Center/Research Area Affiliations

• AMD Center of Excellence
• Diabetic Eye Disease Center of Excellence
• Infectious Disease Institute
• Ocular Regenerative Medicine Institute

Biography

Dr. Young's research interests focus on intravitreal drug toxicities, retinal infections, retinal complications associated with KPro implantation, and host-pathogenrelations in Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Education

1977: BS Molecular Biology (with distinction), University of Wisconsin–Madison

1980: MD, University of Wisconsin–Madison

1982: MA, Biology, Harvard University

1984: PhD, Biology, Harvard University (advisor: John E. Dowling, Ph.D.)

Postgraduate Training

1985: Internship, Framingham Union Hospital, Framingham, MA

1988: Residency (Ophthalmology), Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

1990: Fellowship (Vitreoretinal disease),Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Academic Appointments

1987 - 1992: Research Associate, Harvard University

1989 - 1992: Instructor in Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

1992 - 1997: Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

1998 - present: Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Professional Memberships

1982 - present: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

1984 - present: Society for Neuroscience

1988 - present: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Alumni Association

1989 - present: American Academy of Ophthalmology

1990 - present: Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons

1994 - present: The Retina Society (2007 - present: The Fellowship Research and Raymond R. Margherio Award Selection Committee)

1995 - present: The New England Ophthalmological Society

1995 - present: American College of Surgeons

1996 - present: The Macula Society

2002 - present: Club Jules Gonin

Honors

1974 - 1977: Epsilon Sigma Epsilon

1974 - 1977: Chancellor’s Vilas Scholarship

1974 - 1977: Letters and Science Honors Program

1974 - 1977: Dean’s List, graduated with distinction, University of Wisconsin–Madison

1981 - 1984: Springer Verlag Scholarship (NIH Training Fellowship), National Institutes of Health

1988 - 1989: Heed Fellowship, Heed Foundation

1988 - 1990: National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health

1989 - 1990: Heed Foundation/Knapp Fellowship  AOS-Knapp Fund

1998: Teaching Award, Lancaster Course in Ophthalmology

1998: Nominee, A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Harvard Medical School

2004: Nominee, A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Harvard Medical School

2004: Distinguished Service Award Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

2005: Nominee, A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Harvard Medical School

2006: Nominee, A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Harvard Medical School

2011: First Annual Vitreoretinal Fellowship Teaching Award, Massachusetts Eye and Ear 

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is present globally and causes a common infection in animals and humans. One of Dr. Young's interests is to determine whether there are specific factors that determine disease outcome in an individual patient infected with Toxoplama gondii. Are there host factors? Are there certain strain types that are more virulent? In collaboration with Prof. Jeroen Saeij, an Assistant Professor at MIT, Dr. Young is working on the following projects:

Cytokine Polymorphism

We are interested in looking at various cytokines for possible polymorphisms that may explain why some patients show massive inflammation once infected with this parasite and why some patients seem to have repeated recurrences as if they’re unable to maintain the parasite in the dormant cyst stage. We will collaborate with several Brazilian ophthalmologists from Brazil and will have access to blood of patients with documented ocular toxoplamosis. We will process their blood DNA for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) from cytokine genes at the Broad Institute Center.

Serotyping Toxoplasma gondii Strains

Some strains cause disease in the eye by creating excessive stimulation of the immune system leading to toxic levels of cytokines (extensive vasculitis and macular edema) and some cause massive retinal destruction by the large numbers of parasites present in the retina. Using available genome sequence from a number of Toxoplasma gondii strains, we will have the most polymorphic Toxoplasma proteins identified. With these proteins, we will synthesize polymorphic peptides to design an improved serological assay to better characterize the specific strain that is the culprit. With this assay, we will be better prepared to treat patient according to the virulence of their strain.