In memoriam, Dr. Janice Vranka

Dr. Janice Vranka, Research Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) passed away on Thursday August 26, 2021 after a long battle with cancer.

Dr. Vranka spent almost her entire scientific life on a tiny region of the eye: Trabecular meshwork. She was brilliant, she was outstanding. She was one of the very best in research. It is seldom occurrence that a person who is attentive to the surroundings, very logical in her thinking, very kind, articulate and upright. Dr. Vranka was all that. For these reasons she is a terrible loss to the field.

For every 100 people who has known the word, "Trabecular meshwork" there is likely over a million who has never heard the word. This is a region of the eye that is important in regulation of the intraocular pressure.

The eye is a very complex organ. Almost all memories for persons with sight are build on vision. Eyes are simply not camera but they offer contrast sensitivity, dynamic imaging and are integral part for capturing and interpretation of vision. They are windows to our memory and higher level function.

A large body of folks are drawn to vision sciences and ophthalmology fascinated by the image forming function alone. It is likely subliminal that this is a glamorous endeavor. For some folks it may be infatuation and for still other folks it is ICD-10 code monetary return. The "Trabecular meshwork" and distal pathway for fluid flow are important to render long term health of the eye. Without maintenance of intraocular pressure there is slow degeneration of the wiring system that communicates dynamic image formation and contrast to the brain. The intraocular pressure homeostasis help maintain our eyes, longer we live, long that good ocular health is a prime necessity.

"Trabecular meshwork" does not have glamour of the retina. Insightful, highly intelligent and creative people are needed to understand functioning in the anterior chamber. Long quiet and arduous years brings understanding and insight. Janice was one of the very best representative in all of these. If you made a presentation, the one who has more fully understood the insight and intelligence it has taken you to arrive at that point is Janice. She will quietly come to you during a coffee break, genuinely complement you and then ask you a really insightful question that you may not have even thought about or will offer some equally good advice or a subtle criticism as to how your presentation could have been better. She will not do anything in the open forum. She never craved for attention that many asking frivolous questions do. She was a confident person, who knew where she was and knew appropriate attention, when deserved as a scientist, will naturally come her way. Few have this kind of confidence, poise and elegance.

It makes me feel unbelievably sad that we will miss such a confident, well reasoned and critical thinker in all our "Trabecular meshwork" meetings for rest of all our lives. Janice was young. She had a long life for scientific contribution and fulfillment in front of her that was taken away in an untimely manner. Her departure takes away a quiet soldier and a determined general, a planner and a strategist, a doer from this field.