Alon Harris, MS, PhD, Named 2025 Recipient of Robert Ritch Award for Innovation and Excellence in Glaucoma

Alon Harris, MS, PhD, FARVO, has been announced as the 2025 recipient of The Glaucoma Foundation’s (TGF) 'Robert Ritch Award for Innovation and Excellence in Glaucoma.' The award, established in 2008 and named after TGF founder Robert Ritch, MD, honors exceptional individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the science and medicine of glaucoma.

Dr. Harris will receive the award on June 20 during the 29th Annual Glaucoma Foundation Scientific Think Tank, an event that convenes leading minds in glaucoma research and treatment in New York City.

Currently serving as Co-Director of the Barry Family Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence & Human Health and Vice Chair of International Research and Academic Affairs at Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Harris is also the Director of the Ophthalmic Vascular Diagnostic and Research Program. He holds professorships in both ophthalmology and artificial intelligence and human health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

According to a TGF news release, Dr. Harris has advanced the field with innovative diagnostic tools, artificial intelligence applications, and mathematical models that enhance understanding of glaucoma progression. He is the principal investigator on numerous NIH and foundation-funded studies focused on personalized risk assessment for vision loss in glaucoma patients.

Louis R. Pasquale, MD, FARVO—2023 Robert Ritch Award recipient and Chairman of TGF’s Scientific Advisory Board—will present the honor to Dr. Harris.

“Alon is an exceptionally deserving recipient of the prestigious Robert Ritch Award,” said Dr. Pasquale. “Alon stands out in the glaucoma research community for his unwavering dedication to unraveling the intricate interplay between systemic physiology, ocular hemodynamics, glaucoma, and oculomics. His hands-on approach and expertise are poised to revolutionize our comprehension of this complex condition."

Dr. Harris joins a distinguished list of previous honorees, including luminaries such as Drs. Paul Kaufman, Ted Krupin, George Spaeth, Bruce Shields, and Robert N. Weinreb, among others, who have each played a defining role in shaping the landscape of glaucoma research and care.