Hello. My name is Dr. Liz Irvin. I am your ISN Guide to Eye Involvement. In addition to helping Dr. Foster develop resources for this section of the ISN website, I am happy to try to respond to questions that you may have or to redirect you to resources that may be helpful.

I am the founder and moderator of the Uveitis Online Support Group, an international online support community for anyone living with uveitis or other ocular inflammatory disease. I develop web resources for children and adults who live with ocular inflammatory disease. These are all extensions of my volunteer involvement with the Uveitis/OID Support Group at the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation where I am a patient and receive care for uveitis and glaucoma. The foundation president, C. Stephen Foster, M.D., our medical advisor, is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

I learned about the important work of the ISN through my sister, Charla, who died from scleroderma. It is helpful to me, personally, to be able to volunteer time here; it is a way of remembering her and of being positive in the wake of her loss.

I was asked to tell the community something about my background. I have been working in hospitals as a social worker and health care administrator for over thirty years. I received my PhD from Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work in 1995, and an MSW (master of social work) from Smith College in 1973. I make my home in the greater Boston area.

I look forward to getting to know others who connect through this important community, and welcome and encourage your feedback about our efforts here. My email address is liz-irvin@sclero.org.