Dr. Ferris is the Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications and former Clinical Director at the National Eye Institute (NEI). He received an A.B. degree from Princeton University in 1968 and completed his medical training and internship at Johns Hopkins in 1973. Following this initial medical training, he joined the Public Health Service and started his 39-year career at NEI. During this career, he became a board certified epidemiologist as well as a board certified ophthalmologist when he completed his residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1978. Through a joint appointment with NEI, he continued his association with Hopkins as an associate professor of ophthalmology until 1995. During his 39 years at the NEI, he has participated in many clinical trials. Notably, he was Project Officer of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study, co-chairman of the Early Treatment Diabetic Study and chair of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. He has published more than 235 manuscripts in peer review journals and is actively involved in AREDS2, CATT, DRCR.net studies, and multiple intramural clinical studies at NEI.

Retinal diseases, Age-related macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Nutrition and vision.