Distinguished Alumnus Award 2014 Lloyd Paul Aiello, MD, PhD Class of 1988

Lloyd Paul Aiello is Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Vice Chair for Centers of Excellence and Associate Chief of Longwood Ophthalmology at Harvard Department of Ophthalmology, Director of the Beetham Eye Institute and Head of Eye Research at the Joslin Diabetes Center (JDC), and Founding Chair of the National Eye Institute Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network.

He received his doctoral degree in biochemistry and medical degree from BUSM,. He completed residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Hospital before coming to Joslin, where he completed both a clinical vitreoretinal and a research fellowship.  He joined the Joslin staff in 1994.

A third-generation ophthalmologist, Dr. Aiello is committed to eliminating visual loss resulting from diabetic retinopathy and associated conditions.  His research addresses biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying early diabetic retinopathy, development of novel interventions, therapeutic research through design and implementation of rigorous translational phase 1-3 clinical trials, advanced ocular imaging, and worldwide telemedicine efforts as related to diabetic retinopathy.

He has served as inaugural chair of the nationwide Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, and chair of the Lions Club International Sight First Diabetic Retinopathy Research Program Review Panel, and chair of both the Complications and the Clinical Investigation Sections of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Medical Science Review Committee.

Dr. Aiello has served on numerous editorial and review boards and major committees including the Albert & Mary Lasker Foundation International Retinal Research Foundation Initiative for Innovation in Vision Science.

He has authored more than 243 publications including contributions to the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, PNAS, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Diabetes, Lancet and many others.

He is the recipient of 45 national and international awards for his researchincluding the Alcon Research Institute Award, ARVO/Pfizer Ophthalmics Translational Research Award, Award of Merit in Retina Research from the Retina Society, Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, The Montgomery Medal from the Ireland Royal College of Surgeons, the Special Research Scholar Award and the Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation, the Paul Henkind Memorial Lectureship of the Macula Society, Charles Schepens Award in Research, Outstanding Foreign Investigator Award from the Japan Society of Diabetic Complications in Kyoto, the ARVO Fellow Silver Medal, the David Rumbough Award for Scientific Excellence, and the Novartis Award in Diabetes.