2018, Bronze Medalist
Richard A. Lewis, MS, MD
Dr. Lewis graduated from Boston’s Roxbury Latin School and Harvard College. He completed his MD, Residency, and MS in Ophthalmology at the University of Michigan, where he created its Ophthalmic Diagnostic Services. After a Fellowship in Macular Disorders with Dr. Donald Gass, he returned to Michigan until 1979. He then moved to Baylor College of Medicine, becoming full Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, Molecular and Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Medicine. Dr. Lewis has been a major force applying molecular technologies to inherited ocular disorders, especially those afflicting infants, children, and adolescents. He has authored more than 520 publications and holds 10 U.S. patents related to his many genetic discoveries. He received Baylor’s Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award, the first Alfred W. Bressler Prize in Vision Science for identifying the gene for Stargardt macular dystrophy, the AAO’s Life Achievement Honor Award and countless others. He and his wife, Patricia Neidig Lewis, PhD, MBA, have 2 children.