UC Davis Eye Center

12/17/2025

Nancy Rickey Keltner was born Jan. 8, 1940, to Wesley Branch Rickey Jr., and Mary Iams Rickey and left us suddenly on Oct. 17, 2025.

She is survived by her husband John; sons John, Brent, and Carter; her siblings Caroline Hughes and Branch Rickey III; six grandchildren Ben, Aiden, John Henry, Anna, Kai, and Kiana; not to mention countless additional family members and dear friends.

Nancy was born in St. Louis, raised in Pittsburgh, and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. She married John a year after graduation and began a life committed to family, service, and adventure.

Nancy was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, friend, and community advocate.

In the nearly 50 years that Nancy and John lived in Davis, she devoted herself to countless community causes. Her work on the “Send Our Strings to Vienna” campaign for the Davis High Orchestra participation in an international music festival, co-founding of the consignment shop All Things Right and Relevant, with profits donated to local mental health organizations, as well as board roles with the Yolo Community Care Continuum and other mental health agencies, were among the most noteworthy.

For six years, Nancy wrote a column for The Davis Enterprise answering teen questions. Her many contributions to the community were recognized in 1992 when she was chosen “Davis Citizen of the Year.”

Nancy and John considered themselves “part-time” Canadians. They loved nothing more than to spend their summers surrounded by grandchildren and extended family in the Georgian Bay and on Vancouver Island.

In addition to her volunteer passion and commitment to family, Nancy will be remembered for her energy, her smile, her laughter and her desire to leave the world a better place.

Nancy hoped that in her memory we do any simple act of kindness for someone and embrace one of her favorite sayings: “Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.”

At her request memorial donations may be made for nero-ophthalmological research to the UC Davis Eye Institute, Nancy Keltner Memorial Research Fund by mail or online.

Mail: Please make a check payable to UC Davis Foundation and mail it to: UC Davis Health Sciences Development & Alumni Relations PO Box 160186 Sacramento, CA 95816, and write Nancy Keltner Memorial Research Fund in memo line.

Online: Please visit the website at give.ucdavis.edu/go/NancyKeltner.

A celebration of Nancy’s Life will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Center on Jan. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m.

11/25/2025

11/04/2025

Pediatric ICU nurse Christine Lichti's life and career were profoundly impacted by corneal disease. At just 25, she received corneal transplants in both eyes thanks to the generosity of a donor.

“Thanks to my donors and their families, I can now drive to work safely, enjoy a sunny day in the snow or at the lake, and even watch fireworks — all things I couldn’t do before," Christine said.

Every November, Eye Donation Month honors the heroes who make these miracles possible.

“Everyone can be a hero through donation,” said Christine. “By becoming a donor, you’re leaving the ultimate legacy.”

Learn how you can become a donor: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/cornea-recipient-shares-journey-gratitude-during-eye-donation-month/2025/11

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Two people are standing outdoors in front of a scenic backdrop of trees and snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky. One person is wearing a dark blue jacket and a wide-brimmed hat. The other person is wearing a bright green fleece pullover.

09/18/2025

Only 1 day left to help us reach our goal! Thanks to your support, we’ve raised 77% of our $5,000 goal to ensure kids at UC Davis Eye Center get the vision care they need, like glasses, contacts, and specialty lenses.

Every gift helps a child see clearly, learn confidently, and thrive.

Give today and help us reach our goal: https://giveto.ucdavis.edu/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaDavis/children-s-health-2025/pages/ophthalmology/?a=1

09/12/2025

We’re almost halfway there! Thanks to your support, we’ve raised 49% of our $5,000 goal to ensure kids at UC Davis Eye Center get the vision care they need, like glasses, contacts, and specialty lenses.

Every gift helps a child see clearly, learn confidently, and thrive.

Give today and help us reach our goal: https://giveto.ucdavis.edu/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaDavis/children-s-health-2025/pages/ophthalmology/?a=1

09/03/2025

We're thrilled to share that Kanishka Thiran Jayasundera has been appointed professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science at the UC Davis School of Medicine! He will also serve as the Fosse Endowed Chair in Vision Science Research.

Jayasundera specializes in retinal diseases and is known internationally for inherited retinal diseases. He built his distinguished career by focusing on improving treatments and providing mental health support for patients with inherited retinal diseases.

"Dr. Jayasundera’s clinical expertise and compassionate care have placed him at the forefront of vision restoration, including pioneering work in gene therapy and retinal prostheses," said Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. "Under his leadership, we're excited to further advance our nationally recognized ophthalmology care and research programs, benefiting our community."

Learn more about Dr. Jayasundera:

Kanishka Thiran Jayasundera has been appointed professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science in the UC Davis School of Medicine.

08/26/2025

Help the UC Davis Eye Center ensure that every child, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances, has access to the vision care and equipment they need to see clearly, learn confidently, and thrive. For many pediatric patients, medically indicated ophthalmic care is essential—not optional—in supporting healthy vision development and overall well-being.

Through this fund, we are able to provide critical resources for children and their families or caregivers who face barriers to care. This support covers a wide range of needs, including glasses, contact lenses, eye patches, specialty lenses, and custom frames. Each item is prescribed with a specific medical purpose, helping to treat conditions such as amblyopia, refractive errors, or other vision impairments that, if left unaddressed, can have lasting effects on a child’s academic success, social development, and quality of life.

Your generosity directly impacts young patients at a pivotal time in their lives. By removing the financial burden of these essential medical tools, you are giving children the opportunity to participate fully in school, enjoy activities with their peers, and engage more confidently with the world around them.

This is more than just providing a pair of glasses—it is about opening doors, expanding possibilities, and ensuring that no child’s future is limited by the inability to afford necessary vision care. Together, we can help every child see a brighter tomorrow.

Click the link below to learn more and help support this wonderful cause!

Please make a gift today!

07/29/2025

Congratulations to our Pediatric Ophthalmology service, who recently received a Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) clinical services grant to enhance the clinical care of children at the UC Davis Eye Center. We are grateful to partner with CMN to improve the health and welfare of our youngest patients at UC Davis Health.

Sixteen grants, worth a total of $1.6 million have been awarded by Children’s Miracle Network at UC Davis to clinicians and researchers at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

07/23/2025

Our Department of Ophthalmology has received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Eye Institute to explore a new way to treat vision loss using gene therapy.

The research could lead to safer and more effective treatments for people with serious eye diseases like macular degeneration and inherited blindness. It could also lead to treatments that don’t require surgery and can be done more widely in clinics.

“We’re excited to explore this new way of delivering gene therapy to the eye,” said Glenn Yiu, a retinal specialist at the UC Davis Eye Center and lead investigator for the grant. “If we can make gene delivery safer and more effective, it could open the door to treating many more patients with blinding eye diseases.”

Learn more about the grant and research: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-health-receives-36-million-grant-from-nih-to-improve-eye-gene-therapy/2025/07

04/29/2025

Dr. Jeffrey Caspar was spotlighted by Orbis during Volunteer Week 2025. Congratulations Dr. Jeffrey Caspar!

https://www.orbis.org/en/news/2025/jeff-caspar-volunteer-week

04/12/2025

There is still time to give during ! Join us in supporting the UC Davis Eye Center this Give Day! Your generosity provides hope and healing in your community and throughout Greater Sacramento.

Giving Link: https://giveto.ucdavis.edu/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaDavis/give-day-2025/pages/ucdavishealth2025/departmentofophthalmologyandvisionscience2025

03/20/2025

Watch Glenn Yiu, M.D., Ph.D., on Friday, March 21st at 8:30 a.m. PST on zoom as he give his Distinguished Speaker Series lecture on Gene Therapy & Genome Editing for Age-Related Macular Degeneration at the University of California, Irvine.

https://ctvr.uci.edu/events/distinguished-speaker-series-glenn-yiu-md-phd