Randall J. Olson

About Randall J. Olson

Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, The Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair, CEO, John A. Moran Eye Center, Director, University of Utah Vision Institute, USA

What is a little-known fact about you?

I used to work as a lumberjack in the Rocky Mountains to pay for my tuition. 

Make a bold prediction for the future of ophthalmology.

We will have very successful treatments (mostly gene therapies) for many difficult ocular conditions, such as inherited ocular diseases, macular degeneration, and those we are missing with present care for glaucoma to give just a few examples. Our surgical refractive precision will be routine and adjustable over time. We are entering a golden age for our field!

How do you think AI and machine learning will impact the field?

We’ll have more consistent levels of care, more accurate diagnostics, and better directed care. That said, there are many pitfalls and worries to be surmounted. It will not replace ophthalmologists – at least for the foreseeable future.