Charles C. Manger III, one of the country’s best-known LASIK surgeons, has established an endowed chair in corneal laser surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC to support ongoing research related to correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and other refractive errors.

David Huang, associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Keck School and director of the Laser Vision Center at the Doheny Eye Institute, will hold the inaugural chair in corneal laser surgery.

He is the co-inventor of optical coherence tomography, a technology that is widely used for refractive surgery and other medical and diagnostic purposes.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Manger served for five years as an engineer on a nuclear submarine before turning to medicine.

After completing premedical studies at Harvard University, he graduated from the USC School of Medicine and completed his ophthalmology residency at USC’s Doheny Eye Institute.

Manger was one of the first ophthalmologists in Southern California to perform LASIK surgery, which uses a laser beam to reshape the cornea to replace the need for glasses and contact lenses.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996, the procedure is more accurate and comfortable than earlier surgeries and offers quicker visual recovery. Over the past 11 years, Manger has performed 5,000 to 7,000 LASIK surgeries each year at his Saddle-back Eye Center practice in Laguna Hills.

“Corneal laser surgery is commonly used to correct refractive errors, but we have yet to unlock its full potential for restoring vision in patients with irregular or cloudy corneas,” Huang said. “With Manger’s support, I hope to advance this important area of research.”