Vision Excellence Awards: Sheila West

Sheila West, Ph.D., Pharm.D., is the El-Maghraby Professor of Preventive Ophthalmology and Vice Chair for Research at the Wilmer Eye Institute, with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interests include trachoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and vision and function in older persons.

She is a specialist in trachoma, and has worked with WHO in the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 initiative since 1999, serving as Chair from 2003-2004. She has also chaired several WHO global scientific meetings on aspects of trachoma control.Dr. West’s research has informed all aspects of the present World Health Organization guidelines for trachoma control. Currently, her research is focused in Africa on ways to improve trichiasis surgery outcomes and on elimination of blinding trachoma.