University of Arkansas
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego
Pediatric and adult glaucoma & complex cataracts
Dr. Christopher A. Girkin holds the inaugural Viterbi Family Endowed Chair for Optic Nerve Biology and currently serves as Interim Chair of the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Interim Director of the Shiley Eye Institute at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). He is a clinician-scientist and surgeon who completed fellowship training in neuro-ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins and glaucoma at UC San Diego.
Dr. Girkin founded the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Glaucoma Service and fellowship program in 1999, which grew to include 16 clinical and research faculty and trained more than 30 subspecialty fellows. As Chair of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology from 2012 to 2022, he led the integration of the department’s clinical practice with Callahan Eye Hospital to create UAB Callahan Eye, which expanded to become Alabama’s largest multispecialty ophthalmology group, with 15 regional clinics. During his tenure, the department’s research program rose from 34th to a peak of 5th nationally in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. After 25 years at UAB, Dr. Girkin joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2024, returning to the institution where he completed his glaucoma fellowship.
Dr. Girkin’s research focuses on the mechanobiological mechanisms underlying susceptibility to glaucomatous optic neuropathy and the development of biomarkers and healthcare delivery strategies to improve patient outcomes. His research spans experimental human ocular tissue studies, longitudinal clinical cohorts, and health services research. Major programs include the NIH-funded Living Eye Project, which provides unique experimental access to the living human eye in research-consented organ donors; the NIH-funded African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES), a longstanding longitudinal investigation of glaucoma risk and progression; and the CDC-funded EQUALITY andAI-SIGHT programs focused on improving access to glaucoma and eye disease detection using advanced imaging and artificial intelligence. His research has been continuously funded by the NIH for more than two decades.
Dr. Girkin has authored or coauthored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and has delivered over 300 lectures to practitioners and researchers worldwide. He has delivered several named lectures including, most recently, the 2025 American Glaucoma Society Clinician-Scientist Lecture. He has received numerous accolades for his scholarly work including the Clinician-Scientist Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness and the American Glaucoma Society, the EyeSight Foundation Eminent Scholar Award, the Ronald Lowe Medal, the EyeSight Foundation Visionary Award, the UAB Distinguished Alumni Award, and the AAO Senior Achievement Award. He is a gold fellow of ARVO and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Girkin has served in several national leadership positions most recently including serving as president of the American Glaucoma Society’s.
Outside of medicine and research, Dr. Girkin enjoys macrophotography, scuba diving, hiking, and exploring Southern California with his wife, Laura, their two sons, Silas and Jude, and their Goldendoodle, Firepup.