User:Dwight1618

David Anthony Newsome, M.D. (16 April 1942 - ) is a scientist, ophthalmologist, inventor, and author. He is responsible for major breaktrhoughs in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, having discovered the usefulness of zinc supplements for eye health and longevity. In addition he is a world-renowned ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon.

As a clinical scientist, Dr. Newsome conceived the "Zinc Hypothesis": Adding zinc as a supplement by mouth can slow the rate of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss among older people in the United States and most developed countries around the world. Dr. Newsome planned and conducted the first prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study of oral zinc supplementation in macular degeneration. This breaktrhough discovery stimulated public interest in ways of protecting eyesight into old age. Dr. Newsome's discovery also spurred the National Eye Institute to sponsor the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The findings of that study, published over a decade after Dr. Newsome's pioneering breakthrough, confirmed that zinc helps retard vision loss in age-related macular degeneration.

In his research Dr. Newsome found that the eye's pigmented retina, a type of covering or epithelial tissue, could produce some types of collagen. Dr. Newsome's findings came when it was thought that epithelial tissues either could not or did not produce collagen. This new observations opened a new field of investigation of the collagen and related structural molecules in the eye and other tissues.

Inspired by the widespread acceptance of the benefits of zinc therapy for vision, as well as benefits for longevity, Dr. Newsome worked with laboratory colleagues to invent a "better zinc". These efforts resulted in the creation of a proprietary new molecule, zinc monocysteine. This molecule has been shown to improve vision in age-related macular degeneration and exhibit enhanced antioxidant properties in comparison with ordinary zinc salts.

Biography

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Newsome earned a B.A. from Duke University and an M.D. from The College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

Dr. Newsome completed a residency in ophthalmology at Harvard Universtiy. He then served as a medical and surgical Fellow in retinal diseases at Harvard, followed by an additioanl fellowship in retinal and surgical diseases at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami. While in training, Dr. Newsome received Board Certification from the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Newsome continued clinical research and training activities at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, where he rose to Chief of the Retinal and Ocular Connective Tissue Disease Section, National Eye Institute.

Dr. Newsome subsequently became Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University. He headed a research center dedicated to investigating blinding retinal diseases, as well as teaching and caring for patients. Dr. Newsome next accepted a tenured Professorship of Ophthalmology at louisiana State University. His duties included not only teaching and clinical work, but also the directorship of research into retinal diseases. During that time, he continued to head a research laboratory and pursue teaching activitties as Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Tulane University School of Medicine.

Dr. Newsome then establishe a private clinical practice in New Orleans, Louisiana. After 15 years as President of the Retinal Institute of Louisiana, which he founded and operated, Dr. Newsome was forced by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to relocate. He chose the Tampa Bay area of Florida. There he continued to work as a clinical ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon and also pursued clinical research. Dr. Newsome left clinical medicine to accept the position of Chief Scientific Officer of an emerging pharmaceutical company. After this executive position was restructured, Dr. Newsome provided a variety of medical and zinc supplement consultant services.

Throughout his professional career, Dr. Newsome has been active in philanthropic endeavors. Locally, he founded the Meals On Wheels New Orleans Fund. The Meals on Wheel New Orleans Fund provided no cost or low cost meals for the shut in and elderly. These meals are home delivered by volunteers who bring not just food, but provide social interaction for the shut in. Internaionally, he founded Eye Care Haiti. Headquarted in Port-au-Prince, the organization added multiple rural clinics in addition to the operating suites and training programs in the capital city. Eye Care Haiti has seen as many as 50,000 outpatients per year and performed thousands of sight-restoring operations. One of the lasting impacts of Eye Care Haiti has been knowledge tranfer to Haitian professionals and professional in training.

Societies

American Academy of Ophthalmology American Medical Association The Retina Society The Macula Society The Vitreous Society The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Founding Member, International Society for Trace Elements in Humans The American Society of Retinal Specialists

Honors

Berens Award, Columbia University, New York, New York President's Awards, District 22-C, Lions Eye Bank and Research Foundation ARVO Research Section Committee Knight, Ancient and Venerable Order of St. John Jerry Stein Memorial Prize, New Jersey Chapter, RP Foundation Recognition Award for Vision Research, Alcon Research Institute, Forth Worth, Texas Blinded Veterans Association, Certifcate of Appreciation Krill Lecturer, 14th Memorial Krill Lecture, Chicago Ophthalmological Society, Chicago, Illinois Mayor's Appointee, Louisiana Biomedical Research and Development Park Commission

Publications

Dr. Newsome has authored approximately 160 peer-reviewed professional papers and two books. His first book is Retinal Dystrophies and Degenerations, Raven Press, New York, 1988. It was considered the state of the art textbook in its field for over a decade. His latest book, The New Orleans Program: Eat, Exercise, Enjoy Life, Pelican Publishing, 2006, a collaboration with award-winning New Orleans Chef John Besh combines nutrition with common-sense advice on weight to prevent diabetes and other diseases. In also contains nearly 100 flavorful southern Louisiana recipes.