Dr. Edward Holland & Robert Dempsey - Co-Founders - Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration - Restoring Sight For Those In Need

Dr. Edward Holland is a world-renowned leader in corneal transplantation and severe ocular surface disease, and is the Co-Founder of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration ( HFSR - https://www.hollandfoundationforsight.org/ ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals affected by these conditions, including limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) – a rare and devastating condition that can result in chronic pain, profound vision loss, and blindness.

Through this HFSR initiative, Centers of Excellence (COEs) focused on the advanced sight restoration procedures of Ocular Surface Stem Cell Transplantation (OSST) are being launched across the country. As part of its mission, the foundation is also committed to broadening education and training so that more physicians nationwide can learn and implement The Cincinnati ProtocolTM for the management of these patients.

Dr. Holland is also the Director of Cornea Services at Cincinnati Eye Institute ( https://www.cincinnatieye.com/doctors/edward-j-holland-m-d/ ) and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati ( https://med.uc.edu/landing-pages/profile/Index/Pubs/hollanej ). 

Dr. Holland attended the Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago and trained in Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.  He completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the University of Iowa and then completed a second fellowship in ocular immunology at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Dr. Holland formerly served as the President for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and served as the Program Chair for 12 years.  

Dr. Holland was a former member of the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and served as the Secretariat of the Annual Meeting.  Dr. Holland has served as the Chair of the Eye Bank Association and was the former Chair of the Medical Advisory Board as well as a longtime member of the Board of Directors.  

Robert Dempsey, MBA is also a Co-Founder of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration.

Mr. Dempsey brings more than two decades of domestic and global experience in the ophthalmic space driving successful drug development, business transactions and commercialization. His widespread experience in Ophthalmology stems from diverse Leadership roles across Commercial, Business Development, Medical Affairs and Venture Backed Startups. He brings deep relationships with Key Opinion Leaders and comprehensive knowledge of the ophthalmic ecosystem. 

Most recently, Mr. Dempsey served as the Chief Executive Officer for AsclepiX Therapeutics, following his CEO role at TearClear accelerating business and commercial strategies which led to several value inflection points and positive FDA engagements. 

Mr. Dempsey holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in healthcare marketing from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Important Episode Link - Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration Launches Light After Darkness Fundraising Campaign - 

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/22/3171067/0/en/Holland-Foundation-for-Sight-Restoration-Launches-Light-After-Darkness-Fundraising-Campaign.html

#EdwardHolland #RobertDempsey #HollandFoundationForSightRestoration #OcularSurfaceStemCellTransplantation #Ophthalmology #LightAfterDarkness #Cornea #LimbalStemCell #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #Research