases.

Meet the Director

Dr. Allen Eghrari

Allen O. Eghrari, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute and associate professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He specializes in cornea, cataract and external eye diseases at the Wilmer Eye Institute's locations in Baltimore and Belcamp, Maryland.

More About Dr. Eghrari

Our Team

Allen Eghrari, M.D., M.P.H.

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Cataract Surgery, Corneal Dystrophies, Ebola Virus Disease, Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy

Cindy Xinji Cai, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Applied Health Sciences Informatics

Megan Collins, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Barriers in access to eye care, Epidemiology of Pediatric Eye Disease and the Impact of Refractive Error on Academic Performance.

Ann-Margret Ervin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Epidemiology and the School of Medicine (Joint)
Research Interests: Epidemiology; Clinical trials; Clinical trials methodology; Visual impairment; Eye disease; Ophthalmology; Optometry; Bioethics; Research ethics

Douglas A. Jabs, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.

Director, Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Research Interests: Ocular Oncology, Uveitis

Joanne Katz, M.S., Sc.D.

Professor of International Health (Primary), Biostatics (Joint) and Epidemiology (Joint)
Research Interests: Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Micronutrients; Maternal health; Neonatal health; Child health; Adolescent pregnancy; Reproductive health; Respiratory infections; Ophthalmology; Blindness and visual impairment

Xiangrong Kong, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist of Epidemiology and Biostatics (Joint)
Research Interests: Longitudinal and correlated data analysis; Causal inference; Survival analysis; HIV/AIDS; STI; Program impact evaluation; Ophthalmology; Physical therapy

Alvin Liu, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Application of artificial intelligence in the screening, diagnosis, prognostication and treatment of ophthalmic diseases, implementation of FDA-approved AI tools in the clinical setting

Kunal S. Parikh, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Nanomaterials, drug delivery, biomaterials

Harry A. Quigley, M.D.

A. Edward Maumenee Professor of Ophthalmology, Director, Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Professor of Ophthalmology
Research Interests: Causes of vision loss in glaucoma; New imaging technology in the diagnosis of angle closure glaucoma; Neuroprotective treatments for glaucoma; Evaluation of surgical operations for glaucoma; Research into solutions to glaucoma treatment worldwide