Associate Professor
Dr. Richard L. Abbott, a renowned ophthalmologist, was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up on Long Island. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Tufts University in Boston and earned his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. Dr. Abbott completed his residency at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami.
Returning to San Francisco, Dr. Abbott served on the cornea faculty at California Pacific Medical Center from 1978-1995. He was then recruited to join the faculty at UCSF, where he currently holds the Thomas W. Boyden Health Sciences Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology position and is a Research Associate at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation (Home)(American Academy of Ophthalmology).
Dr. Abbott has held numerous leadership roles, including Past President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology. He currently serves as the Secretary for Global Alliances for the AAO and has been elected as a member of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis. His contributions to the field have been recognized with multiple awards, such as the U.S. President’s 25 Year Volunteer Service Award, the Jose Rizal Medal for International Service, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Lifetime Achievement Award(Home) (Home).
Research and Creative Activities Summary
Dr. Abbott's research focuses on corneal diseases and he has authored or co-authored 90 publications and 32 book chapters. He has delivered over 800 invited lectures and 36 named lectures, contributing significantly to the advancement of ophthalmology on a global scale.
Current Projects:
- Development of practice guidelines for eye care.
- International collaboration on ophthalmic education and practice standards.
Personal Interests:
Dr. Abbott resides in Mill Valley, California, with his three children, Galen, and twin daughters, Alison and Lauren, who are both married and have five children. He enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, photography, and creating succulent gardens.
For more details, visit Dr. Richard Abbott's UCSF profile and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.