Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the Eye Institute

Gerald J. Harris, MD

Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Chief, Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Director, Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Fellowship

Locations

  • The Eye Institute, Froedtert Hospital
  • 925 N. 87th St.
    Milwaukee, WI

Contact Information

General Interests

Orbital Diseases and Surgery Oculoplastic Surgery Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Eyelids Tear Duct Surgery Ocular Oncology

Education

MD, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL

Postgraduate Training
Internship, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
Residency, Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL
Fellowship, Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY

Biography

Dr. Gerald J. Harris is professor of ophthalmology and chief of orbital and ophthalmic plastic surgery at the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Eye Institute. He was born in Philadelphia, received his medical degree and ophthalmology training at Northwestern University and was a fellow in orbital and oculoplastic surgery at Columbia University. He served as a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon in Southeast Asia.

With a primary commitment to the surgical care of his patients, Dr. Harris has made scholarly contributions in the areas of orbital disease, eyelid reconstruction and lacrimal surgery. His publications include more than 150 original articles and book chapters as well as the surgical text Atlas of Oculofacial Reconstruction. He has delivered 117 invited lectures at institutions and societies worldwide and was honored as the Wendell L. Hughes Lecturer by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Harris is editor emeritus of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, having served as editor-in-chief for eight years. He is a member of the Orbital Society and the American Ophthalmological Society and is in the Presidential Track of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), serving as vice president in 2015, president-elect in 2016, president in 2017, and chair of the advisory board in 2018. Dr. Harris is the program director and principal preceptor of an ASOPRS-accredited fellowship training program.

Honors and Awards

Air Medal and Commendation Medal (United States Air Force)
Board Certification, American Board of Ophthalmology
Honor Award (AAO)
Listed in Best Doctors in America (all editions)
Lester T. Jones Award (ASOPRS)
ASOPRS Outstanding Contribution Award
Residents’ Award for Teaching Excellence (MCW Department of Ophthalmology)
Wendell L. Hughes Lecturer (AAO)
Henri Johan Flieringa Lecturer (Rotterdam Eye Hospital)
Richard G. Weaver Lecturer (Wake Forest University School of Medicine)
ASOPRS Foundation Lecturer
Irving H. Leopold Lecturer (Wills Eye Hospital)
Arthur Culler Lecturer (The Ohio State University)
Robert Miller Lecturer (Northwestern University)
A. J. Elliott Lecturer (British Columbia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons)
E. A. Baker Foundation Lecturer (Canadian Ophthalmological Society)

Leadership Positions

  • Emeritus Editor-in-Chief, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Fellowship Program Director, Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery
  • Past President, American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Section Chief, Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery, MCW

Research Interests

  • Eyelid and Periocular Reconstruction
  • Aesthetic Approaches to Orbital Surgery
  • Orbital Fractures: Election and Timing of Surgical Repair
  • Orbital Infections: Age-related Differences in Management
  • Orbital Tumors: Diagnosis and Management

Publications