We are saddened by the passing of Professor Emeritus and former Chief of Glaucoma, R. Rand Allingham, MD.
Dr. Allingham was an outstanding clinician scientist and he will certainly be missed by his colleagues at Duke and beyond. His passion for research, education and patient care was clear to anyone he met. He touched many lives and made a tremendous impact on the field of glaucoma.
Dr. Allingham came to Duke Eye Center in 1993 as a star recruit, and over the next 25 years became an internationally recognized physician and researcher in the field of glaucoma.
He served as Chief of Glaucoma at Duke Ophthalmology from 1996-2015. In 2001 he became the first Barkhouser Scholar following a generous gift from Richard and Kit Barkhouser, where he used the funds to further his research into the genetics of glaucoma. Dr. Allingham later received the Richard and Kit Barkhouser Endowed Professorship which was established in 2007.
Over his remarkable career, he made pivotal contributions to glaucoma clinical care and to understanding the most basic causes for several types of glaucoma. Beyond his own clinical practice and scientific pursuits, Dr. Allingham was a mentor to generations of residents, fellows and junior faculty that passed through Duke Eye Center. As Chief of the glaucoma service, he was influential in shaping the Duke Eye Center and its renowned glaucoma division at a time of unprecedented growth. Beloved by his colleagues, trainees, and patients, his own gift for bringing out the best in others helped define his career and his legacy in the field.
Dr. Allingham was a special individual who gave more than he got and did so graciously with respect and devotion.
In recognition of Dr. Allingham's contribution to the field of ophthalmology and his outstanding mentorship of young faculty, the Department of Ophthalmology, in consultation with the Allingham family, recently established The R. Rand Allingham, MD Research Fund. This is a permanent endowment to provide research support for early career faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology. It is our hope this endowment continues Dr. Allingham’s legacy by supporting faculty at this key time in their careers. If enough funding is received to meet the amount required to create an assistant/associate termed professorship, it may then be used in that capacity.
If you are interested in making a memorial donation to support this fund, gifts may be made by check or online at gifts.duke.edu/dukeeye. Enter your gift amount and use the drop down menu to enter the fund name. If you would like to discuss further, please contact Jillian Ream, Duke Eye Center Development at 919-385-3197 or jillian.ream@duke.edu.