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2009 President’s Award Presented to Rohit Varma, MD
In ceremonies on January 28 at the legendary Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Glaucoma Research Foundation President and CEO Thomas M. Brunner presented The President’s Award to Rohit Varma, MD. Dr. Varma is Professor of Ophthalmology and Preventive Medicine, and Director of the Glaucoma Service at the USC Keck School of Medicine.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation President’s Award acknowledges exemplary volunteer leadership. Dr. Varma’s recent Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES), confirming that Latinos are among the highest at risk for glaucoma, is widely regarded as the definitive research on this subject. Inspired by Dr. Varma’s urgent call to action, and with funding from Allergan, the Glaucoma Research Foundation last year hosted Ver Es Poder (Seeing is Empowering), a Glaucoma Awareness Day at the Delhi Center in Santa Ana. More than 200 people, including families and people of every age, lined up to hear the opening ceremony and participate in a comprehensive glaucoma screening. By the end of the day, more than 350 people had participated.
Dr. Varma’s personal leadership in Ver Es Poder – giving previews of his research findings to community groups, mobilizing several Spanish-speaking physicians in his team at Doheny Eye Institute to volunteer their time in the screenings – set the highest example. His generosity of spirit not only inspired others to make glaucoma awareness a personal priority, but also showed that an entire community could rally around that cause.