Hosted by the Eye Bank Association of America and the Cornea Society, the 2024 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum was held October 18 in Chicago. If you were unable to attend, here is an overview of the event. The Cornea and Eye Banking Forum Package is available for purchase and CEU credit on eyeLEARN. Mark your calendar to join us October 17, 2025 in Orlando!
Welcome from EBAA and the Cornea Society!
The 2024 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum was moderated by M. Soledad Cortina, MD, and Jessica Ciralsky, MD.
The day-long event featured new research, clinical trial findings, lectures, award presentations, and the R. Townley Paton Luncheon. More than 350 individuals attended.
Invited Sessions
- EBAA Update: Eye Banking Advancements and Challenges
- Shahzad Mian, MD, EBAA Medical Advisory Board
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Cornea and Eye Banking
- Diversity in the Cornea Workforce; Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, NYU Langone Health
- Corneal Donation Bans in the US: Assessing the Evidence; Michael A. Puente, Jr., MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Cornea Conditions; Maria Woodward, MD, MSc, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center
- Disparities in Corneal Transplant Access and Outcomes; Divya Srikumaran, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute
Clinical Trials – Updates and Findings
Five speakers presented on clinical trials disclosing early findings for the first time.
- Diabetes Endothelial Keratoplasty Study: Methods and Impact on the Use of Donor Corneas from Donors with Diabetes; Jonathan Lass, MD, Case Western Reserve University/ University Hospitals Eye Institute
- In-office Magnetic Cell Therapy Treatment for Corneal Endothelial Dysfunction; David Verdier, MD, Verdier Eye Center
- Cultivated Autologous Limbal Epithelial Cell (CALEC) Transplantation for Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency; Ula Jurkunas, MD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School
- INTRA-KER Keratoprosthesis: Preliminary Results of First-In Human Trial of an Intracorneal Prosthesis; Massimo Busin, MD, University of Ferrara
- Role of Suppressive Dose of Valacyclovir in Management of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus: Results of the Zoster Eye Disease Study (ZEDS); Bennie H. Jeng, MD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Mark Ellison from VisionGift presented updates on research funded by the 2023 EBAA High Impact Research Grant, Consistent Corneal Characteristics during Cold Storage Suggest Potential for Extending Storage Time for Donor Corneas. Mark presented their results and announced that additional results will be released once Dr. Mark Greiner and his team at the University of Iowa and Iowa Lions Eye Bank complete their work, examining cellular function and viability of corneas stored for 28 days.
R. Townley Paton Award & Lecture
Bennie H. Jeng, MD, received the R. Townley Paton Award for his contributions to the EBAA, eye banking and sight restoration. David Verdier, MD, the 2023 Paton Award Recipient, introduced Dr. Jeng and presented him with the award. Dr. Jeng delivered the R. Townley Paton Lecture: The Unsung Heroes of Eye Banking and Corneal Transplantation. The presentation highlighted the donors that make corneal transplantation possible, the work that eye bank professionals do to facilitate donation, and the impact that the gift of sight has on the recipient.
The 2025 R. Townley Paton Award will be presented to Marianne Price, PhD, at the 2025 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum. The award was announced during the R. Townley Paton Luncheon.
Other Honorees
Troutman Cornea Prize and Lecture
Eisuke Shimizu, MD, PhD
Presented by the Cornea Society, “Clinical Features of Sjögren Syndrome— Related Dry Eye Disease in Anterior Segment Photographs.”
Best Paper of Session Award
Jason Greenfield
Medical Student, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute / University of Miami
“Detection of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia Using Deep Learning and Anterior-Segment OCT.”
Presented by EBAA and Cornea Society recognizing the best paper by a medical student, resident, or fellow. The award was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Lions Gift of Sight.
Claes Dohlman Award
Christopher Rapuano, MD
Presented by Cornea Society, recognizing a lifetime of teaching excellence in cornea and external disease and other contributions to the profession.
EBAA High Impact Research Grant
Alfonso Sabater
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute / University of Miami
“Lateral Flow Assay and Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detecting Candida albicans Contamination in Corneal Storage.”
R. Townley Paton Luncheon
An annual highlight of the Forum, the R. Townley Paton Luncheon invites all physicians in attendance to participate in a free-ranging discussion of emerging and established research, therapies, and procedures, practice management concerns, and other relevant topics. This year’s luncheon included more than 200 physicians and was moderated by Jennifer Li, MD, and Shahzad Mian, MD.
Event Resources
Final Program: The program schedule, speaker information and scientific abstracts can be found in the electronic Final Program.
Presentation Recordings: The presentations were recorded and are available for purchase and CEUs.
Event Support
Thank you to Lions Gift of Sight, Moria, and Wolters Kluwer for generously supporting the event through unrestricted educational grants.
The Forum was recorded and is available for purchase on eyeLEARN. Registered attendees have access to the recording free of charge.
