Gilger Honored with AVMA Clinical Research Award

Brian Gilger, professor of ophthalmology at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, is the recipient of the 2018 Clinical Research Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The annual award, presented at last weekend’s National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, recognizes a veterinarian whose research has an impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of animal disease.

Gilger is a world-renowned expert in equine eye disease and his work has led to innovations in treating glaucoma among other conditions. The Gilger Lab at the CVM is dedicated studying a range of equine ocular diseases, including fungal infections, corneal ulceration and recurrent uveitis, chronic inflammation that causes blindness.

At the NC State Veterinary Hospital, state-of-the-art treatments such as gene therapy and ocular imaging using high-frequency ultrasound offers unparalleled equine care under Gilger’s leadership. Gilger’s research also focuses on innovative drug delivery and wound healing.

“I am very honored to receive this award,” said Gilger. “I have always considered myself as primarily a clinician and the research I have done is very applied … the advancements from this work directly benefits my patients.”

Gilger joined the CVM faculty in 1995 as an associate professor of ophthalmology. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, he has served as president of both the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and the International Equine Ophthalmology Consortium.

Board certified in veterinary ophthalmology by the American Board of toxicology, Gilger has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, more than 30 book chapters and edited give textbooks, including three editions of Equine Ophthalmology. This year, he was honored with the CVM’s Huffman Leadership Award for faculty.

“I am very grateful for all the assistance I have received over the past 23 years at NC State and for the fantastic students, residents and postdocs I have had the privilege to work with,” said Gilger. “All the credit for this award goes to them.”

For more information on the Gilger Lab, go here.