Maurice E. Langham, Ph.D. Professorship of Ophthalmology

MAURICE E. LANGHAM, PhD came to Wilmer Eye Institute at the invitation of Wilmer’s director, Alfred Edward Maumenee, Jr, MD. The two had met while “Ed” Maumenee was a visiting professor at Guy’s Hospital in London and Langham was director of the Ophthalmological Research Unit, Medical Research Council, London. Langham earned a BSc in honors chemistry and honors physiology from Battersea Polytechnic and, in 1949, a PhD in honors physiology from University College of London. Langham went on to become a research investigator with Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, the ophthalmologist to her Majesty The Queen and the acknowledged leader of ophthalmology in the UK at that time. In 1956, he spent a year of fellowship at the Howe Laboratory in Boston.

Once at Wilmer, Langham first set up his laboratory on the fourth floor next to the operating room. When the new Woods Research Building was completed, he moved to its second floor, where he stayed until his retirement in January 1992. His research focused primarily on the physiology and pharmacology of the intraocular pressure, aqueous humor dynamics, and vascular circulation of the eye.

The generosity Langham showed his clinical and research fellows set the stage for Honey’s bequest to Wilmer Eye Institute, setting an additional example of generosity and leadership.

CHAIRHOLDER TO BE NAMED.