Iowa Lions Eye Bank

11/02/2026

Eight students got an inside look at the world of eye banking during the UI Career Center Hawkshadow experience at Iowa Lions Eye Bank, held October 23–30.

The students learned how Iowa Lions Eye Bank helps restore and preserve sight through corneal transplantation, research, and education, while exploring the many facets involved in making the gift of sight possible.

The students wrote thank you notes afterward, reflecting on their visits. Among their thoughts:

"It was truly inspiring to see everything firsthand, and I want to extend my gratitude to all the Iowa Lions Eye Bank employees for being so open to teaching students like me, raising awareness for eye donation, and helping us discover a wide range of possibilities for our futures."

"Everyone I met was friendly and eager to share their knowledge and experience, which made the visit much more sociable."

"I really enjoyed this shadowing experience, and it has inspired me to look more into the eye field!"

"It was amazing to see how donated tissue can really come to forge a devastating situation into something that can help so many people. Being able to see how research is done in a strongly translational way was so interesting from my background and gave me a better idea of the variety of research that can be done in the biomedical space. I would love to keep in touch in the future regarding research and other experiences to be had!'

11/01/2026

As we turn the calendar, take a minute to think about the gift of sight.

Eye Donation Month takes place every November, and raises awareness about cornea donation and transplantation, honors the gift of sight given by selfless donors and their families, celebrates corneal transplant recipients, educates about eye donation, and encourages individuals to register as donors.

This year’s Eye Donation Month theme is: “It Only Takes a Minute” – emphasizing how quick and easy it is to register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor after making an informed, meaningful decision of generosity. You can register online through our website, through the iPhone Health App, your MyChart account, or at the DMV.

10/27/2026

It's almost Halloween! Time for our annual reminder!

Don't wear those cheap contact lenses as part of your costume. They might look cool, but they're dangerous: You could get an infection or injury that would be anything but a treat. If you do want to wear specialized contacts, go see an ophthalmologist for a proper fitting.

10/16/2026

Congratulations to our medical director, Dr. Mark Greiner, on receiving the EBAA High Impact Grant!

During last week's Cornea and Eye Banking Forum in New Orleans, we announced the recipient of the EBAA High Impact Grant.

Join us in congratulating Mark Greiner, MD, from the University of Iowa. His project is titled, "Preserving Cell Function in Donor Corneas with Signs of Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy."

We look forward to being updated on Dr. Greiner's progress!

10/09/2026

We are so excited and thrilled for our former cornea research fellow, Simran Sarin, as she takes her talents to NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Aerospace Medicine Clerkship!

Simran Sarin has always been interested in how medicine is practiced in extreme environments, whether it be the remote Himalayas or outer space. Now, she will experience the fundamentals of medicine in space through a highly selective program sponsored by NASA.

09/30/2026

These vials are bound for the Music City! 👁️🎶

Iowa Lions Eye Bank is proud to provide preloaded DSAEK training tissue for fellows attending the 2026 Cornea Society Fellows Educational Summit this weekend in Nashville.

Education is an important part of our mission. By supporting opportunities like the Cornea Fellow Summit, we’re helping to prepare the next generation of surgeons to restore and preserve sight. Donated ocular tissue allows physicians to practice procedures and strengthen their skills in a hands-on setting.

To our donors and donor families: your impact reaches far beyond the decision to say yes to donation. It helps advance transplantation and the future of sight restoration. 💙💚

09/29/2026

What does nearly a quarter of a million dollars in support from the Lions look like at Iowa Lions Eye Bank? 💸 Here’s one example.

Funds from the Iowa Lions and Lions Clubs International Foundation Give Sight, Give Love campaign helped us purchase a new Optical Coherence Tomography microscope, an important tool that allows our team to measure the thickness of donated corneal tissue as we prepare it for transplantation.

But there was a catch: the microscope is designed to examine patients — not donated corneas in viewing chambers.

So, our team found a solution. We also used money from the Give Sight, Give Love campaign to purchase 3D-printing materials, which we used to fabricate a holder for corneal viewing chambers.

It’s a great example of how support from Iowa Lions and Lions Clubs International Foundation is helping us not only upgrade our technology, but also innovate to make it work for the unique needs of eye banking.

Thank you, Lions, for helping us continue to move the gift of sight forward! 🦁👁️

09/28/2026

Have you ever wondered what happens inside Iowa Lions Eye Bank? Come SEE for yourself! 👀

We love welcoming people to our Coralville headquarters for tours.

One area visitors normally can’t enter is our processing lab, where donated corneal tissue is carefully prepared for transplant. But thanks to money raised through the Iowa Lions and Lions Clubs International Foundation Give Sight, Give Love fundraising campaign, we’ve installed a new monitor that allows tour groups to see video of the work happening inside the lab — no PPE required!

If you haven’t visited us yet, we’d love to have you. Thursdays and Fridays are our best days for tours. Email [email protected] for more information.

09/25/2026

👁️ It was our pleasure to welcome Jay Lugo, executive director of Envision Eye Bank in Idaho, to Iowa Lions Eye Bank this week!

Jay traveled to Coralville to spend time in the lab with Processing Services Manager Chelsea Green, learning techniques for preparing DMEK and pre-loaded DMEK tissue.

We’re always proud to share the expertise of our team with colleagues from across the country. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more!

Thanks for visiting us in Iowa, Jay! 💙

09/24/2026

When Iowa Lions joined forces with Lions Clubs International Foundation, their support made an even greater impact at Iowa Lions Eye Bank. 🦁

In celebration of our 70th anniversary year, Iowa Lions launched the Give Sight, Give Love campaign, raising funds for much-needed equipment and technology upgrades. Their efforts were strengthened by a matching grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation, bringing the combined support to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
That generosity is now at work throughout Iowa Lions Eye Bank.

Among the items purchased were:
🧪 New equipment supporting our in-house vision research
👁️ Equipment and supplies for preparing corneal tissue for advanced transplant procedures like DMEK
🎥 New video equipment to share the stories of donors, recipients and our partners — and train our team
🧰 Recovery instruments and other essential equipment that help us carry out our mission every day