Dr. Allen C. Ho Appointed Chairman of Alcon Research Institute’s Executive Committee

Alcon announced that Allen C. Ho, MD, will join the Alcon Research Institute’s (ARI) Executive Committee as chairman in October. The executive committee has overseen ARI’s mission to expand the frontiers of vision sciences globally since its founding in 1981, noted the company.

Dr. Ho's Professional Background

According to Alcon, Dr. Ho is Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University and Director of Retina Research at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He specializes in medical and surgical retinal diseases with expertise in collaborative translational clinical research investigating new and innovative ocular therapies and surgical devices and procedures.

In addition to his roles at Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Ho is a volunteer for EyeCare America, an organization that provides ophthalmic care to underinsured patients, as well as a member of the board of the American Diabetes Association of Greater Philadelphia.

Responsibilities and Initiatives

The company advised that Dr. Ho will oversee the ARI Executive and Scientific Selection Committees in selecting Alcon’s annual Senior and Young Investigator Grant recipients. The funding is awarded to research scientists with outstanding achievements in vision research. Since its inception, more than 360 research grants have been awarded totaling approximately $30 million.

Additionally, Dr. Ho will chair the Steven M. Podos Colloquium, Alcon’s annual scientific meeting that highlights recent advances in vision research, as well as the bi-annual Scientific Symposium, a lecture series that features ARI grant recipient research.

Upcoming Events

The 2024 ARI Podos Colloquium and Scientific Symposium will be held October 4-5 at the Alcon campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The company noted that this year’s colloquium will focus on advances in retina, featuring insights from industry experts.

Alcon advised that ARI’s current chair, Mark Humayun, MD, will complete his 4-year term after the annual colloquium. Dr. Humayun is professor at Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in Los Angeles, California.

Comments from Alcon Leadership

“Dr. Ho’s commitment to advancing vision science through rigorous research and mentorship during his career makes him the ideal successor to our current chair, Dr. Humayun,” commented Franck Leveiller, PhD, in the company’s press release.

Dr. Leveiller, who is Chief Scientific Officer, Head of R&D, and Secretary of ARI for Alcon, continued, “We are thrilled to have a surgeon of Dr. Ho’s caliber serving as ARI chair and are looking forward to leveraging his vast experience to support the advancement of our mission.”

He added, “Alcon wants to thank Dr. Humayun for his long-lasting involvement, dedication and enthusiasm as a chairman, his efforts to expand ARI’s partnerships with researchers globally and his positive impact on the study of ocular diseases.”