Five Australians have been recognised among the top 100 ophthalmologists globally in the 2024 Power List, compiled by The Ophthalmologist magazine, with Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) managing director Professor Keith Martin ranking fifth overall.
He joined CERA colleague Professor Robyn Guymer, the institution’s deputy director and head of macular research, as well as Adelaide’s Dr Ben LaHood, Sydney’s Professor Stephanie Watson and Western Australian Professor David Mackey. New Zealander Dr Helen Danesh-Meyer, a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland, also made the list.
Editor’s note: Scroll down to discover little known facts about this year’s Australian recipients, and what they predict for the future of ophthalmology.
The Power List highlights the excellence and impact of the most influential people in ophthalmology globally. Now celebrating its 11th anniversary, the list took on a different look this year after The Ophthalmologist established a new Hall of Fame in 2023.
“The graduation of some of our previous mainstays to our new Hall of Fame has opened up 2024’s ranking for quite a few changes to the Top 20 – and, seemingly, for the inclusion of several industry leaders who have not appeared on any of our Power Lists before,” the publication stated.
“As usual, the task of selecting and ranking the Top 100 ophthalmologists was a burden shouldered by our panel of judges – all internationally renowned experts in the field themselves. And once again, the insights and observations provided by our 100 chosen influencers throw a light on the cutting-edge issues and trends that are driving and shaping ophthalmology right now – as well as letting us in on some lesser-known aspects of their backgrounds and interests.”
The 2024 list was topped by US ophthalmologist Professor Ike Ahmed who is recognised as one of the most experienced complex eye surgeons globally – particularly in glaucoma and surgical complications. He’s also a researcher and surgical innovator.
Rounding out the top five were renowned US cataract surgeon Professor David Chang, fellow Americans Professor Felipe Medeiros and Professor Joel Schuman, both leading glaucoma experts, and CERA’s Prof Martin.
Australian insights
Prof Keith Martin – Ringland Anderson Professor and head of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, managing director of CERA, and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University of Cambridge, UK.
Asked to make a bold make a bold prediction for the future of ophthalmology, Prof Martin told The Ophthalmologist: “I’m biased, but in my field I think there will be a move beyond intraocular pressure lowering as the only treatment for glaucoma. I think we will have other treatments proven to preserve vision, and eventually restore some lost vision, in glaucoma. I think gene therapy will find increasing applications in ophthalmology, not just in inherited eye disease, but also in common blinding eye diseases, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.”
Dr Ben LaHood – Adelaide Eye and Laser Centre, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, The University of Adelaide.
Revealing a little-known fact about himself, Dr LaHood said: “I am in the final stages of releasing a cosmetic product specifically for eyelid skin to help protect eyelids from the elements, as well as providing anti-aging properties. This stems from working in the sunny environments of New Zealand and Australia, where removing eyelid skin lesions and reconstructing eyelids is far too common. This has been a project many years in the making, so it is very exciting to see it become a reality this year.”
Prof David Mackey – Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Australia and Lions Eye Institute.
The publication asked Prof Mackey what global trends in eye health should ophthalmologists be aware of, and he responded: “The meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has opened our understanding of the biology of most common eye diseases and led to our ability to predict those at risk. It has seen unprecedented levels of collaboration in ophthalmology research.”
Prof Robyn Guymer – Deputy director of CERA, Professor of Surgery (Ophthalmology), at the University of Melbourne, senior consultant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Also asked for her thoughts on global trends, Prof Guymer stated: “The growing elderly population and increase in age-related eye diseases, such as AMD and glaucoma, as well as the ongoing diabetic tsunami, will overwhelm our ability to provide optimal eye care unless we reinvent our approach to patient treatment in the future.”
Prof Stephanie Watson – Head of the Save Sight Institute’s Corneal Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney, head of the Corneal Unit at Sydney Eye Hospital, chair of Australian Vision Research, and vice chair of the RANZCO NSW.
On the future of ophthalmology, Prof Watson said: “I hope to see research become a part of the everyday practice in ophthalmology – this would include the routine collection and analysis of patient reported outcomes. Of course, data will be essential. Data would enable not just the efficacy and safety of treatments to be understood, but for inequity in treatment access to be addressed, which could, in turn, increase the uptake of evidence-based care. With this, ophthalmologists would soon become leaders in healthcare as they would see real-time outcomes of treatments, have a deeper understanding of the patient perspective, and take on the task of ensuring equitable delivery of eyecare.”
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