Dr. Perez joined Duke Ophthalmology in September 2017 as Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Duke’s new Center for Ocular Immunology. He is an established clinician-scientist investigator in the field of ocular immunology and ocular surface diseases. Dr. Perez spends fifty percent of his time in his laboratory researching ocular immunology, ocular graft versus host disease (OGVHD) and transplantation. He complements this with his work evaluating and treating patients with ocular inflammatory diseases and conditions of the anterior segment associated with auto-immune disorders. In addition to ocular surface, he manages patients with anterior uveitis, OGVHD, transplantation and diseases of the eye that also have inflammation.

Dr. Perez's laboratory focuses primarily on researching immunology of corneal transplantation and ocular Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD). Dr. Perez and his colleagues use a mouse model of corneal transplantation and Ocular GVHD that allows for translational research relevant to patients with penetrating keratoplasty and ocular GVHD. Dr. Perez's grant from the National Eye Institute supports his lab's work on the immunological mechanisms involved in high-risk corneal transplant rejection and OGVHD.

Members of Dr. Perez's lab have used the mouse eye as an in vivo imaging platform to study T cell recruitment and in situ activation. The aim of this work is to develop a translational research clinic to study the natural history of disease progression in ocular GVHD and to test the role of cytokines in this process. One of the most innovative aspects of this program is the multidisciplinary team—consisting of scientists from the ophthalmology, basic immunology, and oncology units—whose members work together to comprehensively tackle the research and care of patients with GVHD. The knowledge and development of potential new preventive therapies that is being generated in the laboratory will have a direct translational impact on the care of Duke Eye Center patients with GVHD.

Dr. Perez says that he joined Duke because it provides the perfect environment for clinician scientists to grow and establish translational research programs to cure diseases. Duke’s vision of the future in translational research led to the creation of the center to study inflammatory diseases of the eye. The components of his work support the goal to preserve vision through innovation, personalized medicine, and a passion for advancement of ophthalmic science.

  

Financial disclosure: I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization:

1. Shire 
   
2. Allergan 
   
3. Eye Gate 
   
4. Trefoil