“Why People Lose Their Sight and What We Can Do About It” is the title of a lecture to be given by Dr. Russell Van Gelder, chair of the University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology. Van Gelder will be visiting the San Juan Islands on Monday, Oct. 27 to speak at the Lopez Island Library at 10:30 a.m., the Orcas Senior Services Center at 2 p.m. and at the Mullis Center in Friday Harbor at 6 p.m. There will be time for questions at all three presentations.

Van Gelder is a uveitis (ocular information) specialist. He is internationally recognized for his research on how the retina senses light outside of the visual system – research which has implications for the restoration of sight to blind people and for the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Stanford University and completed his ophthalmology residency and retina and uveitis fellowship training at Washington University in St. Louis. For ten years he was on the faculty of Washington University Medical School, where he held the Bernard Becker Endowed Chair. He joined the University of Washington in January as the department’s fourth chairman and holds the Boyd K. Bucey Chair in Ophthalmology.

For questions, call 206- 543-4899, or email mprudden@u.washington.edu