Richard S. Ruiz, MD

Founder and Director of Cizik Eye Clinic, Dr. Ruiz specializes in general ophthalmology, diseases of the retina, cataract, and surgery. Since 1971, Dr. Ruiz has been Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He has the honor of being the first holder of the John S. Dunn Distinguished University Chair, the first such endowment in the entire University of Texas System.

Dr. Ruiz received his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1956, completed his internship at Hermann Hospital in 1958, his residency at the Kresge Eye Institute and Wayne State University in 1961. He completed a retina fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School, Boston 1962.

Dr. Ruiz also holds or has held academic appointments at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He has been a visiting professor at numerous universities across the nation, including Texas Tech School of Medicine; University of South Florida Medical School, Tampa; University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville; the Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland; and Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University.

Among his many honors, Dr. Ruiz has served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, served a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Ophthalmic Devices Panel and was on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Health and Medical Science. He has been president of the Harris County Heritage Society, is on the Board of Trustees of The Kinkaid School, and is proud to be a Distinguished Alumnus of St. Thomas High School from which he graduated in 1950.