Walter Stark, MD, an ophthalmology leader and innovator, died on Feb. 29 at the age of 81, according to an obituary in the Baltimore Sun.
Dr. Stark completed his residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and went on to serve as a physician for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
In 1973, he joined the Wilmer Eye Institute and became a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins and served as director of the corneal and cataract services.
Dr. Stark specialized in corneal surgery, corneal transplantation, intraocular lens implantation and the use of the excimer laser for the rehabilitation of patients with visual disability. He was called on by dignitaries from around the world to provide treatment.
He earned the American Academy of Ophthalmology's lifetime achievement award in 2015. He also held the Dr. Walter J. Stark Chair in Ophthalmology and the Boone Pickens Professorship in Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University.
He was a founding leader of Medical Eye Bank of Maryland and director of the medical board of directors at Tissue Banks International. He also served as the chair of the ophthalmic device panel with the FDA.