John Steven Parker, M.D. serves as Vice President of the International Retinal Research Foundation.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1955, Dr. Parker received a B.S. degree from Cornell University's College of Engineering in 1976, and was employed as an engineer while pursuing a medical degree at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, which he completed in 1986 as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. He moved to Birmingham to accept an internship in medicine at University Hospital, followed by a three-year ophthalmology residency at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 1990, he accepted a corneal fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

After completion of this corneal fellowship in 1991, Dr. Parker returned to Birmingham and joined the full-time faculty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine as a corneal specialist. He is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, and has served as Director of the Corneal Service and as Director of the Residency Program in the Department of Ophthalmology at UAB. Dr. Parker has also served as a trustee and an advisory board member of the Alabama Eye Bank. From 1998 to 2000, he served as President of the Medical Staff of the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital.

Dr. Parker has written chapters for ophthalmology texts, published articles in peer-reviewed ophthalmic journals, and has presented scientific papers, posters and courses at numerous national ophthalmic meetings. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and often serves as an instruction course monitor at the Academy's annual meetings.

Currently, Dr. Parker devotes himself to a private ophthalmology practice and teaching responsibilities in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology where he trains ophthalmology residents and donates time and expertise caring for indigent patients.

John S. Parker, MD

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