Raised the son of a minister, Steven Vold, MD, always knew he'd devote his life to serving others. Between experiences accompanying his father on ministry trips to local hospitals and working at a family friend's nursing home as an orderly/nursing aid, his future became clear. He would go to medical school, and he'd care for people as their doctor.
Vold's interest in ophthalmology came later. "I was drawn to ophthalmology because of my interest in the detailed microsurgery it required but, more importantly, I loved the idea that I could help restore peoples' sight—to completely transform lives," Vold said.
It was during his residency at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University that Vold first became interested in the subspecialty of glaucoma. Not only was its use of technology appealing, but he also liked the complexity involved in treating patients with glaucoma–patients with whom he'd develop long-term relationships given the ongoing therapy required to manage their disease.
Vold was also enticed into the subspecialty by Lisa Rosenberg, MD, and Jon Ruderman, MD, glaucoma subspecialists who served as mentors during his residency. "Dr. Rosenberg and Dr. Ruderman really inspired me, and they encouraged me to apply for the glaucoma fellowship," Vold said. "I knew it was one of the most preeminent programs in the country–and I was really excited about the possibility of learning from the best."
Vold seized this opportunity and completed his glaucoma fellowship in 1998. Since then, he has achieved tremendous success as an academic, practitioner and researcher. After spending more than eight years in academia as an educator and clinical researcher, he built a thriving practice. Vold recently co-founded Ocunetics, a fledgling medical device company devoted to developing products that enable more minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Vold furthers the knowledge of his discipline by conducting cutting edge research: He has served as a principal investigator on numerous studies related to minimally invasive glaucoma therapies as well as for 15 FDA clinical trials within the past year alone. A prolific writer of published journal articles and book chapters, Vold also serves his professional community in a multitude of capacities including his role as the chief medical editor of "Glaucoma Today." In addition, Vold is frequently asked to speak on the topic glaucoma management and new surgical techniques at national and international conferences.
Modest to his core, Vold credits much of his success to his fellowship experience. "I'm extremely indebted for all I learned from my mentors—they're brilliant scientists, great surgeons and fantastic physicians who are deeply devoted to their patients. Their drive to better understand and treat glaucoma is contagious," said Vold. "Looking back, the year of my fellowship was one of the best of my life for many reasons. I also met my future wife that year."
Vold is now married with three young children and he counts his family as his crowning achievement. "They motivate and inspire me—they drive me to make a difference–to make the world a better place for them," Vold said. "In the next 10 to 20 years, I want to contribute to healthcare innovation. I am committed to improving the quality and cost effectiveness of glaucoma care for everyone."