Meet Dr. Dacey

Dr. Mark Dacey has coordinated the uveitis service at Colorado Retina for the past decade, seeing patients with complex autoimmune and infectious ocular conditions. He is a full-time, fellowship-trained uveitis specialist, with areas of interest in scleritis, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, retinal vasculitis, and orbital inflammation. The uveitis team at Colorado Retina is proud to be a tertiary referral center for patients in Colorado and eight surrounding states, from New Mexico in the south to North Dakota and Montana in the north.
Dr. Dacey grew up outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated with honors from Duke University and the University of Michigan Medical School, where he received the Dean’s Scholarship in Ophthalmology. His background studies in genetics at Duke started an interest in uveitis while a resident at UT Southwestern in Dallas, as many uveitic conditions have a genetic basis. He then completed a fellowship in ocular immunology and uveitis at the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institute and Harvard Medical School, where he studied under Dr. C. Stephen Foster, who is widely recognized as the foremost uveitis specialist in the United States.
Over the past decade, Dr. Dacey has expanded the uveitis service at Colorado Retina to include a satellite office in Rapid City, South Dakota. He has taught residents and fellows at the University of Colorado School of Medicine for 7 years, with four residents subsequently pursuing careers in uveitis. Dr. Dacey also coordinates the clinical research department at Colorado Retina, with several active clinical trials looking for new advances and treatment options for both adults and children with uveitis.
Dr. Dacey is passionate about teaching and education, participating in many local, national, and international conferences as part of the American Uveitis Society and the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation. “One of the primary goals in uveitis has been to educate and train new fellows and ophthalmologists in the use of steroid-sparing immunomodulatory medications, with the goal of trying to bring long-term remission to our patients”, says Dr. Dacey. “Each uveitis patient is unique and different, and I enjoy caring for patients with these challenging conditions, hoping to preserve their sight and quality of life for years to come.”
When not in the clinic, Dr. Dacey enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys, and exploring Colorado’s mountains and parks. His hobbies include running, traveling, skiing, and photography.
Undergraduate
- B.S., Biology and Political Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 2000
Medical School
- M.D., University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 2005
Internship
- Department of Internal Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Dallas, TX 2005-2006
Ophthalmology Residency
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, TX 2006-2009
Vitreoretinal Fellowship
- Ocular Immunology and Uveitis, Harvard University, Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution, Cambridge, MA. 2009-2010
- Diplomate, American Board of Ophthalmology 2011-2021
- American Academy of Ophthalmology 2006-present
- American Society Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2006-present
- International Ocular Inflammation Society 2015-present
- American Uveitis Society 2017-present
- Dean’s Scholarship in Ophthalmology, University of Michigan Medical School 2005
- Chief Fellow, Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution 2009-2010
- Chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of uveitis and ocular inflammation
- Hereditary ophthalmologic diseases
- Ocular oncology
Getting to Know Dr. Dacey
Reviews for Dr. Dacey
“Dr. Dacey and his staff are competent, caring and have saved my vision over the last 7+ years!”— Jolee
“Dr. Dacey is a smart and experienced uveitis specialist. I travel out of state to Denver area to see him because he has experience even with my uncommon post-retinal, autoimmune disease. His staff is one of the best I've met in years of eye disease treatment. They answer questions quickly and thoroughly and are very pleasant to deal with. Appts have been easy to schedule and start on time.”— C.M.
“Everything about my appointment was professional and friendly. Dr. Dacey has expertise in my rare condition and brings wisdom and insight to my treatment. I am grateful for the excellent care I receive at Colorado Retina Associates!”— Chris