Speakers

Gemmy Cheung, MBBS, FRCOphth, FAMS, MCI

Arthur Lim Professor in Ophthalmology
Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore
Head, Medical Retina Department, Singapore National Eye Center
Head, Retina Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute
Singapore

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Professor Cheung is the Arthur Lim Professor in Ophthalmology at Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore (NUS). She is the Head of the Medical Retina Department, Singapore National Eye Center, and Head of the Retina Research Group at the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). Her research interests focus on Asian retinal diseases, specifically age-related macular degeneration (AMD), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and myopic macular degeneration. Professor Cheung has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, mostly in AMD and PCV. She has held leadership roles in international collaborations, including the APOIS PCV workgroup and major clinical trials in anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for AMD and PCV. She has presented more than 200 invited lectures internationally, including the Optic UK Lecture and the APVRS Constable Lecture. Professor Cheung has received several prestigious awards, including the Secretariat Award and Achievement Awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Macula Society Young Investigator Award, the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement award, Nakajima Award, and Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award.

Lyndon da Cruz, MD, PhD

Consultant Retinal Surgeon and Head, Department of Vitreo-retinal Surgery
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Professor of Retinal and Stem Cell Transplantation
University College
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, King's College
London, United Kingdom

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Professor da Cruz is a Consultant Retinal Surgeon and Head of the Department of Vitreo-retinal Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, Professor of Retinal and Stem Cell Transplantation, University College, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at King's College, London, United Kingdom. He completed his PhD in retinal gene therapy at the University of Western Australia on a National Health and Medical Research Council medical scholarship, his post-doctoral fellowship on the Royal Society Howard Florey fellowship and was named the Menzies scholar for Australia in 2000. Professor da Cruz has worked in innovative research for the treatment of blinding retinal conditions since 1990, including implanting the first prosthetic retina (bionic eye) in Britain (2008) and the first-in-man delivery of a stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial sheet for macular degeneration that he has co-developed (2015). For his research work, he has been awarded the Gulstrand Medal by the Swedish National Ophthalmic Society in 2010; the Harold Ridley Medal by The Ridley Foundation in 2015, the Denuncio Medal from The Italian Society of Ophthalmic Professors in 2016 and 2023, the Ruskell Medal from the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in 2018, and the Alan Alderman Award for Excellence from the Macular Disease Society 2018. In 2020 he was named Australian of the Year in the UK for his work in teaching, charity, and research in Ophthalmology. Professor da Cruz cofounded The London Project to Cure Blindness, with Professor Pete Coffey, to create new stem cell treatments for blinding retinal conditions. The project realizes the need for large-scale multidisciplinary teams of stem cell scientists, surgeons, and engineers to solve the problems of tissue manufacture, understanding of disease treatment points, and reliable delivery of the therapeutic element. He has established a robotic engineering group at King's College London with Dr. Christos Bergelas to create robotic delivery systems for novel biological treatments in the retina. He is a co-founder of Tenpoint Therapeutics.

Philip J. Ferrone, MD

Professor of Ophthalmology
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Assistant Clinical Professor
Columbia University
New York, New York

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Dr. Ferrone is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University, New York. He currently practices with Vitreoretinal Consultants of New York. Dr. Ferrone earned his Bachelor of Science from Union College, graduating magna cum laude, and he received his MD from Harvard Medical School, graduating cum laude with special honors. He completed an internship at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts and his residency at Duke University Medical Center. He subsequently completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak, Michigan. Dr. Ferrone is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, NYS Ophthalmological Society, Retina Society, Macula Society, Club Jules Gonin, and American Society of Retinal Specialists. He is President of the American Society of Retinal Specialists. Dr. Ferrone has expertise in adult and pediatric retinal disease, on which he has authored many scientific articles and textbook chapters. Dr. Ferrone received a Senior Honor Award for his contributions to the American Society of Retinal Specialists and a Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Stela Vujosevic, MD, PhD, FARVO, FEBO

Head of Medical Retina Unit, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
Tenure track Assistant Professor, University of Milan
Visiting Professor University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

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Dr. Vujosevic is currently the Head of the Medical Retina Unit, University Eye Clinic, San Giuseppe Hospital, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy, and she maintains Italian national qualification for full professor. Dr. Vujosevic received her degree in Medicine and Surgery, residency in ophthalmology and PhD in clinical methodology, endocrinological and diabetological sciences at the University of Padova. She subsequently completed a fellowship in medical retina and research at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, UK. Before accepting her position at San Giuseppe Hospital, she was a contract researcher at the G.B. Bietti Eye Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, a full time Medical Retina consultant and ophthalmic surgeon at the University Hospital of Padova, and Medical Director and R&D Director of the International Microperimetry Reading Centre. Dr. Vujosevic is a fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of several national and international expert committees and scientific journal editorial boards. Her major research interests are vascular and degenerative retinal and choroidal diseases, with particular interest in the study of biochemical, molecular, and imaging biomarkers and diagnostic techniques in ophthalmology. Dr. Vujosevic’s interest in retinal diseases has been mostly devoted to chronic acquired diseases (diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration).

Moderators

Varun Chaudhary, MD, FRCSC

President, Canadian Retina Society

Professor of Surgery and Head of Ophthalmology
McMaster University

Chief of Ophthalmology
Hamilton Regional Eye Institute
Hamilton, ON

Chair, Retina Evidence and Trials INternational Alliance (R.E.T.I.N.A.)

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Dr. Chaudhary is Professor of Surgery and Head of Ophthalmology at McMaster University.  He is Chief of Ophthalmology at Hamilton Regional Eye Institute. He is the Chair for the Retina Evidence and Trials INternational Alliance (R.E.T.I.N.A.).  He is the current President for the Canadian Retina Society.

He is passionate about evidence generation in the field of retina.  He has over 110 publications and as Principal Investigator he has secured over $40 million in research grant funding.  He serves on multiple clinical and medical advisory boards and global steering committees for retina endeavors spanning from basic science research to multi-national clinical trials in the field of retina.    

He is the Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology and Section Editor for Medical Retina for Eye.

He has been awarded multiple Education, Achievement and Research Awards including the 2023 NSERC Brockhouse Canada prize for interdisciplinary research in Science and Engineering, Surgeon Scientist Mid-Career Research Award McMaster University (2024), the Honor and Senior Honor Award by the American Society of Retinal Specialists & the Award for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.

Robert Gizicki, MD, FRCSC

Co-chair, Continuing Professional Development
Co-chair, Scientific Planning Committee, 2024 CRS Annual Meeting

Clinical Instructor
University of British Columbia

Vitreoretinal Surgeon
Surrey Memorial Hospital
New Westminster, BC

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Dr Gizicki received his medical degree from McGill University and completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal, Québec. He then went on to complete a 2-year sub-specialty training in vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery at St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. He then joined the retina group at Retina Surgical Associates and the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia.

His interests are diverse and include retinal detachment repair, diabetic retinopathy treatment, complications of cataract surgery, retinopathy of prematurity, and surgical performance analysis and benchmarking. 

He is board-certified with the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Canada as well as with the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a member of many professional societies including the BC Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian Retina Society, American Society of Retina Specialists.

Bernard Hurley, MD, FRCSC

Co-chair, Continuing Professional Development
Co-chair, Scientific Planning Committee, 2024 CRS Annual Meeting

Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon, Assistant Professor, and Fellowship Director
Department of Ophthalmology
University of Ottawa Eye Institute
Ottawa, ON

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Dr. Hurley is a Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, where he also serves as Fellowship Director. He received the Teacher of the Year award in the Residency Program in 2011, 2013, and 2022, and for the Ophthalmic Medical Technology Program in 2016. Dr. Hurley completed his postgraduate medical education with a Retina fellowship at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was twice awarded the Outstanding Fellow Award. He has written several chapters and has been the author or co-author of many peer-reviewed publications on topics including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has received research support from the E.A. Baker Foundation.  

Scientific Planning Committee

Varun Chaudhary, MD, FRCSC

President, Canadian Retina Society

Professor of Surgery and Head of Ophthalmology
McMaster University

Chief of Ophthalmology
Hamilton Regional Eye Institute
Hamilton, ON

Chair, Retina Evidence and Trials INternational Alliance (R.E.T.I.N.A.)

Read Full Bio

Dr. Chaudhary is Professor of Surgery and Head of Ophthalmology at McMaster University.  He is Chief of Ophthalmology at Hamilton Regional Eye Institute. He is the Chair for the Retina Evidence and Trials INternational Alliance (R.E.T.I.N.A.).  He is the current President for the Canadian Retina Society.

He is passionate about evidence generation in the field of retina.  He has over 110 publications and as Principal Investigator he has secured over $40 million in research grant funding.  He serves on multiple clinical and medical advisory boards and global steering committees for retina endeavors spanning from basic science research to multi-national clinical trials in the field of retina.    

He is the Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology and Section Editor for Medical Retina for Eye.

He has been awarded multiple Education, Achievement and Research Awards including the 2023 NSERC Brockhouse Canada prize for interdisciplinary research in Science and Engineering, Surgeon Scientist Mid-Career Research Award McMaster University (2024), the Honor and Senior Honor Award by the American Society of Retinal Specialists & the Award for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.

Robert Gizicki, MD, FRCSC

Co-chair, Continuing Professional Development
Co-chair, Scientific Planning Committee, 2024 CRS Annual Meeting

Clinical Instructor
University of British Columbia

Vitreoretinal Surgeon
Surrey Memorial Hospital
New Westminster, BC

Read Full Bio

Dr Gizicki received his medical degree from McGill University and completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal, Québec. He then went on to complete a 2-year sub-specialty training in vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery at St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. He then joined the retina group at Retina Surgical Associates and the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia.

His interests are diverse and include retinal detachment repair, diabetic retinopathy treatment, complications of cataract surgery, retinopathy of prematurity, and surgical performance analysis and benchmarking. 

He is board-certified with the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Canada as well as with the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a member of many professional societies including the BC Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian Retina Society, American Society of Retina Specialists.

Bernard Hurley, MD, FRCSC

Co-chair, Continuing Professional Development
Co-chair, Scientific Planning Committee, 2024 CRS Annual Meeting

Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon, Assistant Professor, and Fellowship Director
Department of Ophthalmology
University of Ottawa Eye Institute
Ottawa, ON

Read Full Bio

Dr. Hurley is a Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, where he also serves as Fellowship Director. He received the Teacher of the Year award in the Residency Program in 2011, 2013, and 2022, and for the Ophthalmic Medical Technology Program in 2016. Dr. Hurley completed his postgraduate medical education with a Retina fellowship at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was twice awarded the Outstanding Fellow Award. He has written several chapters and has been the author or co-author of many peer-reviewed publications on topics including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has received research support from the E.A. Baker Foundation.  

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