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The University of Utah’s elite has selected renowned John A. Moran Eye Center researcher , for membership as the recipient of one of 15 endowed chairs.

Researchers and physicians are awarded Benning chairs based on their demonstrated commitment to the Society’s mission of excellence in patient care, education, research, and service. They must additionally embody U of U Health’s strong spirit of collaboration.

Werner holds a unique role on the world stage as a trained ophthalmologist with a PhD in bioengineering who has used her expertise to improve ophthalmic care for millions of patients. The Ophthalmologist magazine most recently named her among the

Werner co-directs the Moran Eye Center’s non-profit , researching artificial intraocular lenses (IOLs) used to replace the eye’s natural lens during cataract and other surgeries. Working with companies and physicians across the globe, Werner evaluates materials,  surface treatments, and designs for the manufacturing of intraocular lenses. She also identifies the source of any complications caused by the lenses.

“Simply put, those involved know Dr. Werner’s approval is the first step to gaining traction in the competitive world of biodevice implants,” explains Distinguished Professor Randall J Olson, MD, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Moran Eye Center CEO. “This is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Werner, who has achieved some of the highest accolades in our field as her work has dramatically improved outcomes for cataract and other ophthalmic surgeries worldwide.”

Werner earned her medical school degree at the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1989. She then completed an ophthalmology residency at the Eye Clinic of the Felicio Rocho Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She moved from her native Brazil in 1992 to complete two post-residency programs at the University of Paris VI (Pierre et Marie Curie) and the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Paris. In 1995, she entered a Biomaterials doctorate program at the University of Paris V (René Descartes).

Werner moved to the United States in 1999 to take a position with the Center for Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices at the Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She eventually received a faculty appointment as an assistant professor.

She arrived in Salt Lake City in September 2002 after the Center moved from South Carolina to the Moran Eye Center. Werner became a U.S. Citizen in 2011, is now a full professor at the University of Utah, and was awarded tenure in 2013.

Werner is the author of more than 360 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on this subject and is widely recognized as the foremost authority in the field. In 2001, she became the youngest member of the very selective International Intra-Ocular Implant Club, the oldest and most prestigious organization devoted to the science and art of IOL implantation.

In October 2022, Dr. Werner became the first woman and member of a minority group underrepresented in medicine to receive the prestigious Charles Kelman Award and lecture at the annual American Academy of Ophthalmology conference in Chicago. At the same meeting, she received the 2022 Presidential Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery. She also broke ground as the first woman and Latina to hold the position of U.S. Associated editor for the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

As an educator, Dr. Werner has directly supervised two MDs and at least three medical students per year since 1999. She provides them with the opportunity to participate in research projects and author or co-author peer-reviewed articles. She served as a mentor for both the Medical Student Research and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities programs at the University of Utah. Dr. Werner has represented the University of Utah as a speaker at more than 50 international meetings in 25 countries. She has also served on the university’s Institutional Review Board.