The Irene Heinz Given and John LaPorte Given Research Professorship of Ophthalmology

psom shield placeholderThe Professorship was established in 1970 through the generosity of the Irene Heinz Given and John LaPorte Given Foundation, Inc. The chair exemplifies the consistent support and commitment of the Foundation toward the enrichment of programs that will ensure the finest in patient care, education, and research in the Department of Ophthalmology and at the Scheie Eye Institute at Penn Medicine. Irene Heinz Given (1871–1956) was the daughter of Henry J. Heinz (1844–1919), who created the well-known food company. John LaPorte Given (1871–1957) founded an advertising firm and later joined the H.J. Heinz Company as advertising counsel and member of the Board of Directors. The Heinz family is well known for philanthropy and public service: Henry John Heinz, III (1938–1991) was a U.S. Congressman and Senator. Irene and John Givens provided significant support to many medical institutions and universities nationwide.

AlemanCurrent Chairholder

Tomas Aleman, MD

 

Tomas Aleman cares for children and adults with retinal degenerations, hereditary or acquired, at Scheie Eye Institute and at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. He is also a staff physician at Puentes Clinic. He is the co-principal investigator of a gene therapy trial for choroideremia, and is responsible for all clinical electrophysiological investigations within this department, which provides this service to a large number of specialists in the region.

Dr. Aleman has extensive expertise in the study of hereditary retinal degenerations. He is part of the Retinal Degeneration Center at Scheie Eye Institute and the CAROT center of the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Pennsylvania. His research expertise includes state-of-the-art psychophysical, electrophysiological and imaging studies in patients and animal models of the human disease. Most of the studies in which Dr. Aleman is an investigator are aimed to lead patients with these incurable retinal degenerations into clinical trials as well as in the detailed characterization of patients, both children and adults, with these conditions.

Previous Chairholders:

  • Alan M. Laties, MD 1975–1983
  • Charles E. Riva, DSc 1984–1995
  • Stuart L. Fine, MD 2009–2010