Dr. Miller Accepts Election to Alcon Board

Contact:  Mary Leach
Ph: 617-573-4170

Boston (May 5, 2009) – Joan W. Miller, M.D., Chief and Chair of Ophthalmology and Henry Willard Williams Professor of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School has been elected to serve a three-year term on the board of directors at Alcon, effective immediately.

Alcon is a world-leading research and development company in eye care that develops, manufactures and markets surgical equipment and devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer eye care products.

Dr. Miller has an outstanding record as clinician, researcher and teacher, specializing in retinal disease. Her research interests are focused on ocular neovascularization, particularly as it relates to macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Miller, with Evangelos Gragoudas, M.D., pioneered the development of photodynamic therapy for neovascular macular degeneration. She and her colleagues were also among the first to demonstrate the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the development of ocular neovascularization and the potential use of drug therapies targeting VEGF.

Dr. Miller has received numerous awards, including the Gass Medal and the Rosenthal Award, both from the Macula Society, the Retina Research Award from the Club Jules Gonin and the Alcon Research Institute Award. Dr. Miller’s professional affiliations include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc. (ARVO) and the New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS).

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has served as Chief and Chair at Mass. Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School since 2003.

During her term of service on the Alcon board, Dr. Miller and Mass. Eye and Ear will implement procedures to avoid any conflict with her academic, research and administrative responsibilities.