Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, Tapped to Lead Moran Eye Center Clinical Research Efforts
Jul 30, 2026
New Leadership Appointment
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah has named Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Clinical Research, strengthening its commitment to research directly informing advances in patient care.
Bernstein has led Moran’s research enterprise as Vice Chair for Clinical and Basic Science Research. In his new role, he will focus solely on elevating Moran’s clinical research by guiding and supporting clinical investigators, expanding research opportunities, and advancing studies across a wide range of eye diseases and treatment approaches.
Bernstein will serve alongside newly appointed Vice Chair for Vision Research Kristen M. Kwan, PhD. Kwan will guide the strategic direction of the Moran Eye Center's research and support scientific discovery across its laboratories and centers.
Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Collaborative Research Leadership
Together, Kwan and Bernstein will provide complementary leadership across Moran’s basic, translational, and clinical research programs, jointly guiding the center’s overall research mission and its continued growth.
Clinical Expertise and Research Impact
Bernstein’s clinical expertise includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with special emphasis on the role of nutrition and environment in its treatment and prevention, inherited retinal and macular dystrophies, and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal disorders such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachments.
He notably served as Moran’s principal investigator for the National Eye Institute’s AREDS2 study, a landmark multicenter clinical trial that helped establish nutritional recommendations for reducing the risk of progression in AMD. His research lab has also helped establish the importance of lutein and zeaxanthin in maintaining macular health.
Bernstein is widely known for his work in collaborative clinical studies at Moran, including landmark international work that helped develop new FDA-approved therapies for Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel), a rare eye disease that causes significant vision loss in middle-aged adults. His research has also supported advances in retinal imaging as a way to detect disease earlier.
Leadership Statement
“Dr. Bernstein’s deep clinical expertise makes him uniquely suited to advance our clinical research program as we place additional emphasis on this area of our mission,” said Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and the Moran Eye Center.
About the Moran Eye Center
About the Moran Eye Center
Moran is home to more than 20 laboratories and centers dedicated to advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of eye disease. Its faculty conduct more than 80 clinical trials each year to evaluate new therapies, medical devices, and processes to improve and advance eye care.
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