Benjamin J. Frankfort, M.D. ’05, Ph.D. ’03, Fel. ’10, is the Clifton R. McMichael Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology and a professor in the departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine. He is often described by colleagues and friends as the consummate physician, scientist and educator.
Originally from the suburbs of New York City, Dr. Frankfort discovered Baylor and Houston as a member of the SMART program in 1995. Since graduating from the Baylor M.D./Ph.D. program in 2005, he continued his trajectory into ophthalmic and neuroscience research through his residency training at The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. He returned to Baylor for his glaucoma fellowship in 2009 and joined the faculty at the Cullen Eye Institute in 2010. Dr. Frankfort quickly established not only a busy clinical glaucoma practice but also a firm foundation of high-quality teaching for students in the medical school basic sciences curriculum, residents and fellows. He simultaneously set up his own lab where he mentors Ph.D. students and post-doctoral fellows as well.
Since joining the Baylor faculty, Dr. Frankfort has secured multiple grants from the National Eye Institute. His research into the effect of intraocular pressure on retinal biology has led to impactful papers on the effects of elevated eye pressure on retinal ganglion cell physiology, retinal capillary change and retinal ganglion cell RNA expression, among other topics. His work has led to two patent filings through the Baylor Licensing Group and BCM Ventures. In 2023, he was recognized for his accomplishments when he received the Clifton R. McMichael Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology.
Today, Dr. Frankfort serves as the co-director of Baylor’s M.D./Ph.D. program, a role he assumed in 2022. After more than 14 years on the faculty, Dr. Frankfort regards stewarding the M.D./Ph.D. program, which did a great deal to shape him, as the highlight of his career.
