Dr. Thomas Yorio is Professor of Research and Pharmacology. An ocular pharmacologist, Dr. Yorio has made many contributions to the area of glaucoma and in identifying potential targets for neuroprotection. Dr. Yorio has taught pharmacology to medical and graduate students and has trained many undergraduates, medical and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in research and was the major professor of a number of Masters, PhD and combined DO/PhD students. Dr. Yorio is the recipient of many honors including the Ernst H. Barany Prize from the International Society for Eye Research recognizing his contributions to ocular pharmacology.

Education

• B.S. (Biology/Chemistry) Herbert H. Lehman College, New York, 1971
• Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences-Pharmacology) CUNY Graduate School
• Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 1975

Accomplishments

Founding Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, UNTHSC
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, UNTHSC and currently Provost Emeritus, UNTHSC
President of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics; National Kidney Foundation Fellowship
Ernst H. Bárány Prize, International Society for Eye Research
Distinguished Scientist Award, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
Editor-in-Chief, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science; Award for Outstanding Academic Leadership and Key Contributions to Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences from the LSU Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Recognized as one of 50 Hero’s for the 50th Anniversary of UNT Health Science Center

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Dr. Yorio is an ocular pharmacologist who has a research focus in glaucoma. Areas of interest include aqueous humor dynamics, identifying potential targets for neuroprotection with an emphasis on the role of optic nerve astrocytes and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegeneration. Additional studies focus on neuroprotective properties of sigma-1 receptors and in the area of glucocorticoid pharmacology and ocular hypertension, specifically on understanding the role of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) beta in regulating the ocular hypertensive response of glucocorticoids.