Impact Story: Onur Melen, MD, ’73 ’75 GME

Dr. Melen (front) in 2024, pictured with (left to right) Nicholas Volpe, MD, chair and the George W. and Edwina S. Tarry Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology; Adam D. Baim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Ophthalmology; Neena R. Cherayil, MD, assistant professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology; and Shira S. Simon, MD, director of Neuro-ophthalmology and assistant professor of Ophthalmology and Neurology.

Member of the Henry and Emma Rogers Society, Lifetime Giving Society, and The Founders Society-NULC (Founders’ Circle)

This story was published in The Founders Society Impact Stories, a publication that highlights leadership donors to various areas of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Read the whole issue here.

November 27, 2024

While in medical school in his native Turkey, Onur Melen, MD, thought about becoming an ophthalmologist but didn’t think he would make a good eye surgeon. Instead, a strong passion for neurophysiology led him to Northwestern where he completed his neurology residency in 1973. Yet Dr. Melen’s interest in ophthalmology never waned.

In the 1990s, Dr. Melen began to foster an interest in movement disorders and the then novel use of botulinum toxin or Botox to treat muscle spasms. The drug also became useful in treating eye conditions. The overlap resulted in Dr. Melen providing Botox treatment to both neurology and neuro-ophthalmology patients.

Being on faculty at Northwestern has allowed Dr. Melen to indulge in his most favorite activity: teaching. Today, at age 81 and as a lecturer in Neurology in the Division of Movement Disorders, he introduces medical students and residents to the subspecialty area of neuro-ophthalmology. Seeing patients two days a week, Dr. Melen doesn’t always have budding young physicians or trainees rotating through his clinic but that doesn’t matter to this dedicated educator.

“If I see a patient or two with interesting clinical presentations, I cannot not share these valuable teaching moments,” he said. “I’ll go outside the exam room and grab any student or resident I see in the hallway. They seem to appreciate it. At least that’s what they tell me!”

Dr. Melen has long supported the neuro- ophthalmology area through annual giving. Recently, he expanded his commitment by making a $1 million bequest to support the Onur Melen, MD Neuro-Ophthalmology Endowed Fellowship and Research Fund in the Department of Ophthalmology.

“Creating this fellowship has been a dream of the department,” said Dr. Melen. “I have loved teaching neuro-ophthalmology, and for that opportunity all these years, I am very happy to give back in this way.”

As for any thoughts of retiring, Dr. Melen has no immediate plans. “I enjoy my work too much,” he said.