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Dear Colleagues, 

I'm thrilled to announce the appointment of Albert S. Jun, MD, PhD, a distinguished academic clinician, educator, and researcher, as Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, effective May 6, 2024.

Dr. Jun comes to UVA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he has served as chief of the Division of Cornea, Cataract, and External Diseases in the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute since 2015. In this leadership role, Dr. Jun played a key role in revolutionizing how corneal transplants are performed, specifically in the development of partial thickness corneal transplants which have become the standard approach over the past 20 years. 

As an educator, Dr. Jun has served as a mentor for more than 50 medical students, residents, and faculty members, preparing for a new generation of ophthalmology care. As a researcher, his focuses have been broad and impactful, resulting in numerous breakthroughs in basic science, the organization of numerous clinical trials, and co-authoring over 100 research papers.

An esteemed practitioner of medicine, Dr. Jun earned his medical degree and his PhD in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University. He then completed an internship in internal medicine and a residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins. Following his residency, he went on to complete a fellowship in cornea and external disease at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, a fellowship in corneal gene therapy at the Imperial College School of Medicine in London and a clinician-scientist fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Jun’s illustrious career as an academic ophthalmologist has expertly blended our missions of patient care, research, and education. When combined with his exceptional leadership experience, he is an ideal chair for our Department of Ophthalmology and is excited to lead the Department of Ophthalmology to reach even greater heights.

With the appointment of Dr. Jun, I want to thank Peter A. Netland, MD, PhD, who has served in this role since 2009, during which he laid the groundwork for the Department of Ophthalmology to be a premier destination for world-class eye care. Everyone at the School of Medicine is grateful for his dedication and stewardship over the past 15 years.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Jun and wishing him great success in his new role.

Sincerely,

Melina R. Kibbe, MD
Dean, UVA School of Medicine
James Carroll Flippin Professor of Medical Science
Chief Health Affairs Officer, UVA Health