For only the fifth time in its 47-year history, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has a new chair. Eduardo C. Alfonso, known for his clinical expertise and  research in eye diseases, corneal surgery, and ocular microbiology, has been named chair of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for the Miller School of Medicine.

New Bascom Palmer chair Eduardo C. Alfonso is known for his clinical expertise and research in eye diseases, corneal surgery, and ocular microbiology.

Pascal J. Goldschmidt, senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School and CEO of UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, announced the appointment on June 29.

“I am honored to lead this extraordinary organization that is known worldwide for its innovation and excellence,” says Alfonso. ”It is a privilege to work with Bascom Palmer’s outstanding faculty and staff who are committed each day to delivering exceptional patient care, cutting-edge research, and the finest ophthalmic education.”

A board-certified ophthalmologist, Alfonso is a cornea specialist with special interest in corneal transplants. The medical director of Bascom Palmer’s Ocular Microbiology Laboratory, he is an internationally known expert on ocular infectious diseases and garnered worldwide attention in 2006, when he documented an increase in the incidence of an aggressive form of fungal corneal infections related to soft contact lens use. His findings resulted in a reduction of new infections around the world and triggered a recall of a popular contact lens solution.

Born in Cuba, Alfonso grew up in Puerto Rico before moving to the United States to attend college. A graduate of Yale College (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and the Yale University School of Medicine, Alfonso first joined Bascom Palmer in 1981 as an ophthalmology resident. Following his three-year residency, he completed fellowships at Harvard Medical School in Boston: corneal and external diseases at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; ophthalmic pathology at the David G. Cogan Eye Pathology Laboratory; and research at the Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology. He joined the Bascom Palmer faculty in 1986 as assistant professor and became professor of ophthalmology and the Edward W. D. Norton Professor in Ophthalmology in 1998. Alfonso will now hold the Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser Chair in Ophthalmology.

“The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is indeed fortunate to have someone as talented as Eduardo Alfonso at the helm of Bascom Palmer. His intellect, integrity, and vision make him the perfect choice to lead the nation’s best eye hospital into the 21st century,” says Goldschmidt.

Under Alfonso’s leadership, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked the number one eye hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report, an honor it has held for five consecutive years. Recently, it was also ranked as the nation’s top eye hospital by Consumer’s Checkbook, as published in AARP The Magazine.

Alfonso succeeds Carmen Puliafito, who became dean of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Alfonso specializes in corneal transplants and has been a world leader in implanting artificial corneas. His research interests include bacterial and fungal sensitivity; and the development and clinical applications of an artificial cornea, which has significant potential for patients awaiting transplants in developing nations where donor tissue is often scarce.

An experienced medical academic leader, Alfonso received the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Honor Award in 1993 and Senior Achievement Award in 2003. He serves on the editorial board of U.S. and international ophthalmology journals, and has authored more than 200 articles for scientific publication. He has lectured extensively throughout the world and has been honored with several named lectureships. He is continually included among Best Doctors in America and America’s Top Doctors. Most recently, Alfonso was honored as “2008 Healthcare CEO of the Year” by the South Florida Business Journal. He was recently inducted into the prestigious 250-member American Ophthalmological Society.

Alfonso has served as president of the Miami Ophthalmological Society, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Alumni Association, Sociedad Iberoamericana de Cornea y Cirugia Refractiva; director of Cuban Ophthalmological Society in Exile, Pan American Association of Ophthalmology, the Bascom Palmer Alumni Association; and secretary of The Ophthalmology Research Foundation. He has served as vice chair of the University of Miami Medical Group as well as  medical director of the Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital and vice chair of its Board of Governors.