Biography

J. William Harbour, M.D., is an Ocular Oncologist at Children’s Health℠ and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at UT Southwestern. His clinical interests include retinoblastoma and other pediatric ocular tumors. 

“Taking care of children with eye cancers like retinoblastoma has been a passion of mine for almost 30 years,” Dr. Harbour says. “Working with the latest treatments, we’re able to cure the vast majority of these kids, preserve their eyes and vision in most cases, and give them the opportunity for a thriving future.”

Dr. Harbour earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, followed by an Ophthalmology residency at the Wills Eye Residency Program at Jefferson. He then completed fellowships in Vitreoretinal Diseases at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami and in Ocular Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Actively involved in research, Dr. Harbour examines genetic and genomic technologies to better understand, diagnose and treat eye cancers. His team has uncovered key genetic changes in retinoblastoma and other eye cancers, including the recent discovery of a new driver of cancer progression and potential therapeutic target in retinoblastoma. His contributions to the field have been recognized by major honors from organizations such as the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the Macula Society, among others.

He has trained numerous residents and fellows and has pioneered new surgical approaches for ocular tumors. He also holds patents for innovations in genetic prognostic testing for eye cancers.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Harbour enjoys spending time with his family, reading, travel and history.

Biography