We are very excited to have Reza join Safar’s Scientific Advisory Board! His experience as an academic, advisor, and entrepreneur in the clinical development space makes Reza a strong asset for our growing portfolio of life science companies.

Reza Dana is the Claes Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Cornea at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, where he leads the Laboratory of Corneal Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Immunology graduate program at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Harvard-Vision Clinical Scientist Development Program.

A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Harvard, his work focuses on disease mechanisms that underlie autoimmunity, tissue scarring, transplant failure, chronic inflammation, and pathological blood vessel formation. He has authored over 400 articles and his published work has been cited more than 26,000 times. He has been recipient of numerous awards, including the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Cogan and Friedenwald Awards, the Physician-Scientist Award, Senior Investigator Award and the Stein Innovation Award from Research to Prevent Blindness, the Alcon Research Institute Award, the Endre A. Balazs Prize from the International Society of Eye Research, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his contributions in the United States.

He is Editor-in-Chief of Cornea, Senior Associate Editor of Ocular Surface, and Senior Editor of Encyclopedia of the Eye. In addition to his basic investigations, he leads a translational research program that has received 12 IND permits from the US FDA. He has trained over 120 fellows and graduate students from 34 countries in his laboratory, and over 80 physician fellows to date. He is recipient of the A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award at Harvard Medical School.

Reza Dana has launched multiple new programs in biotechnology, and has co-founded several new enterprises including Eleven Biotherapeutics, Claris Biotherapeutics, Aramis Biosciences, and Boston Eye Diagnostics.