Dr. Barbara E.K. Klein is a distinguished researcher and Professor Emerita of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College in 1965 and her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1969. Following her medical internship at Bellevue Medical Center, she completed her Master of Public Health at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. Dr. Klein pursued dual residencies in preventive medicine at the University of North Carolina Memorial Hospital and ophthalmology at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, culminating in a fellowship in glaucoma at the same institution.
Dr. Klein has made seminal contributions to ophthalmic epidemiology through her leadership of the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy and the Beaver Dam Eye Study, which have produced countless publications improving patient care for those with diabetes and age-related eye diseases. Her population-based epidemiological research has established foundational disease severity protocols used worldwide for grading ocular photographs, creating standardized methodologies that have become essential for clinical research and practice. With over 35 years of experience in epidemiologic research, her work has fundamentally shaped understanding of risk factors and progression for conditions including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataract. These landmark studies have influenced clinical guidelines and research methodologies across the global ophthalmology community.
Dr. Klein has trained and mentored numerous young researchers and post-doctoral students from around the world, significantly expanding the field's research capacity and expertise. Her rigorous methodological approach has fostered international collaborations that continue to advance understanding of age-related eye diseases and their prevention strategies. The American Academy of Ophthalmology Research recognized her extraordinary contributions to clinical ocular epidemiology at the 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting, highlighting her collective impact on the field. Although she retired from active faculty duties in July 2021, Dr. Klein's epidemiological frameworks and research paradigms remain integral to ongoing studies of ocular disease progression and prevention worldwide.
