Paul Kaufman on Unmet Needs for Glaucoma, Burgeoning Solutions

In this second installment of our conversation, the esteemed Paul Kaufman, MD spoke of unmet needs for the glaucoma patients, including a lack of ophthalmologists that ranges from tens of thousands to one patient in wealthy nations all the way up to millions to one in other places. He also spoke of ways to innovate in the clinical treatment of the disease, including harnessing viruses as ophthalmologic tools.

Kaufman is the Chair-Emeritus of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in addition to being the former President and Executive Vice President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). At ARVO 2017, he delivered a keynote lecture on glaucoma and presbyopia and was awarded Friedenwald Award for his work.

Despite decades in the business, countless accolades and titles, and over 350 published studies, one would be hard-pressed to find someone as thoughtful, focused, and humble about their work. In advance of his lecture and award presentation, Kaufman sat down with MD Magazine for an expansive interview about his motivations, career, and how he sees ophthalmology evolving over time.