The Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology

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.

Our History

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

Our Team

Our multidisciplinary team is comprised of pioneering researchers who are leaders in their respective fields, and focused on blindness prevention and alleviation.

Our Research

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

Support the Dana Center Gift Fund.

News and Upcoming Events

Setting Sights Higher

University and city leaders joined students and families for a Vision for Baltimore health fair at Henderson-Hopkins school in East Baltimore, which was held in celebration of World Sight Day. Read more about the event.

Vision for Baltimore Celebrates 5,000 Pairs of Free Glasses for City Students

Many were on hand to celebrate the program's milestone of 5,000 free pairs of glasses to students in Baltimore City public schools. Learn more.

The Dana Center's Vision for Baltimore Program Wins Prestigious Award from Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness created the Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health to recognize an individual, team, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national, and/or international level. The team was selected for the award for their work investigating and addressing vision-related problems in high-poverty schools. Read more.

What Happens to Learning When Students Get Much-Needed Glasses

Megan Collins, M.D., and Vision for Baltimore team members discuss the program and its impact. Watch the video.

Vision for Baltimore expanding into Vision for Chicago

The program, which began as a result of the Baltimore Reading and Eye Disease study, is now being established in Chicago. Megan Collins, M.D., pediatric ophthalmologist and Dana Center researcher, and Robert Slavin, Ph.D., director of Hopkins’ Center for Research and Reform in Education, discuss the program's amazing progress. Read more.

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