C. Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR

Founder | Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution (MERSI) Ocular Immunology & Uveitis Foundation

C. Stephen Foster, MD was born and raised in West Virginia, received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry at Duke University, with Distinction and Phi Beta Kappa in 1965, and received his Doctor of Medicine Degree at Duke University Medical Center, in 1969, being elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. He trained in Internal Medicine at Duke University Hospital from 1969-1970, and at the National Heart and Lung Institute, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1970 to 1972, during which time he also taught Internal Medicine, with an appointment as Instructor in Medicine at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. In 1972, Dr. Foster entered his Ophthalmology Residency training program at Washington University (Barnes Hospital), in St. Louis, Missouri, and having completed that in 1975, traveled to Boston to do two additional Fellowship trainings in Cornea and External Diseases, and in Ocular Immunology. He completed this training in 1977 and was invited to join the full-time faculty of the Department of Ophthalmology of Harvard Medical School, where he was a member of the Cornea Service and Director of the Residency Training Program at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He began his independent research in 1977 and has since been continuously funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

After 30 years on the full time faculty of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, he established his own private practice – The Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution, a state of the art practice with its own chemotherapy infusion suite and phlebotomy lab. Dr. Foster continues to direct a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution (MERSI), through the support of his newly created research foundation, the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation, and continues his teaching activities and training fellows as a Professor of Ophthalmology, Part-Time, at Harvard Medical School.  He has also authored 1,000 published papers and 14 textbooks.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Medical Association
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology, Fellow
  • American College of Rheumatology, Fellow
  • American College of Surgeons, Fellow
  • American Association of Ophthalmology
  • Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons
  • New England Ophthalmological Society
  • Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology
  • Contact Lens Society of America 

Awards and Honors

  • 1960 | Bausch and Lomb Science Prize
  • 1960 | National Merit Scholar
  • 1961 | Beta Omega Sigma Leadership Honorary
  • 1965 | Phi Beta Kappa
  • 1965 | Graduation with Highest Distinction in Chemistry
  • 1965 | Chemistry Prize
  • 1969 | Alpha Omega Alpha
  • 1979 | Sigma XI
  • 1985 | Hippocrates Medal, Swedish Royal Academy of Medicine
  • 1986 | American Ophthalmological Society
  • 1994 | The Best Doctors in America: Town and Country Magazine
  • 1995 | Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator Award
  • 1996 | The Best Doctors in America: American Health Magazine
  • 1996 | The Best Doctors in America:  Ophthalmology Times
  • 2000 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2001 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2002 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medial Ltd.
  • 2002 | Kingston’s National Registry of Who’s Who – Life Member
  • 2002 | America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals
  • 2002 | The Best Doctors in America
  • 2003 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2003 | The Diaz Caneja Medal
  • 2003 | The International Ocular Inflammation Society Award
  • 2004 | The Clinical Uveitis Research Award
  • 2004 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2004 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2005 | Mildred Weisenfeld Award for Outstanding Performance: ARVO
  • 2005 | Top Doctors: Boston Herald
  • 2005 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2005 | The Marquis Who’s Who Publication Board
  • 2005 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2006 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2006 | The Best Doctors in America
  • 2006 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2007 | American Academy of Ophthalmology Life Achievement Award
  • 2007 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2007 | The Best Doctors in America
  • 2007 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2008 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2008 | The Best Doctors in America
  • 2008 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2008 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2009 | The Clinical Uveitis Research Award
  • 2009 | America’s Top Doctors:  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2009 | The Best Doctors in America
  • 2009 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2009 | McLean Medal
  • 2009 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2009 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2010 | America’s Top Doctors Award
  • 2010 | Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Silver Fellow Award
  • 2010 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2010 | America’s Top Doctors: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2010 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2011 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2011 | America’s Top Doctors: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2011 | America’s Top Ophthalmologists: Consumer Research Council of America
  • 2011 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2011 | America’s Top Doctors Award
  • 2011 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2012 | America’s Top Doctors Award
  • 2012 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2012 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2015 | America’s Top Doctors: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2015 | Best Mentor: Foster Ocular Immunology Society
  • 2016 | America’s Top Doctors: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2016 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2017 | America’s Top Doctors: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
  • 2017 | Patients’ Choice Award, American Registry
  • 2017 | America’s Most Honored Professionals Award
  • 2018 | Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Award
  • 2019 | Top Doctors: Boston Magazine
  • 2020 | Portrait Honor, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
  • 2021 | Expertscape World Expert in Benign Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid
  • 2021 | America’s Best Physicians
  • 2022 | America’s Best Physicians
  • 2023 | America’s Best Physicians

Specializes

Ocular inflammatory disease from front to back of eye, Corneal disease, and ocular surface disease

Treats

Uveitis/Ocular Inflammatory Disease

Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy

Autoimmune Retinopathy

Chorioretinopathy

Chronic Conjunctivitis

Dry Eye, Episcleritis

Glaucoma

Keratitis

Keratoconus

Macular Edema

Ocular Allergy

Ocular Cancer: Lymphoma

Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid

Scleritis

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

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