Maurice Edward Langham, M.D. is an English physician and author.

Personal History

Langham was born in London, England where he attended grammar school and University. In 1947, he joined the Ophthalmological Research Unit, newly formed by the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom under the direction of Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, the author of the well known 15 volume "System of Ophthalmology." In 1956, Dr. Langham spent an 18 month research fellowship at Harvard University and after returning to England accepted a position of Associate Prof. of Ophthalmology and Director of Research at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical school in 1959. There he initiated a research program in which all residents spent time in research. The interaction between disciplines was productive and led to many important clinical diagnostic and therapeutic advances.

Publications

In 2009, Langham published Ischemia and Loss of Vascular Autoregulation in Ocular and Cerebral Diseases: A New Perspective, a book which brings together in a concise form the progress made over his tenure with the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute and in particular deals with the significance of new perspectives and understanding of the fluid circulations of the eye and the brain. In addition, the new analytical technologies that made the new concepts possible are presented. A major finding is the ability of choroidal blood flow to increase substantially to offset the onset of relative ocular ischemia associated with changes in vascular resistance. The physiological and functional importance of blood flow autoregulation in the eye and in the brain in minimizing the progression of pathology, including the ischemia resulting from stenosis of the internal carotid artery and stroke are presented.

The text presents evidence that ischemia and loss of autoregulation of blood flow are associated with the onset of the major ocular and cerebral diseases including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, low and normal tension open angel glaucoma, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Recognition of these vascular changes underline the critical need for clinicians to monitor blood flow and autoregulation to improve early diagnosis and to optimize therapies of ocular and cerebral vascular diseases. The text brings to clinicians in Ophthalmology, Neurology, Medicine, Optometry and geriatrics guidance on the practical aspects for early diagnosis and treatment of ocular and cerebral diseases.

References

1. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/179/1/47