John H. Kempen, MD, MPH, MHS, PhD
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Attending Physician and Surgeon, Department of Ophthalmology/Scheie Eye Institute, Presbyterian Hospital
Attending Physician and Surgeon, Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Director of Ocular Inflammation Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Director of Ophthalmic Epidemiology and International Ophthalmology , Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Member, Center for Preventive Ophthalmology and Biostatistics
Member, University of Pennsylvania Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Senior Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania
Member, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Ophthalmology
Contact information
Ocular Inflammation Service
Scheie Eye Institute
51 N. 39th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Scheie Eye Institute
51 N. 39th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-662-8155
Fax: 215-243-4696
Fax: 215-243-4696
Email:
john.kempen@uphs.upenn.edu
john.kempen@uphs.upenn.edu
Graduate Group Affiliations
Publications
Education:
BS (Biological Sciences, with Departmental Honors)
Stanford University, 1988.
MD (Medicine)
School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 1992.
MPH (International Health)
School of Hygiene & Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 1997.
MHS (Biostatistics)
School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 1999.
PhD (Epidemiology)
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2001.
BS (Biological Sciences, with Departmental Honors)
Stanford University, 1988.
MD (Medicine)
School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 1992.
MPH (International Health)
School of Hygiene & Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 1997.
MHS (Biostatistics)
School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 1999.
PhD (Epidemiology)
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2001.
Post-Graduate Training
Intern, Transitional Residency Program, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, 1992-1993.
Resident in Ophthalmology, University of Washington, 1993-1996.
Fellow, Preventive Ophthalmology, Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 1996-1997.
Fellow, Uveitis and Clinical Immunology, Ocular Immunology Service, The Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 1997-1998.
Fellow, Clinical Trials, Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene & Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, 1997-1998.
Intern, Transitional Residency Program, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, 1992-1993.
Resident in Ophthalmology, University of Washington, 1993-1996.
Fellow, Preventive Ophthalmology, Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 1996-1997.
Fellow, Uveitis and Clinical Immunology, Ocular Immunology Service, The Wilmer Eye Institute, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 1997-1998.
Fellow, Clinical Trials, Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene & Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, 1997-1998.
Certifications
American Board of Ophthalmology (Renewed 2007), 1997.
Permanent linkAmerican Board of Ophthalmology (Renewed 2007), 1997.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Kempen is well-known nationally and internationally as an expert in ocular inflammatory diseases—such as uveitis, scleritis, and others—as well as ocular complications of AIDS. He is the Director of the Penn Ocular Inflammation Service, and Director of Ophthalmic Epidemiology at the Center for Preventive Ophthalmology and Biostatistics. As an expert epidemiologist, he holds a joint appointment in the Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, and the Penn Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.Clinical Research
-Systemic Immunosuppressive Therapy for Eye Diseases (SITE) Cohort Study (funded by the National Eye Institute): Dr. Kempen is the national Principal Investigator for this study, the first NIH-sponsored multicenter clinical research study in the field of uveitis.
-Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial (funded by the National Eye Institute): Dr. Kempen serves as International Vice-Chairman, as well as Director of the Penn Clinical Center enrolling patients in this study.
-Posurdex for Intermediate Uveitis, phase 3 Trial (funded by Allergan): Dr. Kempen directs the Penn clinical center for this study.
-Longitudinal Study of Ocular Complications of AIDS (funded by the National Eye Institute): Dr. Kempen is a co-investigator for this study.
Key words
Uveitis, iritis, pars planitis, panuveitis, sympathetic ophthalmia, choroiditis, retinitis, neuroretinitis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, Fuchs’ heterochromic cyclitis, retinal vasculitis, serpiginous retinochoroiditis, birdshot chorioretinitis, immunosuppressive therapy for eye disease, scleritis, orbital inflammatory disease, ocular complications of AIDS, cytomegalovirus retinitis, acute retinal necrosis, infectious retinitis, toxoplasmic retinitis
Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Kempen serves as a regional clinician expert in ocular inflammatory diseases--such as uveitis and scleritis--for the Delaware Valley region of the United States, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and adjacent regions.Selected Publications
Holbrook JT, Altaweel MM, Kempen JH, Jabs DA: Challenges in the design and implementation of the Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial—Lessons for comparative effectiveness trials. Clinical Trials 8: 736-746, Nov 2011 Notes: Epub 2011 Oct 12.Grunwald L, Newcomb CW, Daniel E, Kaçmaz RO, Jabs DA, Levy-Clarke GA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Thorne JE, Foster CS, Kempen JH*: Risk of relapse in primary acute anterior uveitis. Ophthalmology 118: 1911-1915, Oct 2011 Notes: Epub 2011 Jun 16 *Corresponding author.
The Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment Trial Research Group. Writing Committee: Kempen JH*, Altaweel MM, Holbrook JT, Jabs DA, Louis TA, Sugar EA, Thorne JE: Randomized Comparison of Systemic Anti-inflammatory Therapy Versus Fluocinolone Acetonide Implant for Intermediate, Posterior and Panuveitis. Ophthalmology 118: 1916-1926, Oct 2011 Notes: Epub 2011 Aug 15 *Corresponding author.
Taju S, Tilahun Y, Ayalew M, Fikrie N, Schneider J, Kempen JH*: Diagnosis and treatment of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis: Literature review and case series. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect May 2011 Notes: *Corresponding author.
Wang D, Singh K, Weinreb R, Kempen J, He M, Lin S: Central corneal thickness and related factors in an elderly American Chinese population. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 39: 412-420, 2011 Notes: Epub 2011 Feb 1.
Gangaputra SS, Altaweel MM, Peng Q, Friedman DS, Rao PK, Foster CS, Kim RY, Reed SB, Srivastava SK, Wong IG, Kempen JH, for the MUST Trial Research Group: Morphologic Assessment for Glaucoma in the Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial. Ocular Immunol Inflamm 19: 267-274, 2011.
Galor A, Feuer W, Kempen JH, Kaçmaz RO, Liesegang TL, Suhler EB, Foster CS, Jabs DA, Levy-Clarke GA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Thorne JE: Adverse effects of smoking on patients with ocular inflammation. Brit J Ophthalmol 94(7): 848-53, July 2010 Notes: PubMed PMID 20606023.
The Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment Trial Research Group. Writing Committee: Kempen JH*, Altaweel MM, Holbrook JT, Jabs DA, Sugar EA.: The Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment Trial: Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics. American Journal of Ophthalmology 149(4): 550-561, Apr 2010 Notes: Epub 2010 Jan 25 *Corresponding Author
Kaçmaz RO, Kempen JH*, Newcomb CW, DanielE, Gangaputra S, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Thorne JE, Jabs DA, Levy-Clarke GA, and Foster CS: Cyclosporine for Ocular Inflammatory Diseases. Ophthalmology 117(3): 576-84, Mar 2010 Notes: *Corresponding Author Epub 2010 Jan 19.
Daniel E, Thorne JE, Newcomb CW, Pujari SS, Kaçmaz RO, Levy-Clarke GA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Foster CS, Jabs DA, Kempen JH*: Mycophenolate Mofetil for Ocular Inflammation Am J Ophthalmol 149(3):432-32, March 2010 Notes: *Corresponding Author.
