Miriam Kolko

Professor Miriam Kolko holds dual appointments as Professor in Translational Eye Research at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology and Chief Physician at Copenhagen University Hospital's Department of Ophthalmology. She leads the Eye Translational Research Unit (EyeTRU) and Personalized Medicine Research Cluster while serving as President of the Danish Glaucoma Society and holding international leadership roles in EVER, EGS, and WGA.

Her educational background includes:

• Medical Doctor degree from University of Copenhagen
• PhD from Louisiana State University (Neuroscience Center)
• Fulbright Scholarship at Louisiana State University
• Residency in Ophthalmology (Copenhagen Region)
• Glaucoma Fellowship at Copenhagen University Hospital

Professor Kolko's research integrates clinical practice with translational science to address glaucoma pathophysiology and treatment innovation. Her work focuses on neuroprotection mechanisms, diabetic retinopathy biomarkers, ocular surface disease, and personalized medicine approaches. She bridges pharmacology, neuroscience, and ophthalmology to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative eye diseases.

Her 2025 publications reveal strong trends in leveraging large cohort studies (e.g., FOREVER with 57,464 participants) for epidemiological insights, biomarker discovery for diabetic complications, and rigorous evaluation of glaucoma interventions. Key themes include neuroimaging applications in diabetic disease, artificial tear formulation impacts, and advanced outcome measures for clinical trials.

Her accolades include:

• Top 1% glaucoma scholar (Expertscape)
• Ophthalmologist's Power List 2021
• Danish Ophthalmological Society Award of Excellence (2018)
• Lions Prize (2018)
• Medivit Awards (2014, 2016)
• Fulbright Scholarship (1995)

Professor Kolko has supervised 5 postdocs, 5 PhD students (3 as main supervisor), 21 master's students, and 19 bachelor's students, currently mentoring 10 PhD candidates. She has secured >25 million DKK research funding and serves as national coordinator for multicenter glaucoma trials while advising pharmaceutical industry on clinical development.

Her leadership of EyeTRU and the Personalized Medicine Research Cluster fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration between clinicians, pharmacologists, and neuroscientists to accelerate translational outcomes in eye disease treatment and diagnostics.