Jerry Niederkorn, Ph.D., recognized as a leader in the field of ocular immunology and infectious diseases of the eye, has been appointed Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology. The appointment honors his longtime contributions to UT Southwestern.

A faculty member since 1977 who retired in August, Dr. Niederkorn retired in August as Professor of Ophthalmology and Microbiology. He also served as Chair of the Immunology Graduate Program.

Over four decades, Dr. Niederkorn's contributions have furthered the mission of UT Southwestern, said James McCulley, M.D., former Chair of Ophthalmology.

“Dr. Niederkorn has been a key contributor to the growth and success of the Department of Ophthalmology over the past 44 years and has also made important contributions to graduate education at UT Southwestern,” said Dr. McCulley, also a recently appointed Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Niederkorn’s efforts have earned multiple international awards, including the Alcon Research Institute Award, an unsolicited award given to a handful of international scientists each year. He also was selected for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology’s Proctor Medal Award in 2019, a prestigious honor for scientists conducting vision and ophthalmic research.

For more than 35 years, Dr. Niederkorn has maintained continuous National Institutes of Health funding and has served as Principal Investigator on three research grants that were simultaneously funded for 28 years. His productivity as a scientist is reflected in the publication of 273 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 50 book chapters and articles.

Early in his career, Dr. Niederkorn’s goal was to teach biology at a small college. But a postdoctoral researcher in Immunology at UT Southwestern changed his career path. “I fell in love with research and became enamored with the eye,” he said. “There’s just something remarkable about the eye.”

Cornea transplantation was especially intriguing to him. “It is the most successful transplant surgery that is done, but why?” he asked. Answering that question has been the focus of much of his research. In 2015, he identified why secondary corneal transplants are rejected at triple the rate of first-time corneal transplants, which have a success rate of 90%. He uncovered an immune process that led to the rejection.

Eye cancer has also been an area of research. Intraocular melanoma can be managed with surgery and radiotherapy, Dr. Niederkorn said, but it often spreads to the liver. When that happens, there is no effective therapy.

As much as he has enjoyed research, he has also found working with students to be especially rewarding. Dr. Niederkorn has mentored 20 graduate students who earned their Ph.D.s in his laboratory and has served on the dissertation committees for 60 Ph.D. students at UT Southwestern. He continues to serve in multiple capacities for the University, including assisting with medical student interviews and as a member of the Steering Committee for the Immunology Graduate Program.

Now retired, Dr. Niederkorn said he is ready to start a new phase of his life. He plans to travel with his wife and spend more time with his two children and five grandsons.