McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Maj. Gen. (retired) Gale S. Pollock (pictured), former Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, has joined the UPMC Eye Center as executive director of the nation’s first Center for Ocular Regeneration and Vision Restoration (CORVR). This effort, involving the McGowan Institute, will help those with vision impairments become more active in their communities. Gen. Pollock will oversee the Center’s development from the ground up, integrating basic and clinical research endeavors with a strong patient focus and helping UPMC to continue to advance the science of vision care.
More than 10 percent of all combat injuries affect vision. From her work with injured soldiers, Gen. Pollock is deeply committed to caring for the needs of the blind and vision-impaired. As executive director of CORVR, she will enforce a comprehensive approach when addressing the needs of the blind, blending the latest technology with successful research and clinical innovations. She will recruit a range of experts to pioneer comprehensive, patient-driven research and clinical therapies for the vision-impaired, including congenitally blind individuals and those who have lost sight due to injury or illness.
“Gen. Pollock brings to the Center for Ocular Regeneration and Vision Restoration the same passion, commitment, and leadership skills that led her to become Deputy Surgeon General and Chief of Army Nursing. We are tremendously excited and fortunate to have her as executive director of CORVR,” said McGowan Institute faculty member Joel S. Schuman, M.D., director of the UPMC Eye Center and professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Gen. Pollock has had a distinguished U.S. Army career with broad experience in health care administration. She has served as a nurse anesthetist, hospital commander, Chief of the Army Nurse Corps, Deputy Surgeon General, and Acting Surgeon General. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Maryland and attended the Anesthesiology Program for U.S. Army Nurse Corps Officers. She received master’s degrees in business administration from Boston University, health care administration from Baylor University, and national security and strategy from the National Defense University. Gen. Pollock is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the board of directors of the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program, Never Forget Foundation and Prevention of Blindness Organization. She was named “2007 Woman of the Year” by the American Legion Auxiliary.
Illustration: U.S. Army Medical Department, Office of the Surgeon General.
Read more…
UPMC Media Relations (09/15/08)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (09/21/08)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (09/28/08)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (09/28/08)
U.S. Army Bio: Maj. Gen. (retired) Gale S. Pollock
Regenerative Medicine Today: Joel S. Schuman, MD
Bio: Joel S. Schuman, MD